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Leisure Time

Interview with Jason, Kat, Brian, keke, Teabag, Crystal, Edward, isaac, Lucky, Laydie, Kathy, Lisa, Apache, Janet, Ron, Ryan, Laura, Fernando, Gail, George, Rich, Mark, John, Juan, Erik, Scott, Shawn, Dominic, James, Carl, Josh and Jose

JM: What types of facilities were available to help pass the time?
Jason: None
Kat: Played cards -- forced to listen to a woman tell me all about Jesus -- I am an Atheist -- you have NO RELIGIOUS freedom. You have to go and sit and listen.
Brian: In the processing cell where I was there wasn't anything - just phones, no tv.
keke: we get a busted a* tv 25 have to share thats a arguement waiting to happen
Teabag: Television, other than that unless you were an asskisser (and worked for the sheriff's department (sweeping mopping passing out meal trays)) there was nothing to do but like i said watch t.v., sleep, read, play cards, exercise (calastetics) or fight...
Crystal: Essentially none. Most units have a TV, playing cards, some books available from libray, and some units have board games. Illegally inmates generally never see fresh air or are allowed to exercise outside of unit. Its too crowded and there are not enough guards and they constantly use the excuse that it is too cold outside. There are a few yards with basketball courts and inmates occasionally go out there. Many of the max security units don't allow inmates out at all into the yards. Cermak prohibits all mental health and medical unit inmates from leaving the unit and going outside even if you are there from months to years.
Edward: we had the yard once aweek were we could go out side and walk,run around or just play basket ball and if the weather was bad we had a weight room we would go in.in the dorms you have a tv that would and could stay on 24 hours out of the day.we had games,cards stuff like that.some inmates familys would send books to read so that help out alot.
isaac: read tv work
Lucky: cards, t.v., books, sleeping.
Laydie: you were able to play cards or watch television
Kathy: The gym (overcrowded) and sometimes church.
Lisa: none for me due to the fact i had no case in Illinois
Apache: gym school art library
Janet: YOU GO TO REC,YOU GO TO THE GYM WITH ALL THE OTHER BLOCKS ON YOUR FLOOR, CHURCH AND WHEN ITS NICE OUTSIDE YOU GET TO GO OUT IN A FENCED IN YARD.
Ron: reading
Ryan: not many. we wuold play spaids or poker or dominos.
Laura: Drawing, writing, talking, soul-searching, dreaming, believing.
Fernando: no facilities avalbale to pass time,go out on the yard,read,pray,meditate just basically what you can come up with far as your personal time consumer,exercise and fresh air are their basic things used to relax you during your stay there,have to stay out of the way,use your brain create your activities
Gail: Church,school,rehabilitation services and meeetings..Occasionally a concert or going out for rec.There was a legal foundation that attempted to help me but when the found out I was there for kidnapping they changed their stance.I obtained my GED in the Cook County Jail in 1988 being only 3 credits shy of obtaining my HS diploma .I was an Honor Roll student accepted at Lane Tech so all of this is shameful for me.......
George: My cell mate doing his card tricks,I also play basketball and chess with other inmates.The most fun was going to church.I spent time also helping pass out dinner trays.They also had school and I attended there 3 days a week.It was fun in this place at times but once reality hits then it's a said place.
Rich: TV, CARDS, CHESS, CHECKERS,BOOKS, THOSE WERE ABOUT THE LEISURE TIME ACTIVITES THERE WERE TO SPEAK OF. INLESS U COUNT GETTIN UR HAIR BRAIDED. WRITING LETTERS OR POEMS FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO SEND TO THE WORLD.SOME DID ARTWORK ON THE OUTSIDE OD ENVELOPES IN ORDER TO PASS THE TIME WHICH SEEMED TO DRAG EACH & EVERY DAY.
Mark: the only types of facilities were available to help pass the time was maybe if you go to church once a week for 1 hour or if the correctional officers allow you to go to the recreation room for 20 minutes. i have never seen any other types of facilities in the jail.
John: facilities were available to help past by time was the gym room that had of course a basket ball court library also a weight room that's about it really in other than than you were the tier playing cards or what ever you r in to they really don't have two many things to do in jail
Juan: card games , books, tv, and pushups pullps...different from prison..the had workout room but it was a pin g pong table and 5 machines...youa also had the right to see a social worker to advocate certain things for you but i know things are different in a jail as opposed to a prison
Erik: READING, WRITING, EXERCISING, TALKING ON THE PHONE, WATCHING TV, PLAYING CHECKER, CHESS, OR CARDS, MAKING BETS THERE REALLY WEREN'T VERY MANY ACTIVITIES THAT WERE OFFERED TO PASS THE TIME, BUT I AM TRYING TO WORK HARD TO REACH THE MINIMUM WORDS NEEDED TO MAKE SURE THAT I ANSWER AS ASKED
Scott: The was a rec room, a gym, church services, but they were few and far between. Most you are locked up in your cell or let out for showers, phone calls, or playing cards. Time really does stop on the inside for you, so really time passes you, you don't pass time.
