Ok, i'm at Cummins for visits almost every single saturday, and today i went as a participant in hubby's parole hearing and the differences were like i was at a different place!!
The guards (all women) were SO mean and wanting to show their "power." They were YELLING at an 80 year old woman. "throw your shoes thought the metal detector. do NOT touch the sides" the feeble woman could barely walk. if that would have been my grandma they were yelling at :pissed: I said, "she's 80 freaking years old, be nice!"
Plus, the parole hearing was at 8am. well everyone who visits knows u have to wait in line in your car forever and then wait in line inside to get checked in. We freeworld corporate types think "meeting starts at 8am" means "people start talking at 8am" - but instead it meant, you will stand OUTSIDE, in the cold and not too close to the door until 8:05 am when we will start to check you in and then the meetings start at 9am.
EVERYONE KNOWS IF THOSE WOMEN WEREN'T WORKING AT CUMMINS THEY'D BE ON WELFARE OR WORKING AT MICKEY D'S AND THEY'RE JUST SHOING THEIR "POWER" BECAUSE THEY CAN. Well, if they want to OWN that worlld, they can have it. We're only passing through.
I HATE THIS HATE THIS HATE THIS HATE THIS!! And I am also grateful we are not treated so poorly when we visit on the weekends.
:fb:

I also visit my man at Cummins. And I think the visits are great, but I've noticed that on the days that the women guards are the main guards in the visitation room, some of them give you dirty looks and watch what you're doing way more. And I hate when I see them talk down to people!! You're right, they're just on a power trip.

The Saturday visits really are great! I know we're lucky to be able to have physical contact and stuff - not all ADC is like that. I was SO devastated when I found out hubby was going to Cummins, but it's so much better than other places. (and not the hell hole it was 20 and 30 years ago.) My man traded his watch to stay out of Brickeys - and I'm grateful - we've heard stories about that place! And the Jaycees at Cummins are the bomb!

I agree. The visits at Cummins are so much better than I imagined. I love how they let you touch throughout the whole visit, I've heard of other places in Arkansas where you can only kiss and hug at the beginning and end. And I love that they can walk up to the jaycee concession stand with you. My man also had a possiblity of going to Brickeys, but thank God they sent him to Cummins b/c it's so much better of a facility and a lot closer to where I live. I go on Saturdays too, but my man is in the hole right now, so it will be another 3 weeks before I can go and see him.

Hi all! I am new to this. I have been reading on PTO for a couple of weeks but I just joined. My guy is in Daignostics right now. He was suppose to go to Cummins on Wednesday but, they put a hold on him for a month because they can't get his diabetes under control. Can anyone give me info on Cummins? What do you have to do to get your paperwork started for visitation? They aren't telling him anything.

Once he gets to Cummins, they will give him visitation forms to mail. I think it usually takes anywhere from a week to two weeks (I can't remember) to get approved. They have visitation every other weekend (either on Saturday or Sunday, depending on the first letter of their last name) for four hours from 11:30-3:30. But, you have to get there early because there are lots of lines you have to wait in before you get to the actual visitation room. Once he gets his class one, he can have visits EVERY weekend. Visits are pretty good compared to other places. If you have anymore questions, feel free to post or pm me.

Misstussey - for the first 30days he's in prison (after diagnostics), his wife, mom, dad, and kids can visit before their forms are approved. Everyone else has to have an approved visitation forms (and the wife, mom, dad, kids have to have an approved form after 30 days). He can mail u one from diagnostics and you can fill it out now. I don't remember how long it will take for you to get approved, but they'll tell him when you're approved and he can let you know.

When u get there, ONLY carry in your keys and some money and your drivers license, some people get away with carrying in more, but i've been reamed out for having an ink pen. Leave your purse hidden in your car or locked in your trunk. Be ready to take off your shoes, as most make the metal detector go off. I found a pair of shoes that don't set it off and i like to wear those for visits. Don't take in your sunglasses or a hat. Dress conservatively (no bare shoulders, no shorts, no exposed skin, no see thru clothing). The guards will be pretty nice to you. I bring $20 each time i visit and that can buy him an "ice cream package" which they'll deliver to him on monday night, and feed both of y'all while youre there, and even have money left over to get your picture taken.

Thank you for the info. I got to talk to him tonight. He has been calling every night so when he misses a night it is really scary. He has already had too many pass out spells from his blood sugar being too high and has had one trip to the hospital. He has been discharged from medical so they should be sending him to Cummins soon. I am just the fiancee so I guess my visitation will have to wait until approved. :(
I am just worried about where he will be in Cummins. You hear about so much bad that happens in there. Thanks again for the info. It is nice to have someone to talk to.
I am so glad that I found this site. I have learned alot of information. I have talked to the medical adminstrator and they were really nice.

We keep hearing about the hoe duty in the fields that new prisoners have to do. Anybody know how long? I have so many questions, and about the only answers I have been able to get are right here on the PTO. I am so thankful for ya'll.

They are on hoe squad for the first 60 days. They are a class 2 for that 60 days, but once they are done with hoe squad, they become class 1, which they will then be able to have visits every weekend and other privileges and won't have to work in the fields. My fiance has never been a class 1. He is in the hole (isolation) right now for cigarettes. This is his 2nd time in the hole. I think he's finally come to the realization that he needs to quit smoking. I went to visit Hunter for the isolation visitation (they're allowed one the first Thursday of the month for 2 hours while handcuffed and shackled :( ) When I was waiting outside for them to let me in (because they wouldn't allow me in until 5 minutes to visiting time), I watched all the men working out in the fields, I have never seen anyone work so hard. They were digging with their hoes so fast and no breaks for the 25 minutes I was out there at least. They REALLY work hard. It made me sad to think of my man out there doing that day after day.

