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Leisure Time

Interview with John, Raquel, Colby, Nikki, Lea, Hoyllwood, Woody, Pat, Jeremy, Lekisha, Gary, Ricky and Warren

JM: What types of facilities were available to help pass the time?
John: T.V, basketball, arts and crafts. That's it.
Raquel: Computer classes ( a joke) bible class, GED classes, AA, NA, and MATCH or PATCH for the guys. To help you become a better parent. This was really good becuase if you can get in you actually get to have contact visits with your kids.
Colby: Library, Recreation, Games, Television, Reading, Spiritual Invitations,
Nikki: church, art, classes, library, outdoor recreation, visitation
Lea: chapel, rec
Hoyllwood: Um... You got to sit in your cell and watch the wall, or poke fun at the drunk people in the detox tank... And if we were lucky, we got to watch the cops eat a hot meal in front of us. That was about it.
Woody: basketball if it wasant flat or coming apart, go outside well if thats what u call it,atch tv play cards,write a letter read a book
Pat: A book
Jeremy: Each tank had a small indoor half-court basketaball area where outside air and sunlight came in. Also each tank had a day room where all the plastic tables and chairs were and people could sit there and talk, watch tv and play dominoes. This particular jail in Bexar county didn't allow inmates to use playing cards to play poker and other card games because they didn't allow inmates to engage in gambling. So inmates made their own playing cards by cutting up the used milk cartons they gave us for breakfast and they would write each card's value until they had a full set.
Lekisha: occasionally rec room. We had law library once a week church and they gad a few other classes like the god classes that had the mummy and child program never got to be apart of it but thought it was nice they had that you were able to have contact with your child phsycal contact
Gary: You would go out to wreck there's church there is Yeah you would have GED classes La library a lot of the programs have been to get away there's not very many things to pass time anymore it gets pretty boring I believe it either bring a couple more programs out
Ricky: you have a rec yard in mosts units. you can play basketball or wallball. most inmates just work out. you can buy card and dominoes off commissary. they have t.v. in most units. if your not a worker its boring most of the time. you can only play games so long.
Warren: Church was there for Christians like my self every day also I heard them call off other religions to attend church or a bible study quite often throughout the day every day. Ther was also GED classes and college courses they offer counseling aa na and reck for about 1 hour every day

JM: Did you have regular access to the entertainment or was competition fierce? Give details.
John: We didn't have a choice. We watched whatever the guard wanted to watch.
Colby: There were actually sharing going on in the A towers. These times will have to be agreed upon by vote or officer had made that choice if no resolution to avoid indifferences.
Nikki: no, only when the unit guard allowed it, and there is only one small TV and I did not get to pick what I wanted to watch. When I did go to the day room to watch TV, I could never hear it.
Lea: no
Hoyllwood: There was nothing there. Our entertainment was watching cops eat... And I don't think competition to watch that was very fierce.
Woody: depends on what you consider entertainment the tv or some of the other inmates sure you have a tv if macho man guard dosent pour water in it so you cant watch it for 3 days, or just watch the gangs gather and talk about who they are gonna jump next
Pat: It was insane to be in pods with violent murderers and gang members
Jeremy: There was a tv in the dayroom and to avoid fights over it, it was kept on only one channel and the guard had the remote. So to change the channel you had to be able to win over the guard by sweet talking to him and finding a way to get him to change the channel for you.
Lekisha: Tv during day room was mmainleyvwat we had besides board games and cards we were abl. to read books and sit in dayroom until the freeze came on for the shift change other then that its quite time on your banks I got very boring at times and tv ould only be on the chanell we were told
Gary: You are able to watch TV on in the day room is open But you can buy radio of a commissary if you have the money to pay for it and listen to anything Except for if your if you are on lockdown Sometimes you only able to watch what the guards I put on for you
Ricky: its usally open for everyone. but the gangs control whats going on. on the units where there are two tv's, the blacks usually get one and the mexicans get the other one. it also depends on what time of the day it is. most of the time its all right.
Warren: No inmates have control of TV that will all be controlled by the guards. They will only watch news Types of TV I think it was so we didn't have to argue on what to watch or that they would not have to keep changing it every time we wanted it to be.

