Hi, I am newbie, from Florence. My son is at Manning Correctional in Columbia since May 7,2004. I was finally approved for visitation after 3 mos. They allow visitation every Sat and Sun. I visited first week and my son called me Friday and said they had to quarntine the whole facility cause of Red Hot Virus. Half of the inmates were sick and no visiting 8/7 and 8/8.
A few weeks ago, my son woke up that morning and found his arm was swollen twice it's size. He went to Medical, they gave him anti-biotics even though no DX. He thinks it must have been a spider bite, they're all over the pod. Several others have also been bitten.
Prison officials assured that pod had been exterminated. Yeah, right! Suppose somebody is bitten by one of those Brown Spiders that is more deadly than a black widow????
The pod (sleeping area) has no A/C and with 75 guys in one big room with top and bottom bunks....whew, it's almost unbearable. If they have money, the guys can buy a small fan and extension cord from the commisary, but are not allowed to have anything brought in from outside. He had to pay $30 for same fan that I can buy at Wal-Marts for $5.99. A carton of cigarettes is $45. I can buy a carton here in Florence for $10, but he's not allowed to have them. THIS IS TOTALLY NOT FAIR!!!
Most of us are not financially able to pay this kind of prices. The absence of the loved one and his income has already caused financial difficulties enough.
And cost of phone calls is ridiculous. It would be so much more economical to just send them a phone card, but Oh No, that's also not allowed.
My son has something wrong in his throat that he says feels as if something is stuck there. He has a nite-time cough and episodes of unexplained high temp. He finally was persistent enough to have Medical to do a Baruim Throat Xray. They said Negative. So now other tests are necessary, to check for Cancer, Thyroid Nodules, Esophagael Erosions, whatever. They are lolly-gagging around and it has already been over a month. I have called every number in the SCDC Directory trying to get some help for him. Early DX and treatment saves lives. If something isn't done this week, I intend to contact the agency for prison advocates whose numbers are listed on this Website.
He has asked to be transferred to Palmer Work Release right here in Florence. Mr. Arthur Huston has assured me it's being processed...whatever that means.
I love my son more than life itself. He's 29 and never been in prison. It breaks my heart to see him in that in that kind of environment. It's A/C in the visiting area, kinda cool, but nasty tables and chairs and floor. He said, "Mama, at least I can sit here in the cool for 4 hours when you come." I cried all the way home, could hardly drive.
I plan to visit this Sat. if quarntine is lifted. If anyone lives in the Florence area, and wants to carpool please email. Sorry for long post.

C Mom

I have posted 4 times in this forum. None of them are here. I'll try again.
Does any one have a loved one at Manning?
Does anyone live in the Florence area?

Hi CMom.
I'm not sure if I understand? Did you start your own thread, or just reply to another thread that was already there?

Thanks Ms Heather: I posted an original thread concerning my son who is at Manning. The title of post was Spiders/No AC. I THOUGHT I posted in SC group....Oh well, when you get old and forgetful, who knows? LOL C Mom

C. mom.. I looked up your post history.... I found your post in a very old thread... I had trouble splitting it off.. but eventually I think I got it. You should see the thread now

mrsd

I suppose all the inmates went home (I wish) 'cause it's not a lot of new posts. I really need to talk to some people from our area...it makes it just a little more "bearable" when I hear some encouraging words from others who are going through the same nightmare. My son is still at Manning, no word yet about getting to Palmer Work Release. Does any one know what criteria is required for that?
C Mom

Dear C Mom,

I feel so bad for you. I'm new here too. My son was incarcerated 3 years ago. He'd been in jail a few times for silly stuff like under age drinking and the like. Now he got in trouble in Indiana and is doing 9 1/2 years. They were supposed to put him close to me. We live in Buffalo, NY but so far he's been in 3 institutions and none of them were close. He's in Edgefield, SC and this by far been the farthest away. Like you and the rest I miss him terribly and feel so bad for the turn in his life. I know all of the other moms feel your pain. I will remember you and your son when I pray. God bless.

Hi C Mom,
My son has suffered from several of thos "spider bites" . They are staph infections that keep being called spider bites. I am sure there are some spider bites, but these staph infections are very contagious and they need to be treated with the correct antibiotics very quickly. Staph infections are common to areas where large groups of people live and share the same facilities such as prisons and hospitals. Please tell your son to wash his hands often and try not to touch his face. The infections on the face are scarring and very scary. They start out as tiny little sores, but as soon as he sees one appearing, request sick call immediately. Sometimes it takes several different antibiotics to find the one that works on each particular strain. They will become swollen and painful if allowed to go untreated, not to mention an extreme health hazard.