Jason: TV WAS THE ONLY CONSISTANT REC. YOU COULD READ A BOOK IF YOU COULD FIND ONE OR HAVE SOME MAILED IN. YOU COULD WORK IN VARIOUS DUTIES TO SHORTEN YOUR TIME. YOU COULD PLAY CARDS, DOMINOE OR CHESS. YOU COULD USE THE PHONE IF YOU COULD AFFORD TO. YET MOST OF THE TIME WAS SPENT SLEEPING OR TELLING WAR STORIES OR DISCUSSING ONES CASSE AND POSSIBLE DEFENSES
Shawn: leisure time sucked usually got taken away for some reason or another then lockdown would happen if one of the guards was pissed off or understaffed educating these men so they can be rehabilitated is the best thing for the incarcerated b/c if they leave with nothing they are sure to return bk here
Dominic: Gym was one type of recreation that was provided to inmates to help pass the time of day. Yard time was another recreation that was provided to inmates. Also, church service was provided to inmates who had different denominations, christian service, catholic service, muslim service. Also, barbershop service was provided once a month.
James: you could go to the library. you could go to church or you could go out side and shoot some basketball or take a walk. the day room let you strech out from your sell. you could play board games, cards, checkers... exchange books with one another. that is about all you could do or sleep threw it all
Carl: once or twice a week they would let us go to the gym for an hr also if it was warm outside we would go outdoors but most times we watched tv and played cards worked out or just slept we also played dominoes a lot they would let us go to church 2 times a week
Josh: Weights and basketball. Some people just walked or ran around. We played spades for dinner snacks. Some played chess. I read alot or watched TV but it was always black shows that I hated. I went to the jahavea witness church just to get out. You could go to the law library
Jose: You were able to go to the law library if you sign up about 2 weeks in advance. Other than that, there were pretty much no facilities whatsoever that one could utilize. Other areas of the jail had spots you can go outside and play basketball or something of the like, but not where I was housed.

JM: Did you have regular access to the entertainment or was competition fierce? Give details.
Jason: TV
Kat: NO
Brian: No entertainment for me.
keke: fierce
Teabag: Television from 8am - 9pm
Crystal: No, at Cermak the guards control the TV.
Edward: no it was regular,never did have a problem
isaac: no
Lucky: regular access
Kathy: Fierce, because of overcrowding.
Lisa: no
Apache: wait your turn
Janet: THE ONLY ENTERTAINMENT IS THE T.V AND MAJORITY RULES ON WHAT IS WATCHED.
Ron: competition was fierce
Ryan: reg. access
Laura: In the unit, a drug unit, TV was allowed on weekends only for a few hours a day. We had an assigned TV monitor who took votes, then changed the channel accordingly. Nearly 80% of inmates in my unit were black, and we always watched BET. We were not allowed to watch the news. Go figure.
Fernando: never had access to entertainment,fierce was the comp,the guys with the longest stay ruled those type things and i never challenged anyone for it,cant call the guards because of the situation with the gang members,and their rank in file system,which is what all things there are based on them and
Gail: No.I elected to pursue sobriety so we were not allowed to watch anything on television other than the news and 60 minutes.When I was first subjected to the Murderer's tire we watched Wheel Of Fourtone...It pissed me off because some of the least likely people you would suspect had knowledge could actually be a murderer and beat me at Wheel of Fortune too
George: The television room was fierce.You had too many people wanting to see different things.If you change the channel without asking that's when fights began.If the basketball game is on it gets top priority over anything except the news.The news was very important because they want to know whats happening on the streets.
Rich: REGULAR ENTERTAINMENT WAS AS PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED AND THERE WERE BRAGGING RTS. INVOVLED, OR WAGERS FOR SNACKS OR SMOKES. SHIT COULD GET STARTED REAL EASY BEHIND A SIMPLE CARD GAME OR BOARD GAME. LET SOMEONE BE OFFENDED OR FEEL DISRESPECTED AND THE DECK COULD GO UP MEANING A FIGHT COULD INSUE BEHIND A GAME.
Mark: the only entertainment i had access to was a t.v that was on the wall, checkers boards and poker cards. of course only the gang members can touch the t.v. all the listed above was impossible to use or get because only the gang members had access. they ruled the blocks, not the correctional officers.