I had heard that hoe duty was tough. Terry is ready to go. He is tired of sitting in Daignostics. They still haven't give him any idea when he will go to Cummins. His diabetes is doing better. The sad part is that his diabetes won't get under control completely till he gets some exercise. He asked about visitation papers so I could go ahead and get approved for visits when he gets to Cummins but they told him they would give them to him when he got there.
He has been gone 1 month today and it seems like a year. I know that it will never get easier but hopefully I will get used to it. My only fear is that they will keep him at diagnostics because of his diabetes being erratic and he will have to stay there without a chance for work release. I don't know anything about the permanent diagnostic unit. Do the questions ever end????
And girl those phone calls are HIGH! I have been reading about tele net and thinking about checking on it. I don't want to tell him he can't call whenever he wants to but the phone bill is going to be outrageous!!!

I don't know about whether or not they keep people at diagnostics permanently, but I'm pretty sure they don't. They might just have him not get on hoe squad for medical reasons and have him do other work. I'm not quite sure about all that. And about telenet, I can already tell you that they don't provide service to Cummins. I checked on it a while ago, but if you want to check again, you never know, and if they do now, then please tell me:). My man and I talk EVERY day. Now we've cut down calls to one a day. We used to talk so many times every day, but $600 phone bills are just way too much. I hate that they charge so much and there's nothing we can do about it. Anymore questions, feel free to ask. And I'm going to pm you about something.

We haven't gotten our first bill yet since he has been gone. It should be coming in anyday. I am scared of what it will look like. About how much do they run per call?

At Cummins calls are 6.60 per 15 minute call, plus all the taxes. WAY TOO MUCH! It's just not right.

If cummins knows you're going thru a third party provider, like telenet, they will say "third party line detected", and the call will cut off and your honey will get a disciplinary.

If they're not wanting to rush him to Cummins because of his diabetes, don't wish he was there. i've heard too many stories about diabetics being mistreated there.

sorry this isn't flowery, just the truth.

6.60 is only within arkansas. if he's calling you in another state, it's more. We lived in TX when he went in, so he called me there until i moved to arkansas. calls were $20.00 for 15 mins. Obviously we limited them to once a week.

The nasty bars of soap are GONE! There's a new plastic soap dispenser in the ladies restroom (hanging just right of the sinks). whooo hooo. Be sure to thank a Jaycee for that!

I had a good visit yesterday (May 1). Saw some interesting sites on the way home: beautiful horses standing in yellow wildflowers at Varner, a HUGE dead frog on the side of the road, and a fox crossed the street in front of me. Of course, there's the sign for "Lavender's Bar" that says "We now have crickets and worms!" :D

When i first saw the fox, i thought it was a cat, because it was so low to the ground and had pointy ears, but then i realized it was a fox. it only crossed the street, didn't run into the brush, just stayed right by the roadside, so i got a good look at it. that was really cool.

Wishing you safe travels and lots of smiles on your next visit!

Julie

YAY!!!! No more yucky bars of dirty looking soap!

My visit yesterday was great! Since his blood sugar has gotten regulated he has been in really good moods. Yesterday he laughed and cut up some. That was a first. Now that the medical problem is behind us (hopefully to stay), we can work towards being strong until he gets out. I don't know about Saturday visits but the gaurds that are there on Sunday are nice. They don't give you the "I'm tough and mean and don't mess with me" attitude.
I am looking forward to the every weekend visits. It will be a long drive for every weekend but, I will get some visits with just me and him. Right now his family goes to every visit too. I am glad they do but it will be nice to be just me and him every once in a while.

You guys are making me jealous :). Glad to hear that your visits went well. I can't wait to see Hunter this weekend!!!!
Misstussey - yeah, the guards are usually pretty nice, but every so often you get one on a power trip. But they're usually okay.

I got to see Hunter on Saturday :D :D :D . Great visit. We got our picture taken and discovered that they don't take polaroids anymore. They now use a digital camera and have a printer that prints them out right there. The pictures look so much better!!! :thumbsup:

Hi!! I'm SO glad you got to visit and that it was so great!! Wow, that's the first week for the digital camera and printer - it was polaroids the week before. Now if we can only get our men to be wearing street clothes in the pics, they would be perfect! ha.
I'm going up there this saturday 5/14. Can't wait!! I'll be there all of the rest of the Saturdays in May too. yippee.
Hubby's already optimistic he's getting out in July. says he wants BACON and chocolate milk! ha. I'll bring a cooler with me, and include a BLT with extra bacon, chocolate milk, and other stuff I know he's dying for. And I won't be able to cook him any chicken for years!! ha!
*hugs*

Hunter isn't as excited about the food as he is about something else :). He rarely talks about how he misses the food out here. He does say that he wants to eat at Red Lobster when he gets out and get steak and lobster. He has a while before that will happen, though.

haha - do you know i'm thinking if i offer him bacon with one hand and "me" with the other, i'm thinking if he goes for the bacon, we'll have our first fight right there! haha