hell

I want to thank Screedler for posting these Letters From Hell. This is a feature from a guest blogger that I always promote to the front page, some of the language may be disturbing but I think it is important that the text remains unedited the way it was originally written from jail.

It’s been a while since I posted a Letters from Hell. This letter was not included in the original series, as it had been lost. It was found underneath the cushion of a sofa at a relative’s house last week. It would have originally fallen in between Parts 11 and 12; so I guess I could have named this Part 11.5.

Please click here to read all the other installments of the series. Just to catch people up who are new to the site – I spent 76 days in a correctional facility the summer before last as a direct result of my alcoholism. These are the letters I wrote to my family while there. Moral of the story - stay clean and stay out of jail – it’s not fun.

June 21, 2006

Dear Everyone,

Two days have passed since I last sat down to write. Things are okay, I have been thinking about my situation more than usual, which tends to make me more depressed than usual. It’s hard for me to keep my mind off worrying when there is so little to do here. I almost welcome the fighting, stealing, and scheming that go on around here as a diversion.

The book I am reading is very good, however it’s a two parter and I only have part one. I have requested part two, but I am doubtful that they have it. I will certainly get it when I get out.

Click "Read more" to continue the letter...

I want to thank Screedler for posting these Letters From Hell. This is a weekly feature that I always promote to the front page, some of the language may be disturbing but I think it is important that the text remains unedited the way it was originally written from jail.

Part 3

Welcome to the third installment of Letters from Hell. Things start to heat up a little in this letter as the first of many thefts and confrontations begin. I was a little worried about the racial content of the letter but have decided to post it as is. I hope I do not offend anyone. As you will see in later letters there is an equal amount of “badness” reflected in all the races within the jail. One thing that anyone who has been in a long-term stay in a correctional facility will tell you is that it is a very racially tense and segregated place. Everyone there has to pick a poison and there is really no choice. It’s just the way it is.

Click "Read more" to continue reading...

This is a special treat, I want to thank Screedler for posting these Letters From Hell. This will be a weekly feature that I always promote to the front page.

Part 2

Welcome to the second in my series "Letters from Hell". Despite what TDA said in the prelude to Part I this one is not quite a doozy. More of a description of my surroundings again. There are some doozy letters that are coming up as the summer and jail got hotter and the inmate crowding escalated. I do introduce an inmate that will be the subject of many letters in the future - Detroit. As you may have guessed Detroit is from Detroit- aah the originality – he has a very sordid past of gang banging, drugs, and death.

May 18, 2006

Dear Paul and Nan,

Greetings from cell block A. I hope this letter finds you doing well. I am doing fine and staying out of trouble so far. I get my first “store” this week. That’s what they call items ordered from the commissary. I ordered me some real shoes – they are like white boat shoes – they cost $9. I also ordered 2 pairs of boxers, 2 pairs of socks, and a t-shirt. A fellow inmate gave me a thermal underwear top and so far that has been my prize possession. You wouldn’t believe how chilly it is in here. For food from the commissary I ordered 3 honey-buns, 7 orange juices, 2 beef-sticks, 1 pack of cookies, 2 packs of m&m’s, a ½ box of Club crackers, 3 bags of cheetos, 3 bags of jalapeno bites, and 2 bags of hard candy (root beer and jolly ranchers). I also ordered some soap, shampoo and deodorant.

Now the big thing will be to keep my “store” from being stolen. I haven’t quite figured that one out yet. Everyone in my cell has said they will look out for each others store, but I have been told there may be thieves among our own ranks.

Click "Read more" to continue reading...

This is a special treat, I want to thank Screedler for posting these Letters From Hell. This will be a weekly feature that I always promote to the front page. Please stayed tuned for part two, its a doozy!

Part 1

As you may already know from my past postings, I spent 76 days in a county jail last year due to my addiction and actions. This is where I became sober; this is what finally gave me my longest period of sobriety in 30 years. Recently my family gave me a treasure trove of artifacts from my stay in jail – many letters that I wrote them during my incarceration. After speaking with TDA he asked me to share these letters with you and I will as a reminder of what I’ve been through because of drinking, a warning to those who are still drinking and what awaits them if they go down the path I and so many alcoholics have, and as a way of putting these letters to rest (maybe I’ll burn them after 5; no 10 years of sobriety), they are not something I would share with anybody without the protection of anonymity.

The following is the content of the first letter I sent, 10 days into my jail experience – I have only changed the names to protect the innocent (and not so innocent - including me):

Click "Read more" to continue reading...