John: the regular entertainment in jail was watching tv yeah we got it on the regular but if you pissed a .co. off or they rare have a bad day then they might turn it off but the competiton was fierced also because people don't have much to do so bragging rights was a big thing
Juan: eveyone watched the same tv...no fierce arguing or comp...dorms would talk shit to each other but it was all in fun...well you had to watch your commisary...i was lucky enough to be arrested with 200 on my person that went to commissary...but you didnt punk down..people traed lot of stuff...you found uses for evry thing...u didnt throw anything away...you could find drugs in this
Erik: NO THERE WAS NOTHING TO REALLY ENTERTAIN US EXCEPT THE THINGS WE CAME UP WITH, BUT WE DID WHAT WE COULD TO BE CREATIVE, BEING IN ANY INSTITUTION GIVES AN INDIVIDUAL A LOT OF TIME TO COME UP WITH WAYS TO DO THINGS, AND MAKES GETTING OUT SO MUCH BETTER
Scott: Really, who did this questionnaire ???? You entertain your self, tv was few and far, gym weights pool basketball all took place really NEVER it was not a scheduled thing, when it happen it was a blessing, when it did not, it was a curse. being able to sweep the cell house was entertainment.
Jason: ENTERTAIN WAS RULED BY THE STRONGEST. THAT SEEMS TO BE THE CONSISTANT RULE. iF YOU HAD THE NUMBERS IN THE GANG THEN YOU RAN THINGS. UNLESS YOU WAS LIKE MY SELF OF CONSIDERABLE SIZE YOU COULD RUN THE T.V. FOR A MINUTE IF YOU IT WHEN KNOW ONE WAS WATCHING. OTHER THAN THAT IT WAS LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE YOU DID WHAT YOU WANTED IF YOU WAS STRONG ENOUGH.
Shawn: yes it can turn into a very volatile situation alot of gsmbling goes on and you need to pay with commissary if you are going to play and pay the jail may want to hire more guards if they go over to 3 in a cell sleeping on th eplastic bins
Dominic: Television was the only type of entertainment that was available to inmates and competition for control of the television was very fierce. Some inmates wanted to watch sports while some inmates argued for watching soap operas. Often gangs had to iron out TV schedule treaties in order to prevent gang fights from breaking out about television time.
James: as you might imagine the television was the main source of entertainment. hell you have ppl who can not read or write english or speak english. rule was if you haven't been in the wing for 30 days you couldn't touch the tv. programming was suppose to be by a democratic vote but it really boiled doen to who got there first.
Carl: yes we had cable tv we also played cards dominoes when we got to go out doors we played basketball of football most of the time we would play dominoes and cards which we would always gamble on or watch some type of sports game on tv your just sit up and talk
Josh: I did whatever I could to get out of the division. If that that means go see the doctor then so be it. A person can sleep only so much. Locked down 18 hours a day is rough. There wasnt too much entertainment unless there was a fight. Locked down
Jose: Well, like I said, there was no entertainment really. There was a TV though. The competition to get seats closer to the TV was pretty fierce. Certain gang members always got the best seats in the house to watch the TV and if you didn't belong to a gang then one must watch from a further distance.

JM: Did you have a hard time staying in shape while in jail?
Jason: No
Kat: NO
Brian: Just a couple of days - I would think it would be hard, though.
keke: yes you go to gym once a week and they feed you all this processed a* food full of filling
Teabag: unless you can improvise (weights made from trash bags full of water
Crystal: Yes, due to inadequate medical care that amounted to malpractice I deteriorated greatly.
Edward: i never did,in fact i got into shape.when there is nothing to do and your couped up in a place you get alot of energy
isaac: no push ups situps and alot of walking in circles
Lucky: your hungry all the time.
Kathy: Yes. Nothing to excercise on, to crowded.
Lisa: no because the food is horrible so i ony at bread
Apache: no
Janet: YES
Ron: no
Ryan: no my affiliation would regularry work out.
Laura: I am actually a pretty healthy 0.o but in jail I could NOT stand the slop, so I ended up losing about 15-20 lbs, gained it all back pretty quick! But, yes, it was hard. There are no gyms, let alone STAIRS that were accessible to use to work out. Most girls (about 1 in 20 worked out) would do crunches, sit-ups, lunges and other stationary workouts.
Fernando: no i stayed in good shape,doing push ups and other calistenics which benefits all parts of the body,meditation helps you
Gail: I fasted for about a week and gave my food to the pregnant women and this time around I engaged in more prayer than exercise because it's really not offered to you in there unless you do it yourself in your cell.
