My youngest son was just transferred to Avenal yesterday so I checked out it's site. I am curious about this....It certainly doesn't mean that it was designed to hold 2,320 inmates but actually has 7,062 does it? If so, no wonder there are so many riots! If not, would someone let me know what it does mean? Thank you, Teri

Designed Bedspace & Count
Facility Level: II / Design Capacity: 2,320 / Count: 7,062

link: http://www.cdc.state.ca.us/InstitutionsDiv/INSTDIV/facilities/fac_prison_AVENAL.asp

Yes.That is what the count means. Most prisons seem to hold far more than they were designed for. I spoke to a councsellor at a prison last week and he told me that they were so cramped one time, they housed a load of inmates in the chapel!

Hey Teri ~ I see your son has finally transferred. Have you spoken with him, yet? How's he doing?

Hi!
Yes..my son Bobby transferred April 2nd.
He calls about twice a week lately. I know he is excited because his release time is coming up 02/05 but these two are going to put me in the poor house before they are both out.
Bobby is going to go to a Christian Men's (that is so hard to believe..man/men, he was still only 19 when he went in).Ranch facility when he gets out so between calling there for him (I tried 3-waying him to the Pastor the other day but I couldn't even get a dial tone, do you know if they have the phones fixed so 3-way isn't possible?), that way he could ask all the questions he wanted, didn't work out quite like I wanted. Then, he has been taking correspondence courses from a Christian seminary for the last couple of years or more.....know one seems to know what happened to his courses for the quarter they must be in PVSP or Avenal mailroom but no one can find them. He has to get approved all over again for his classes before he can get the course materials anyway so I guess he doesn't really need to know where they are until he is ready for them. -
Aside from all that he says he 'likes' it there. Says it's better in some ways than PVSP.
Sorry about going on so long about him, but I never get to socialize at all except when it is one of my sons calling "can you afford a package, I wouldn't ask but...?" And, to top it all off, my other son, Joey (just went to Pelican Bay) had to send his t.v. out to have the speaker removed from it (guess they aren't allowed at the Bay, then who ever does it charges like $35. and I don't even want them to take it out! Hope they keep it so whenever he is able to get back down here closer I can have it put back in. At least he ordered only a $20.+ set of headphones to use with it. Now, if the person in his room with him doesn't have a t.v. it will make it hard on them both. At least with a speaker in it both could listen! (that gets me so upset that they take that speaker out!!!!!)
Again, I'm sorry for going on and on and on....(just so good to finally get it all out!) Teri

I'm sorry...I got so wound up there for a second I forgot to mention how nice that was for you to ask about my son and his move. Thank you for that, I really appreciate it!!! All my relatives say is "is it closer?" I figure it shouldn't much matter to them as they have never gone to see either of them anyway!
Thanks again!
Teri

I think I clicked out too fast and lost my 'Thank you for asking about my son!!!' That was really nice of you! Thanks again, Teri

Teri~ you can share with me anytime. I am genuinely interested in how your son, rephrase that, sons are doing, because I know you were really concerned about his transfer to Avenal. I don't know what it is, but from the very first time you shared his story about all the "good" things that has happened for him while at PVSP, it touched my heart. The next time you speak with him let him know I send my greetings, and that I'd like to share a word of encouragment with him in Isaiah 43:18-19. It's the same scripture I have on my signature, but for some reason I feel God wants me to share that with him. So make sure you tell him to read Isaiah 43:18-19. OK?

Now on to the issue with the oldest son and his "speakerless" tv. [laughing] I know it's not funny, because you paid for a tv with a speaker, but I was sitting here trying to figure out what in the world is he going to do with a tv without a speaker; just sit their and watch the screen like they used to do back, back, back in the day when all they had were the moving picture shows. [laughing] Poor baby! Good thing you told me he was using earphones. Well he and his cell mate can always split the wire, so that one could use one side of the earphones, and his cellmate can listen with the other. Believe me.... they get very creative on the inside; they'll figure out something. And no you didn't say you were going to put the speaker back in when he transfer. I am so sorry Teri, but I am cracking up over here, and I know you did no intend for it to be funny. I'm soooo sorry, but the visual I got of him sitting there on his cot staring at a soundless tv was just hilarious. :ha: [wiping tears]

Anyway.... never feel like you're going on and on, because you're not. If you want to see long-winded just go and read some of my posts. I don't think anyone is as long-winded as me on here, except of course Cayenne Bird, and she was banned from PTO, so I'm now the new official long-winded poster. [laughing]

My PM is always open, so you just keep me posted with what's going on with those boys of yours, and tell the oldest one don't stare at that screen on the tv too long. :)

Ohhhh.... on the 3-way thing. Do you have the 3-way feature on your phone. I suppose since you probably did 3-way before. Silly me! Did you hit the "flash" button or do something else to click over. I also know you can't 3-way if you have another phone that is off the hook. What I do with 3-way calling is to wait until the other person answers the phone, and once I let them know I have someone else on the line that whats to speak with them, I click back over to connect. I never let the phone ring while the inmate is on the line, I just wait until the other person picks up before connecting. If they have a way to keep you from making 3-way calls now, it's new to me. I don't see how they can do that, but with today's technology and good ol' CDC spending even more money to have it done, one just never knows.