mereggie stories

more writing & related stuff


reg's jail journals ... Sleepy Hollow Correctional Centre

Day 6 (November 2)

I slept in this morning and had to run to the kitchen for breakfast.  I’m told that if you miss a meal you get thrown in the ‘hole’ (the dreaded hole – isolation, no smoking).  This morning we had pancakes (actually one pancake – as if it were normal to have only one pancake!).

We had a bunch of inmates from Summerside jail here for the weekend and now they have gone back – things are returning to ‘normal’. There is much discontent among the inmates about the ‘rapehound’ (sex offender).  If he is not moved out by the staff it looks like he will be getting a beating.

All of us are out of tobacco (except one guy who hides in his room and smokes – the uglier side of human nature comes out in situations like this).  We pick through the ashtrays and look for butts we can get a bit of tobacco from and re-roll it.   Times are tough here in max.  More tobacco will be coming from the canteen at 11:00.  I have no money yet one of the guys, Richie, has promised to buy me a bale of tobacco, to be repaid when I get money (a kind gesture from a man I met only 3 days ago).

Today I hope to be talking to my lawyer and possibly the journalist at Holland College. 

Aha! The guard just called me and told me my cheque has arrived (from my mother – she’s always there for me).  Now I am able to get tobacco and junk food.  Today will be a good day after all.  It’s nice to know there’s someone there who cares.  Now I feel a bit of guilt and will (should) call home sometime this week (I had decided I was not going to, since I had the feeling my parents were not very supportive this time.  Nobody understands me.  Poor me.). Now I must put down my pencil as all my instincts tell me that this situation calls for a nap.

The tobacco just came in from the canteen.  Yahoo.  I feel like an addict who just got his fix.  I’m going to sit here and smoke till I turn blue.

Jerry Springer is coming on TV now.  It’s very popular in here. The guys have been in scandal withdrawal since Friday.  Today its “I stole my moms man”.

I got a call from my lawyer.  She didn’t seem very optimistic but she hasn’t seen the files yet and has only heard the prosecutors point of view.  The situation doesn’t look that good. I hope I can defend myself adequately, else[?] I sit here till the year 2000.  nobody understands me.  Poor me.

I was hoping that Leonard MacPhee would come out to see me but there’s been no sign of him.  There was no AA meeting last night either.  I was looking forward to that.

I’m reading this book called “Hovels”[?] by Edward Heath.  It’s interesting.  The other guys watch TV all day long and I’m just not into it.

I really haven’t done much writing today.  I’m a bit depressed I guess.  I’m getting the feeling court on Friday will be postponed until Dr. Jones’s return.  (actually I did write a 6 page letter to [Guard 3]).  Tomorrow I will write to Dr. Jones.  I was hoping to get her address from Leonard but I guess I’m on my own again.  And one final note cuz I find this amusing.  I called the guard over and I asked him if I could make a phon call.  He says “too late, it’s after 10”, so I said, “but I never got to make a call today” and he says, “where were ya?” !!!  where the fuck else would I be, gone to the mall?  I’m locked up here all day long.  Ah, this foolish place.

Day 7, November 3, 1998.