Locked Apart: "I got time served!" by Wesley

Sunday, September 21, 2014

"I got time served!" by Wesley

9/12/2014

On Friday, another young man came back from court saying, "I got time served!" he is a veteran that returned from his combat service overseas with a drug habit. His life has crumbled; he's no longer in the service, his wife split with him over his inability to stop using meth, he's homeless, and now, he is a convicted felon.

He was a perfect candidate for State funded Veteran's Court (VC). The VC takes into consideration a persons service related conditions that may contribute to substance abuse and treats them for substance abuse and related mental health conditions. The VC representative came to interview him and told him he was being recommended for the program.

But when he went to court, the ADA and his Court appointed attorney conferred and offered him a deal: plead guilty to the felony, and the state will punish him like a misdemeanor (Tex P.C. 12.44A) let him go home today.

It is an offer few can resist. In fact, in the tank I have lived in for over a month, nearly every day someone comes back from court saying the magic words; "I got time served."

Those words are not magical, they are hateful. The signify a shift in that person's life that can be monumentally bad. They are now convicted felons because they have drug problems.

That young man is homeless, and because he is a convicted felon he will not be able to rent an apartment. He will also be turned away from most jobs of any worth. He has become part of an underclass with little hope of escaping poverty and a life of harassment by the police and repeated incarceration for ever minor offenses.

For example, if he's pulled over for a traffic offense, a cop can and will place him under arrest for any traffic offense (other than speeding) just to have the ability to search because of his past.

Before he went, I talked to him about the trap of "time served". He admitted he wanted treatment, that he knew he had a problem. He wanted to avoid a felony conviction. There are 2 ways: deferred prosecution and deferred adjudication. Both were provided by the legislature to provide an avenue to prosecutors to give first offender, non violent drug offenders, a chance to avoid a felony conviction and all the negative implications that follow.

But too often, in counties like this one, prosecutors are less interested in justice and more interested in felony convictions.

And the insatiable man of the prison industrial complex continues to be fed by the State.

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Helpful hints about MONTGOMERY COUNTY JAIL

NEW UPDATED INFO ON HOW TO LOWER YOUR COST FOR CALLS THROUGH GLOBAL TEL LINK! READ IMPORTANT UPDATE TO FCC LAW ON "BEATING GLOBAL TEL LINK" BLOG
PHONE CALLS: are expensive. 3 options. When they call, you can choose to get a 15 minute call, directly charged to your cell phone provider. it is $10.47, includes taxes and fees. You do not get money back if call is cut short by your or inmate. You are only allowed 9-10 of these per month, $100 max. You can get around this by calling another phone, including on the same cell service. 2. Prepaid. Global Tel Link charges $3.85 for the first minute and $.35 each minute after. You can have up to a 30 minute call, there is also taxes and fees, another 2-3 dollars. When you charge your credit card they add a $6.95 service fee, no matter how much you put on the account. 3) You can pay with a credit card, when they call, $14.99, plus taxes and fees, about another $2, they will save your credit card info. if you okay it and it is easier to accept call next time. 4) Inmate can buy phone cards, $10, and is charged at the $3.85 first minute, $.35 minute after, + taxes and fees. If there is money left on it, you can't use it, so it ends up being wasted. Supposedly you can call and get it refunded, or put onto another card, but how, they have to mail it to you?
You can keep your white underwear you come in with, this means boxers/panties, t-shirts, and socks. You have to wash them by hand, but at least you don't have to wait, or buy them from commissary. Wesley went in wearing three pairs of each, yeah, it is what you are wearing!
Men are housed on the right of main building, there is A,B,C and pods. You can go to main building and find out where they are or look at roster online, or ask inmate, if they call. Women are around on left, I assume they are similarly housed.
Do not come to visitation wearing tanks, shorts or see through, or low cut shirts. You will be turned away. See details in the link above.
No medications are given unless inmate has current prescription.
Visitation is Sat/Sun, with a make-up day on Monday. Hours depend on the first letter of last name. See link.
Mail, see link, it has the address. You must know inmates PIN, and cell location. You can also get that by looking them up on the roster. They may receive books from book company, like Amazon. Also, the newspaper, if it is mailed.
Commissary is twice a week and expensive. You will at least need basic toiletries, nothing is free. There is 3 ways for family/friends to put money on account for inmate. 1.) Kiosk in main building. Service fee is $3, no matter how much you put on. This is the cheapest way. You can charge to a credit card at the same kiosk, but service fee is sliding scale, depending on how much you put on. 2.) Telephone service to put money on, same service fees as the credit card. 3.) Online. You must know inmate PIN number. You can get this by going onto Montgomery County Jail roster, look them up by their name, their ID number is there. You can also call the office, and they will tell you.
It is cold. If you know you are going in, dress warm, til you get your prison stripes, also wear undershirts.