JM: Did you have a hard time staying in shape while in jail?
John: No, there was nothing to do.
Colby: yes, You are not allowed to work out on furniture ( as these were heavy objects and provided resistance for training). But you can work in your own room or outside in the recreation yard (weather permitting)
Nikki: not really, but exercising in your unit is not allowed, only during outside rec.
Lea: Didnt eat so no
Hoyllwood: no... I wasn't in long enough to have to worry.
Woody: not really alot of exercises you can do if you think about it
Pat: They don't allow you to work out
Jeremy: No, if you want to stay in some kind of shape in jail, you will undoubtedly find the time. All you need is discipline and to have money in you inmate commissary account, because working out causes your body to demand more food and the food they give you in there is just enough to keep you alive for one more day.
Lekisha: Yes the food is very heavy in starch the meals were not that big it was hard to getvfull especially with no money for commussary which I did not have
Gary: No I did not have a hard time staying in shape I worked out on a regular basis Will try and stay away from eating commissary to avoid getting wait
Ricky: no, theres nothing else to do except work out. usally you do a little in the morning then again at night.
Warren: No I did not have a hard time staying in shape I had a hard time with not dying I'm alergic to onions it was in all the food

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?
John: The basketball court was available for use everyday even though it was caged in.
Colby: weather permitting and at officers discretion if in A tower you are available to go outside. Once in a while you were aloowed to go to the 6th floor for a larger rec area with fooz ball tables and a basketball court..
Nikki: they ask you to sign up for outside rec. a few hours before you actually go. I think they offer it every other day or so, sometimes the unit guard will make every one go.
Lea: never
Hoyllwood: Never
Woody: never unless you call the rec yard outside
Pat: We could stand outside and I looked at the sky and cried, they don't allow workouts, you get in trouble if you try.
Jeremy: They had that small indoor half-court basketaball area where outside air and sunlight would come in. That's all we had for getting some fresh air and sunlight everyday, unless it was raining, in which case they would close it off.
Lekisha: We would go out 2 a week we really would not get offered to go outside never really understood why but mostly because not everybody wanted to go
Gary: You were able to go out with every day except for when its raining for 1 hour, sometimes you can go out when its raining just not raining so hard
Ricky: You get a chance everday. play ball, do push ups sit ups jog in place. burpees, squats, or you can just enjoy the fresh air.
Warren: Yes my reck was out side 45 min to an hour. There also was a gym for other people in different classifications I never was slowed in there though

JM: Did the jail offer church services? If so, what were they like and when were they held?
John: Yes they did but I never went.
Colby: Yes, there are plenty church services. There are some that can be daily (evening) at the pods visitation rooms or the jail provides mass church gathering on the 7th floor on Sundays.
Nikki: I went to church services to help pass the time, they were always "touching and emotional" for me and usually cried a little
Lea: yes
Hoyllwood: Not that I know of.
Woody: yes, if you are quick enough to be the first 3 people out of 60 to sign up usually the list is put out at 4 am while everyone is sleeping, this would be to much like work for a guard to actually do thier job
Pat: Not to the gay pod, or what the heartless guards called it, "the punk tank!"
Jeremy: Yes, they offered church services whenever a pastor or priest would volunteer to come in. I only went once or twice. It was mostly protestant services they had. Catholic services were held only on special occasions. The services were held in the law library so space was limited to about 25 people. They had the services on weekends but it wasn't a regular thing because they didn't have a regular pastor or priest to come in all the time.
Lekisha: Yes they hold church service on sunday and there are some church programs during the week as well just dontvrenembervexactly war days
Gary: Yes the jail does offer church services on Sundays and I believe a few days during the week if I remember correctly its Wednesdays and Sundays
Ricky: they do offer multiple services. only so many can go. its first come first serve. I never attended any of them
Warren: Christian church Sunday durring morning Wednesday at night and bible studies were often through out the day every day. Quite often for all religions.

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