George: I really got in shape more in jail.It was mandatory that you workout where I was at.It was fun because you were in a group.We did lots of push ups and walking the yards.
Rich: NOPE DID A LOT OF PUSHUPS & DIPS AND JAILHOUSE PILATES.FOR CARDIO YOU CAN JUST WAK THE PERIMETER OF THE UNIT.
Mark: no, i did some push ups and sit ups but mainly to kill time. no sports or other things like that was allowed.
John: staying in shape in jail is kind of hard because all you doing is eating sleeping in if wasn't working out before you wont work out in jail either
Juan: no..but iwas always hungry...its easy to quit smoking cigs cause you have no choice...so you feel better fro m that but jail sometimes saves lives...alot people really need it and they dont realize it till it happens
Erik: NO IT'S EASY, BECAUSE THE JAIL FOOD I DIDN'T REALLY EAT, AND I WORKED OUT, SO I CAME OUT IN BETTER SHAPE
Scott: Really??? What do you do when you movement is halted. you extrecise in your cell. The diet you are feed its nothing but carbs...staying in shape is not a option.
Jason: YOU WORKED OUT TO STAY FIT TO FIGHT. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU MAY HAVE TO. THE FOODS SO SCARCE THAT IF YOU ARE OVER WEIGHT YOU WILL LOSE IT.AND FAST. I LOST 50 LBS IN COOK COUNTY ONE MY FIRST VISIT. I WAS ONLY THERE FOR 51 DAYS WHEN I GOT OUT MY CLOTHES DIDN'T FIT AND I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE MYSELF WHEN I FIRST LOOKED IN THE MIRROR.
Shawn: yes b/c the rec activities get taken away alot and all u can o is work ouy in a cell so u have to get crative to make your oen weights so you can work out then they call it contraband and off to seg you go
Dominic: No. I was able to stay in shape very easy by doing pushups and situps and running in place and doing other calenstethics.
James: lol if you was fat. you lost weight. if your was medium you toned it up. you got no veggies, no fruit, you stayed hungry until you went to the store
Carl: no not at all you have so much time on your hands that you'll find yourself exercising all day and well into the night
Josh: Im not a work out guy. But others ran around and did push ups. They used their bunks to change their form
Jose: No. The only problem was the food. They barely feed you, so it is hard to have the energy to work out at times.

JM: How often did you get to go outside? What did you do outside if you were allowed to? If you were not allowed to go outside what could you do for exercise?
Jason: Never
Kat: Didn't it was winter
Brian: Just once - when I left :)
keke: once a week if its hot
Teabag: there was an outdoor rec area attached to the tier i was on.... never went out
Crystal: Never except when transported.
Edward: once a week if the weather was good
isaac: none
Lucky: if its nice out usually every other day.
Kathy: once a week
Lisa: twice a week
Apache: every day
Janet: WEATHER DEPENDING 2 TIMES A WEEK 1 HOUR
Ron: once a day
Ryan: 1 a month if lucky.
Laura: In my three months there, about three times for a total of about 1 hour. Not 1 hour each time, just about an hour. Our windows were also so dirty, you might have a better chance wishing for X-Ray vision.
Fernando: not to often like once a week if youre lucky and we not on lock down,regular exercise was push ups which keep you relaxed and strong
Gail: ???1x a week that I can recall.We played basketball or just walked around the yard.The only really way you could get consistent exercise was to do it in your cell
George: We went out just about every day for a few hours if we were not on lock down.We play basketball and walked a lot,it was good.
Rich: THERE WAS NO OUTSIDE ALLOWED UNLESS UR REC. WAS NEAR THE GYM THAT WAS FENCED IN AND SEVERAL STORIES UP.THERE WERE EXERCISE ROOMS WITH LIMITED EXERCISE EQUIPMENT
Mark: the only time i got to see daylight was if a guard is transporting me to the processing division to await a bus to the courthouse.
John: went outside about 3 times a week and that's if its the summer time but in the winter you don't go out side for nothing
Juan: never not in jail...well idid getto walk to the jails dr everyday toget my methadone..but thats it..it was a good 15 minute walk with cuf to cuff
Erik: IN COOK COUNTY NOT AT ALL, BUT IN KANE COUNTY THERE WAS AN INCLOSED OUTDOOR AREA, SO I WOULD TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO SMELL THE AIR
Scott: You went outside once in a while but its a caged area and really all one did is walk around in circles or shoot a few hoops. But really you did pushups in your cell.
Jason: YOU GOT TO GO OUTSIDE MAYBE ONCE A WEEK. THAT IS IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN AT THE SAME TIME AS YOU WAS SCHEDULED TO GO IF THAT HAPPENED YOU JUST HAD TO WAIT UNTIL THE FOLLOWING WEEK.
