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Leisure Time

Interview with Christian, Robert, Terry, Diana, Gina and Cindy

JM: What types of facilities were available to help pass the time?
Christian: the jail provides checkers chess and dominoes, but we made a ghetto monopoly game and we would make cards out of milk cartons. with me being a veteran i got to go to the library on thursdays for a veterans group and i would bring books back to the pod for the guys who read
Chris: The only facilities available to us was the rec yard which only had basketball hoops so if you didn't play you were lucky to doaanything at all.we had no library that I remember the only other thing was playing cards which had to be purchased on commissary at a very high price.
Robert: the only thing to do was to watch tv or play cards or you could do pushups or walk in circles, or most people just talked and lied and talked all day long , it was very bad cuase I didn't feel like talking to anyone in there time went slow
Terry: Every few days you were allowed one hour outside providing the weather was good.Out there you got to walk around or played basketball Other than that is was playing chess or checkers, watching tv or reading a book, Cards were not allowed due to issues with gambling food away, They avoided that in every way possible.
Diana: We had NA meetings and AA meetings. we had Church every Sunday . We had counseling and a therapist to talk to. They has Post traumatic stress Disorder meetings as well and people to talk to you about your issues on stress, depression, abuse, and being incarcerated and having faith in god.
Gina: None the tv was set up for everybody in the jail to watch the samething and the man control the tv and have the time it didn't work it wouldn't get any signal.3 times a week u could go to the gym and play basketball or walk if they had the staff
Cindy: there is an outside rec on the roof and a gym inside you can play volleyball and basketball and use exercise equiptment or you could just walk around the gym. mostly people just visit with each other from the other pods that you cant talk to unless you go to rec

JM: Did you have regular access to the entertainment or was competition fierce? Give details.
Christian: the c.o. decide what channel to watch on the tv but there plenty of books thanks to me being a veteran and we had a couple of sets of dominoes, there where checker boards and we could make a deck of cards a day from milk cartons i was often able to steal sharpie pens to make the cards with
Chris: We didn't have much entertainment .you either watched TV or played cards or played basketball at your own risk there always seemed to be a lot of fights over who fouled who or other trivial things that people like to make a big deal over I justed stayed away from that.
Robert: I didn't have any problems ,because the guards kept control of the tv, and I just waited for the guys to stop playing cards then I would play solotarie and sometimes someone would ask to play rummy or different card games, but when it got to busy I quit playing cards
Terry: The entertain was based on what group wanted to watch what. So majority rule every time. So if you were to watch tv you were stuck with what ever was on. There was no specifics or anyother way to watch something other than what the majority wanted. But at that point i started liking football.
Diana: We usually all had to watch the same TV channel and it usually wasn't that great of a TV show but everyone got along and dealt with it. We would all sit in metal chairs next to each other and watch television to pass up the time together. It made time go by a little quicker.
Gina: No the only entertainment there was watching girls fight and scream at one another or talk I'm sign language to someone in another blocks you mostly just sat around and talk to other people they don't let u have any cards or board games and the only book you get are books that people have had sent to them
Cindy: no there is enough room for everyone in the rec areas. you just try to get as much exercise as you can so that you dont gain alot of weight and so your musckles dont get out of shape. you can also walk around the pods in circles to get exercise

JM: Did you have a hard time staying in shape while in jail?
Christian: i lost almost 10 pound the food the serve is small and water downed i am 6'1" 130 going in so im not a big guy skinny to be exact should not loose weight
Chris: Yes it was very hard staying in shape because to food was terrible no weights and you weren't allowed to work out in the dorms.
Robert: well yes there wasn't any workout equipment, but you could walk in circles or push ups an sit ups, creative
Terry: Yes if you wanked around to much you would asked to go find a place and stay, They didnt like you moving around to much.
Diana: A little Bit. I did push ups and sit ups here and there while in my room. Me and my roommate would work out.
Gina: Yes they only give you milk once a week and that is 1 per cent they give u a lot of bread and pasta then the put fill in it
Cindy: no as long as you put in the effort to stay in shape you have to be willing to do it

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?
Christian: we never got to go outside. we did get to go to a gym. you can play basketball or do pull ups ect. thats it walk around
Chris: We were allowed to go out once a day for an hour if you were lucky.I just walked around the yard.weren't allowed to workout in the dorms.
Robert: we wernt allowed to go outside I don't think they have a yard there, like I said you had to be creative and do simple exercises
Terry: Every few days for a few a hours depending on the weather, It was either sit, walk around or play basketball. Nothing to exciting if you ask me.
Diana: We were not allowed to go outside so instead we went into the gym which was a pretty big gym where you could walk or run around or play basketball or dodgeball or work out. Thats also where i got exercise or communicated with others.
Gina: No they didn't take u out . You could walk around in your block or go to the gym when able and walk around there
Cindy: you can go to outside rec if weather permitting and you go once a day if you want to go. if it was raining you go to the gym

JM: Did the jail offer church services? If so, what were they like and when were they held?
Christian: yes a different ministry came in each sunday. they were ok kind of made out to be the wordt sinners on the planet. but brother hyatt did a bible study that was great
Chris: Yes but only if you signed up and there was only enough room for no more than ten to fifteen people.
Robert: I didn't her any thing about church services and I didn't here anyone talk about them, im not religious anyway
Terry: There were never any church services offered Though there were a group of people in the dorm a group of 20, that would read out of the bible.
Diana: Yes, they offered church services. I went every Sunday. They were nice. We worshipped and sang and prayed. It made me feel good.
Gina: They did on Sundays when the pestle came and they where different church's and they mainly where people that had been in jail before that had changed there life
Cindy: yes they were in a classroom type and you got to talk to the ladies afterwards or sometimes they did it in the pod

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