I would like to take this opportunity to dispel the notion of “Club Fed.”
Stephanie Landa in Club Fed?
Contrary to people’s perception, there are no golf courses (anymore) and no swimming pools…and it’s not a place where you can just relax and do your time. Federal inmates are required to work – in most cases, 7.5 hours a day, 5 days a week. The pay ranges from $5.25/month to a maximum of 40 cents/hour.
American Jurisprudence provides for incarceration as punishment for our misdeeds. It does not allow for punishment while you are incarcerated (unless you commit another crime while incarcerated) and yet, federal prison is punitive by nature.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons provides an interesting and carefully worded program statement, P.S.5270.07, Chapter 3, Page 1, to inform about “Inmates Rights and Responsibilities.” The first right states:
“You have the right to expect that as a human being you will be treated respectfully, impartially and fairly by all personnel.”
Your “expectation” of being treated with respect means nothing to the federal employees that work here. Let’s face it – federal employees are not exactly the cream of the crop. With minimal requirements (GED, high school equivalent) federal employees are afforded job security for otherwise unemployable individuals. With a most powerful union, once hired, it’s very difficult to fire.
In a Women’s Empowerment class here, one employee shares her own inspirational success story, which took her from working in a fast food restaurant and through a clerical error landed her the prestigious position of counselor in the FBOP. She had absolutely no qualifications to be a counselor, and, in fact, she doesn’t do any counseling. This certainly gives women, many of whom are well-educated executives, something to strive towards.
We live in an old army barracks that is literally falling down around us and is in a constant state of being patched back together. There is no air conditioning in an area where prolonged triple digit heat is not uncommon. We live in a sea of body fluids, and, more often than not, without antibacterial soap to wash our hands or sanitary pads, and often run short on toilet paper.
There is a shortage of hot water in the building that houses Food Service, and therefore the dishwasher is an exercise in futility. Many women have been treated for H Pylori (when they get out), which is a bacterial infection of the stomach associated with cafeteria-style dining.
Medical Services are appalling. Many inmates choose to suffer rather than subject themselves to the counterproductive, ineffective program. Most cases, after waiting days (and in some cases, weeks) for an appointment, inmates are simply told to purchase over-the-counter medication available on commissary, and are charged $2.00 for this valuable service. Usually, by this time, the inmate has already illegally obtained medication from another inmate and has treated the symptoms. On one occasion, an inmate with a serious urinary tract infection was given a shot for pain without being seen by a doctor and without even checking her medical records. The shot interacted adversely with medications that she was already taking. If she hadn’t been rushed to the hospital, she would have died.
Treatment of infection is subject to the convenience of the medical staff and is not considered serious. Even if you are able to procure a prescription, it may be a week to ten days before you actually see the medication.
There is virtually no oversight. The FBOP polices itself. Regional inspections are announced months in advance so that everything appears to be perfect when the inspectors get there.
The cost to house federal inmates is $25,000 to $85,000 per inmate, per year, depending mainly on their age and health care needs. Women here at the camp are housed in a minimum security facility with a minimum/out custody level. It costs American taxpayers millions of dollars to house these women, who, when released, present absolutely no danger to the community.
If you agree that incarcerating first-time, non-violent offenders is an incredible waste of taxpayer dollars, please contact your legislator at www.governmail.com Scroll to the bottom of the page for a free download of this valuable service that puts you in touch with the House of Representatives and the Senate.
--Stephanie Landa
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