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Leisure Time

Interview with Brian, Marty, Linda, Charlie, Mary and Myron

JM: What types of facilities were available to help pass the time?
Brian: You could play basketball on each pod, work in the Kitchen or go to Groups if you were Catholic. Drug and Alcohol Groups. On level 2c There was two guys from Strength that came for Drug and Alcohol Counseling etc and that did groups.
Marty: TV and a gymnasium
Linda: cards...meetings...reading....watching tv when on
Charlie: counseler, media,coversation, contiplation, rest
Mary: they had different groups you can do like parenting. They had na. They had reentry program. They had catholic, prodastant, muslim services. They had school. They had programs like that to make ur time go fast. My time did go fast. I had nothing to complain about. I was good
Myron: A gym, several tables for card games talking, an upper tier to walk around provided the correctional officer let you, maybe a worn out chess board could be found or a custom made one, 2 TVs with about 10 plastic chairs in front of each, handball court in gym- handball usually not available because someone stole it.

JM: Did you have regular access to the entertainment or was competition fierce? Give details.
Brian: The most entertainment was playing cards amongst the inmates inmates, getting to watch tv and to play basketball.
Marty: Relatively simple access
Linda: no
Charlie: regular access
Mary: we had 2 tvs but there were 98 people on the floor so you had to find a time that noone wanted and watch tv then. I didn't really watch tv though so it wasn't a big deal to me.i rather play cards or something. mno big deal to me
Myron: Tournaments were a regular event especially around commissary days. Some guys did the handball thing daily, others guys did a regular workout routine, some liesurely walked like myself, fights broke out over trash talk on multiple occasions, the TVs seem to be glued to ESPN or the Bad Girls Club on Vh1!

JM: Did you have a hard time staying in shape while in jail?
Brian: Yes, I got out of shape do to not being able to exercise as I do at home and having to sleep in the cells.
Marty: No, its actually hard not to...
Linda: yes
Charlie: no
Mary: yes I did caise they didn't have workout equiptment at the jail. I ate all the time with no exercize
Myron: I walked daily, found a book on yoga & some Spirituality- I just took the Hathaway yoga suggestions from it, in the kitchen working I ate and ate burned it right off slaving there like I did by choice because ain't no way I could survive off those mediocre at best trays.

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?
Brian: We did not get to go outside. We only were able to get to play basketball inside an enclosed like cage area on each pod.
Marty: When you are released to your hearing.
Linda: never
Mary: I was not allowed to go outside. We did not have an outside as the jail is locayed in downtown pittsburgh. nu can manually workout
Myron: About as outside as there was the gym was open air via cages about 25 ft off the floor, and a road trip to a magistrate court topped the outdoors.

JM: Did the jail offer church services? If so, what were they like and when were they held?
Brian: They offered church services and you go to go every week as the guard announced. They held a time during the week and on Sundays for Catholic Members. You had to be on the Catholic List to get to go.
Marty: Yes. Each one was different (religion specific) they were held on Sunday.
Linda: yes only on sundays
Charlie: yes, did not particapate
Mary: they did offer church but I did not go to church. I heard the service was pretty good. I don't know though
Myron: Weekly Bible study on each pod by a chaplain volunteer, church service once a week based on a schedule, additional religious needs met upon request like for kosher meals & stuff.

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