A few weeks ago I posted about the quarntine at Manning....no visitors 'cause half the inmates were very ill with a Red Hot Virus. I found out that it was FOOD CONTAMINATION. It makes me sick to my stomach!
The reason my son didn't get sick is 'cause he gets his food from commissary. He says the cafeteria and cooks are so nasty that he will do without before he eats the slop. I have managed to keep some money in his account, my savings are almost gone.
I have always taken pride in being strong...I have had more than my share of turmoil. I lost two babies (still-born). My Dad was killed in auto accident when I was a child, was raised by a hypochondriac mom who stayed in bed supposedly sick, ha! A few yrs ago my oldest brother blew his brains out. I have gone through 3 very ugly divorces. If that weren't enough, I had Lung Cancer (had never smoked), had my left lung removed...and by Gosh, I'm still hanging in there.
All that's happened to me, I thought, just made me stronger and more able to endure.
All said and done, then why do I feel so utterly helpless??? Why do I still cry every night? What happened to all that strength?
I could never have been strong enough to accept that my son has a serious substance abuse problem that inevitably landed him in prison.
Please over-look my ramblin' on and on. I needed this. Thanks for listening.
C Mom

The state prison kitchens are subject to the same quality and cleanliness standards that any restaurant is and the inspectors are state inspectors. They don't let the prisons slide on following the rules. There's a horrible stomach virus going around that's very contagious. My son (who is not in prison, but caught it from a friend) had it and lost 17 pounds in just a week plus had to be on IV's to replace fluids three or four times in that week. In places where there are large concentrations of people----like locked up in a prison----it would spread like wildfire. It doesn't have anything to do with contaminated food, and this would be my guess what made the inmates sick. Your son will hear a lot of rumors about the nasty prison food, and granted it's not made by a chef, but it's made under state standards of cleanliness and regulated as to nutrition and caloric requirements. He may not like it, but it will keep him healthy and alive. That's mandated by the state, not the prisons.

if the state prisons were actually HELD to the same cleanliness standards that restaurants are held to, then they would most certainly have to shut some of them down.
that is ... if the visiting room kitchens were held to those standards also. obviously ive never been in the "prison kitchens", but ive seen roaches, mice, RATS, silver-fish and all other sorts of goodies crawling around. ive seen a cook pick his teeth and then start mixing ground meat with his hands ... sick sick sick!

taht is so gross! why dont health regualtions apply to prisons as wll?

Yeah, when a stomach virus spreads so quickly in prisons.. imagine how many inmates are being exposed to Hepatitis and other contagious diseases from untreated, (maybe even undiagnosed) inmates. Then take it a step further and imagine how many children and others are exposed when the untreated,(maybe even undiagnosed) inmates are released. Health care in SC prisons is a joke. A lot is said about how much money is needed in protecting the public from "dangerous inmates". I think we need someone to protect us from the insane policies of our legislators.

You know, it really pisses me off when persons such as toi ami (who doesn't have a clue to as to what our sons are subjected to, and who does not even have a loved one on the inside) can make statements concerning the cleanliness and quality of prison food. Nutritional and healthy, my ass! Their diet consists of 90% Carbohydrates...bread, rice, grits, pasta...it fills you up and it's cheap! Do you ever wonder why most inmates are so inactive? They're usually ODed on Carbs, and too damn tired and sleepy to function. It's not their fault, the are forced to eat what's offered or starve. The inmates who have some money from home and can buy food from commissary...the choices are limited to packaged rice, pasta, cereal, cookies, chips, candy and soft drinks. They can buy canned chicken, tuna, salmon, which is of course contains protein. But most of the commissary food items are also Carbs. I don't care what toi ama thinks she knows, it is proven medical fact that high Carbohydrate diet makes you fat, lazy, can lead to diabetes and heart problems....and it definitely is not healthy. One poster mentioned something about a visitor kitchen...you must not be from our area (SC). None of the prisons that I know of...has anything like that. We only have vending machines in visiting area, which stocks some sandwiches, burritos, corn dogs, and the usual Hi-Carb snacks and drinks.
And toi ama, you're living in a fantasy world if you believe the prison kitchens meet the requirements of the State. Get real!! What are they gonna do??? Shut down the prison kitchens??? Shut down the prison??? Maybe all the inmates can come and stay at your house and yuo can feed them. No, all you were trying to do was INVALIDATE my post. I suggest that until you have walked in our shoes, that you keep your mouth shut! It's hard enough already on all us who have loved ones on the inside...without some troll denying us the right to vent. I assume that you are employed in some type of government position.
C Mom

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/hm4969tm/petition.html

Please sign this petition and pass it along to others

i live near florence

So Lennie, do you have a loved one in our prisons? Is it here in SC? I don't believe I've seen any other posts from you, so if it's your first time....then Welcome to our forum.
C Mom

hello,i am from spartanburg sc and my nephew was just sent to manning correction in comblus sc tuesday (11-23-2004).i have heard that its one of the worst prison in sc.that makes me worry even more.does anyone know if this is true and does anyone have any information about manning.are there anyway that i ment could get my nephews moved closer to spartanburg sc.its his first time in prison and i worry so much about him,iam sure everyone worries about their love one in prison.we are very close,more like a son than nephew,i love him very much. this is the first time we've been away from each other since he was 7 years old.i stop with the sad story now. i know you all read alot of those already. thanks