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Leisure Time

Interview with Cesar, Tom, Bruce and Jon

JM: What types of facilities were available to help pass the time?
Cesar: TV, Basketball, games, books.
Tom: CHESS, BIBLE STUDIES, READING A VARIETY OF BOOKS, THE ONE THAT STICKS IN MY MIND THE MOST OTHER THAN THE BIBLE IS "SEAL TEAM ONE" VOLUNTEERING, NOT HESITATE TO TALK TO GUARDS, SOMETIMES REMEMBERING TO PRAY FOR THEM.
Bruce: books, you can read and i do a lot when locked up, if you're in the pods theres always a game to play with others but when you're up on five you get very little out time so reading is about it, or writing or if you can draw thats it
Jon: There was a basketball and a hoop available only when allowed out of yours cells. The only thing given to pass time was a small shelf of different literature but the selection was mostly religious and a lot of the books were missing parts and there was not enough for everyone of the floor.

JM: Did you have regular access to the entertainment or was competition fierce? Give details.
Cesar: I really didn't much attention to that stuff. again I kept to myself and I read a lot.
Tom: AS FAR AS ENTERTAINMENT I WAS IT, MOST OF IT CAME FROM THINGS THAT I HAD EXPERIENCED IN MY LIFE, LIKE THE MOVIE INDUSTRY THAT I WORKED IN IN THE 90'S, OF WHEN THE I WAS AN EXTRA ON BAYWATCH AND HOW WOMEN LIKE THAT CAN REALLY GIVE YOU A GOOD REASON TO HOLD ON AND TO REBUILD YOUR LIFE. THOSE WHERE SOME OF THE BEST DAYS THAT I EVER KNEW, BUT THE FUNNY THING BACK THEN WAS I HAD BEEN ACCUSED OF A CRIME AND DID NOT KNOW IT, YET EVERYONE ELSE SEEMED TO, THATS WHY FOR MYSELF, WHEN I THINK OF THE (MATRIX) FILM CREWS THAT I WORKED WITH ON BAYWATCH AND QUATUM LEAP I AM MOST THANKFUL BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS KNEW THE TRUTH AND WHERE NOT AFRAID OF ME NOR DID THEY MAKE UP STORIES.
Bruce: there really is no entertainment of any kind to speak of, you can always get a card game with someone during your out time other than that there is nothing, you dont have access to a basket ball there is no t.v., theres books and usually not a lot and few with all the pages and less of what you want to read
Jon: The competition was fierce but a lot of the inmates would have there family send books or magazines in for them to read and then the book would make its way around the floor but to get the jail offered books that were not either religious or falling apart you had to be first at the shelf when the books came back.

JM: Did you have a hard time staying in shape while in jail?
Cesar: Not really.
Tom: STAYING IN SHAPE IN JAIL IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IGAVE ALLOT OF THOUGHT TO AT THE TIME, TO ME IT WAS ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT I DID NOT MAKE THE MISTAKES THAT I HAD MADE AGAIN, STAYING IN SHAPE MENTALLY IS ALLOT HARDER THAN DOING IT PHYISICALLY
Bruce: i didn't i do lots of sit ups and pushups and walk the whole time i can when i am out of my cell
Jon: I lost a lot of weight due to the small diet they gave and have no energy to work out and there was not much room to move around inside your cell without annoying you cellie.

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?
Cesar: Not in that facility. Its all blocked in. There is a court yard thats blocked in where the basketball court is but its not outside.
Tom: WHEN I WAS IN THE SPOKANE COUNTY JAIL I DID NOT GO OUTSIDE.
Bruce: never, in spokane county jail you never go outside you are in your cell more than 23 1/2 hours a day on the fifth floor and just about 22 hours a day in the pods
Jon: there was a basketball hoop that had vented windows to let in fresh air that was available whenever the corrections officers actually let us have the scheduled out times.

JM: Did the jail offer church services? If so, what were they like and when were they held?
Cesar: Yes, not sure i didn't take advantage of this.
Tom: THE SPOKANE COUNTY JAIL OFFERS CHURCH SERVICES SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK. I ALWAYS FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO SERVICE WITH SOMEONE WHO REALLY CARED ABOUT ME, HAVING ALREADY RECEIVED A DEGREE IN THEOLOGY, IT WAS EASY FOR ME TO RECOGNIZE THE DR. SHULER WHEN HE CAME TO DO HIS PRISON MINISTRY
Bruce: there was an old guy named joe who used to come around for 30 minutes on sunday morning, if you signed up on the list friday during your out time before the list was full then they would let you out for that, but if you forgot to sign up on the list you couldnt go, or if the list was full, there was 25 or so spots for the whole side, like west or east
Jon: They occasionally offered a non-denominational Christian church on certain Sundays and they were like a group discussion about the bible and held for about an hour per each wall. The jail refused to give me any books or information about any of the religions I requested and told me that I could either practice Christianity or nothing at all since they only cared about christian based religions.

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