Because I Have Time in Book Two: The Fifteenth Year of the Third Millennium of the Common Era

Once more, eh?

0839
It is odd and I can’t place the cause. I don’t know if I’m tired, depressed, or just in a weird place emotionally… maybe it is something else entirely… but my fantasy life is taking a hit lately. I don’t mean simply “I don’t have as many fantasies” I mean… it is legitimately difficult for me to access that part of my mind. Like… I honestly wanted to write some steamy fantasy type thing but… I’ve got nothing. It is… unpleasant.

1000
So starts another day. I am really aiming to get out of here by 2100 tonight. Damned well better happen! I have some interviews to finish up, some paperwork to take care of and then housing units, housing units, housing units! Though… I am glad I have a meeting with my boss today. Looking over this morning’s paperwork we have a LOT of requests for Civil Matters, Tort Claims, etcetera. As far as I was aware… the Law Library (and librarian position) was a Criminal Matters Only location. So… all of these Civil Claims things… either the inmates know I’m new (they do) and are trying to take advantage (they have been on other things)… or there is a serious lack of communication here (which of course there is.)

1030
As expected, some of my SJW-Uber Warriors (I make a distinction… fighting for equality and justice is important… fighting in such a way as to damage your cause earns you the previous label)… some of my SJW-Uber Warrior friends on facebook just proved what I knew would happen! The “X Lives Matter” issue was going to get more and more specific, acting more and more isolationist, until finally it would get almost individualized. People said I was off my rocker, I was a racist, I was imagining things. Just saw a push for a Viral Hashtag #Black Girls Matter. First, we create a hashtag that suggests race is the defining characteristic of police misconduct (in truth, most police misconduct is levied at individuals in poverty, run down neighborhoods, or the mentally ill). Now, the hashtag is eliminating Men from that equation? I thought “Black Lives Matter” was started in response to incidents like Michael Brown (despite factual evidence), Freddie Gray (an awful tragedy) and the like. Hell, October 23rd in Florida there was a black man allegedly gunned down in cold blood by police: Corey Jones. But… no… now there are those trying to push the HashTagMatters issue more specific, acting more isolationist… as I said it would. #AllLivesMatter (granted, as I use it) isn’t meant to denigrate any group. It is meant to point out that as long as we’re fighting each other; those with the power will continue to do as they please. Only by unifying as a people, as a country, can we ever hope to interrupt abuses of power.
It reminds me… I’ve got several black men in this jail that say one of my favorite “jokes” because it is damned true. How many races are there? One. The Human Race. Everything else is ethnicity, culture, and background. Of course, the inmates go on (as I would agree with, actually) and say by calling it a “race” instead of focusing on ethnicity, culture, and background we keep it so that people can pretend there are LOADS of differences between us all. One Race of people versus Another.... as opposed to trying to care for the broken neighborhoods in our cities… the sub-cultures within our cultures… or more damming… the poverty buried in our greed.

Speaking of Poverty, btw: 80 people = 3.6 Billion
http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/meet-the-80-people-who-are-as-rich-as-half-the-world/?ex_cid=fusion

1045
I 100% get that these guys are bored and some have mental issues. I’m not discounting that. But the way this jail system works is… if you want something from the Law Library, you fill out the paperwork and we should get back to you somewhere between 24 hours and 76 hours. We aren’t sitting here literally on-call for your legal concerns. That being said… I have 4 guys who did 5 or more kites (paper form requests) on the same day, each one identical. Either (1)they forgot… over and over and over again… that they had already made the request (possible and forgivable); or (2) they are being demanding, self-focused and acting like insolent and petulant children (I’ve spoken with many of these gentlemen… this second item is FAR more likely).

1145
HA! I got a little help with these Kites. The guys who were writing 10+ Kites? Weren’t even writing things that lawyers, corrections officers, or humans would write down. Like “Motion to Provide Police Support.” WHAT?! The CO helping me even said, “How much trouble would I get in if I wrote ‘have SOME idea of what you want before writing nonsense.” I encouraged him not to; but… I understand his feelings.

1800
OMG today has been a nightmare! As is obvious by me going silent for the last 7 hours straight. And by the fact that I will most definitely be here for another 3 hours! And.... in this case? It is everyfuckinbody’s fault!!

How can I put this in a way that will make sense. Hopefully, my job is at least partially understood by now. Running the Law Library in the Jail. I have to rely on Corrections Officers doing their jobs in order to bring people to the Law Library. I have to rely on Corrections Officers for my own safety because there are no cameras and no officers… so being able to contact the officers is of UTMOST importance. Here’s what’s been going on!