Shawn: you dont get to go outsid efor mutiple reasons guards pissed off understaffed etc . you could work out in your cell but thstd sbout it
Dominic: We were allowed to go outside once a week. I usually walked the perimeter of the yard. Sometimes I played touch football or basketball or tossed a softball.
James: you maybe went outside once or twice a week. then oyu could play ball. workout, walk, run or just catch a breath of fresh air and sunshine
Carl: if it was warm outside then we would go to the yard and have an hr rec time were we played basketball,and football sometimes we would walk around the court
Josh: In the drug unit we when ouside about every 2 weeks. Div 2- Everyday to get chow. Div 11 maybe 1 a month. Not too much
Jose: We were never allowed to actually go outside. The only time anyone was allowed outside was to go to work and then you would only be outside to get from your area from where you are housed to where you are working. For exercise one could do pushups, burpies, situps, or lift homemade weights. Some workout methods on the inside were pretty ingenious.

JM: Did the jail offer church services? If so, what were they like and when were they held?
Jason: Dont know..
Kat: Yes you had to go
Brian: Not sure.
keke: yes they did they were nice
Teabag: Sundays and only 50-75 Division 11 inmates could attend weekly they were Baptist services geared more toward the black inmates. Catholic Services were never offered.
Crystal: Never allowed to go. Grievances never responded to for over three months.
Edward: the jail did but it was limited,you had sunday and sometime wensday church.it was ok but i wanted to learn about god instead i learned out how to kick a drug habit and that wasnt good cause the worst thing i ever did was smoke.
isaac: yes dont know
Lucky: I didnt go but they had it.
Kathy: Yes. In the gym.
Lisa: no
Apache: yes gang meeting place in church
Janet: YES THEY ARE NICE THERE HELD IN THE GYM CATHOLIC,MUSLIM AND BAPTIST SERVICE
Ron: yes didn't go
Ryan: yes all denominations.
Laura: Yes, mainly Christian. I am an agnostic so I did not partake. I did find it offensive that many visiots, guards and others imposed religion and prayer.
Fernando: jail had church non denominational they were quiet nice spiritual like,held on sundays gave the place a reason for silence
Gail: Yes.They changed my life in 1997 and I attended all of them regardless of denomination.God changed my life .The were the most uplifting and peaceful moments I can recall...Besides the one time a woman who clearly looked possessed called me out and pointed to me and called me a traitor while I was reciting a spiritual poem in front of the church..That was freaky!!!!
George: The church service was held on Wednesday night at 7:00pm I went every time.It was very good for the soul as always.
Rich: YES CHURCH SERVICES WERE PROVIDED IN A CONTROLED DESIGNATED PLACE, BASED ON UR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS U HAD SERVICE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE OF UR FAITH
Mark: i told them i was a christian orthodox and the church they brought me to was a catholic black church with 100 black people singing from the top of their lungs begging god for forgiveness for the hideous crimes they did. they did not allow me to go to my own church. they chose for me. for the record i am NOT racist!!!
John: the jail did offer church services I never went yo church in jail and I really didn't know where they were held
Juan: yeah church and bible study...she brought candy too..they also had group prayers..alot of spirtual talk and soul searching went on...butthe real word fsling shory
Erik: YES THEY DID BOTH JAILS HELD THEM TWICE WEELY, I'M NOT SURE WHAT RELIGION, I NEVER WANTED TO ATTEND SERVICE
Scott: There were some church services but, Again this was not a regular thing, when it happen cool, if it did not o well.
Jason: JAIL SERVICE WAS OFFERED ON SUNDAYS AND WENSDAYS. OUTSIDE PREACHERS CAME IN. I NEVER TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THEM. TOO MANY OF THE PEOPLE SEEMED FAKE.
Shawn: yes the church services were good it seemed like the only place you could get sliyyle hope which is very hsrd to grt ehile you sre incarcerates
Dominic: The jail did offer church service once a week for all inmates, based on whatever religion the inmates belonged to.
James: they held church service. you had to sign up for some. other you was allowed to go. then the inmate held services on a daily. deck prayer and bible study. it was a joke though but it is what it is....
Carl: yes they did and they were boring people just went to get out the div they held service every Wednesday and sunday
Josh: Yes, Catholic church actually was hard to get to. The jaevava witness's came every Tuesday. There is a Bible division but I think it's for old men.
Jose: Yes. I don't know what they were like, but I know they were held on Sundays. When there were no church services that day, people of certain religions would hold their own services and prey, sing, or whatever they could to honor their religion.

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