At ONE THIRTY in the afternoon, we call a housing unit to bring some guys down. We have a shit ton of housing units to get through today, we need to move fast.
TWO THIRTY strikes, still no guys. So I call the housing unit again to bring their people down. Correction’s Officer says, “Oh yeah. Right. I’ll get on it.”
Inmates are only supposed to receive one hour in the law library. ESPECIALLY this housing unit. I called them when I did because they are dangerous and I wanted to call them at a time I knew the halls would be busy so that if something goes down I can grab a Correction’s Officer.
I had three inmates get so very up in my face yelling at me that I did genuinely fear for my safety. And no assistance or help or protection was available or nearby. BTW- the inmates were furiously yelling at me because I could not point them to the specific Nebraska Law that discusses Photo Line Ups. There is no specific law about Photo Line Ups, photo line ups are part of a larger category called “Out of Court Identifications” that I pointed out to them, showed them, and literally read aloud to them. Nope. Furiously yell at me, surround my desk, make me fear for my safety because the Nebraska Laws weren’t written to speak plainly and directly about your specific case.
Their hour gets to be about over and I call. And I call. And I call. Nothing and nobody.
They don’t leave until FOUR THIRTY! So… from trying to get a SINGLE HOUSING UNIT down here to the time it took to get them back? THREE HOURS. Are you fucking kidding me? If it is going to take three hours to get through the rest of the Mods this week, then you are looking at 48 hours just in the next three days!
So, I call my Boss’ Boss about this (because my boss says to). NOT ONLY DOES HE NOT GIVE A SHIT but he does two things.
First- he complains about how many hours I’m working and how expensive it is. Are you fucking kidding me? You ask me to cover for three people, you don’t train me in the job, and then you don’t support me when COs clearly waste my time… and then you’re going to give me shit that I’m getting paid for all of it? If I didn’t need this job, I would have quit that instant.
Second- he calls the head of Corrections about something, with me still on the phone. Apparently, one of the most vicious murderers in this facility wants to use the law library. NOPE. I explicitly stated the policy that since he is presently listed as a danger to himself and others, he is not allowed to come to the Law Library. Head of Corrections says, “He’s going to sue is if we don’t allow it. So get it done!” :o You want me… with no camera and no Correction’s Officer… to be alone… with a vicious killer that is STILL listed as an active danger to others? No. So I interrupted and I said, “I’m already pulling too much overtime trying to get the regular work taken care of. The up to three hours for one person this would need can’t be done. Get a Correction’s Officer to do it on Saturday.” Head of Corrections says, “I don’t have the staff for it.” My Boss’ Boss says nothing. A man that is pissed at how much overtime we’re spending on me… says nothing. So I do it for him. “WE don’t have the staff for it. We’re already so understaffed in the law library I work over 40 hours. If this is a big enough deal to make happen, it needs a CO on Saturday.” End. Of Discussion.

So… then… my last group of guys. All of them murderers. Not kidding. But don’t worry… these are murders of DUI variety, or accidental… these aren’t the really bad ones. We used to have other means of getting those guys materials. They come in a little before 5… have so many questions that I can’t even do my log-in paperwork for them… and suddenly they’ve had more than an hour. SO I call their CO. No answer. Okay, hang up and try again. No answer. Okay, hang up and try again. No answer. Okay, assholes… I’m not letting you keep these guys in here for another three hours. I’ve got shit to do! So I call back ONE more time and just the phone ring until someone picks up. The guy who comes down to get his inmates? Bullies me! “Don’t ever let the phone just ring like that! Blah blah blah. Be more professional. Rar Rar!”

I was very… very tempted to see how many of the murderers in the room would like to help me dispose of that fat piece of shit. Seriously, you’re gonna give me attitude for YOU not being at your post? Me? You… not being at your post… trained to handle inmates…high school drop out… making $25.00 an hour… are going to give me… busting my ass all day.... no training… law school graduate… making $13 an hour.... crap.

I texted my wife: if we didn’t need this money, I would have walked out by now. This is utter horse shit. I’m not getting paid enough for Inmates to threaten me, COs to belittle me, and work 11 hours straight without a lunch break every day. And still… my Boss says not to look for any help until January. If this Des Moines job doesn’t work out? I honestly don’t know what I’ll do. Because I won’t survive this. Not with my sanity intact. This is madness.

And I still have 13 housing units to do! And court tomorrow morning. AND a drive to Des Moines tomorrow night!

1906
Just called down two housing units. Yes, I’m combining them. No, I don’t feel comfortable doing that. But even doing that, I’ll still be here until 9:30 trying to get people through. Again (remember) to turn around and be back here in court tomorrow morning and put in another (possibly) 9 hours. All before driving to Des Moines. I didn’t think it would be, honestly, but… yes. This is worse than retail. THIS is worse than Wal Mart. Yeah.

2033
Two housing units… brought down shortly after 1900… just left. Proving once again that each housing unit takes a MINIMUM of 1.5 hours. And they are giving me shit about my hours? OOooooo.... if it wasn’t so damned necessary to keep this job I would love to tell those pencil pushing ass hats who’ve never spent a day in this library to do it themselves.

2100
Grumph. I have 10 Houising Units left. Plus 3 hours in court tomorrow. Lets pretend court goes WALLY WEST fast and I’m in the Law Library by Noon. That’s still over 15 hours of mods. Which would be impossible since lights out is 9:30. PLUS… driving to Des Moines after 7 pm doesn’t exactly appeal to me.
Separate note: I am fucking famished!!!!!