TexasDeath Row - From Ellis to somewhere in West Texas

I received a letter today, and while I would like to keep this letter to myself, I feel the need to share it with those who are really curious to know what it was like from one unit to another.

I just wanted to share his thoughts. To give an understanding as to what life was and is like now.

So here it, in my husband's words ....

From Ellis to somewhere in West Texas.

My first day on death row I had a confrontation with a guy. This was due to the fact that I was new meat on the unit. It didn't take long before this escalated to a point where we fought. When I had the upper hand, his friend jumped in to give him the assist. I had no idea this is what I had to deal with until my expiration date. Yes, I won the fight and I made up my mind I wasn't joining their bullsh!t gang and I would stand own my own.

Ellis was different from Polunsky. On Ellis it was wide open and rough most of the time. Especially when things were out of control and out of the hands of the TDC officers. I don't think there was a day when I didn't pray and ask for hope. The Violence would erupt without notice due to the gangs wanting to overpower and dominate different territories (wings) that inmates lived on.

At Polunsky when we first got there, it was pretty bad. I don't know what population endured, I only know what I saw. There was all kinds of BS happening from assaults on officers to opening the doors and getting on our asses for not suiting up.

On Polunsky we were caged 23/7 like animals in a single cell with no human contact, fed through a food port like an animal at the zoo. Being caged like an animal and treated like you are less than one takes a toll on one mentally.

We had no contact with Population or Seg. We had our cells and kites. We could see what abuse the other was enduring by looking out our cell doors.

The only way other inmates would know what we were like, would be if they were SSI and that means a maintenance worker, laundry, or kitchen worker. That's it.

Now from Polunsky to now there is a huge difference. There's a lot of bullsh!t and drama each day. You never know when something will pop off. It it ain't one thing, it's another. There's not one day that I can wake up and say "today was a good day".

There are those of us who are considered 'Solos' and we have to walk a fine line between honor and respect. Regardless of the situation one had to take into consideration that there's a lot of different gangs in within one building, not to mention specific sections. Out of 7 tables in a particular section, all but one are usually occupied by different gangs, living solos one table. They have to learn to respect solos, we all show no fear and give the same respect that we expect.

I've been tested, but they know where I've been and nothing becomes of it.

It's prison, I know what to expect and things are bound to happen, here, it happens everyday.

The new thing is stabbing one another to and from chow. We have the least coverage, the Co's turn a blind eye. They get away with it. Lines walking in different directions (one to and one from) and it's easy for something to pop off. If you ain't paying attention your ass could get stabbed in a split second. You gotta stay outta the cross fire.

Now, I've seen a lot between the units. Each one is different, but the game is the same.

I don't share our personal stuff. That's between us. Now, there are some guys who talk about their pen-pals ...how they have a nice ass , how they met, where they are from, how hot they are typical guy stuff.

I know/knew guys whose motives were to swindle money from their pen-pals, if they get a chance. I've asked why. The first thing they tell me is "So, I can make commissary and maybe make a few $$$ in here"

This is ridiculous and how stupid is that. NOT EVERYONE IS OUT TO SWINDLE SOMEONE!!!!!

Some truly need a little support and a little bit of love (if only friendship) and compassion..

When writing a prisoner he/she needs to get to know them more personally before extending personal support. TIME. That is the key word.

Those books you sent meant so much(blue day book, the meaning of life), a gift like that in the darkest of times helps more than money.

Those books, as cute as they were helped us back there on the row cope with James' execution. Those were hards times. James (James Allridge) helped me in many ways, when he was gone, hard times hard times. Those books came in time. They came the day we saw James head out to be executed.

Groupies never wrote me. They exist but they never wrote me. Some guys would use 'em to make store, or do their bidding , not me. I never had 'em, wouldn't want 'em.

Groupies are just people who are obsessed and want a toy and someone who was in the media is a prime target. Some like the bad boys, where do you go to find the baddest of the bad? Death row.

Now this ain't all about the inmates. It's a two way street. It takes two to tango. Just as there are bad apples in here, there are bad apples out there writing to the ones in here.
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To give a better understanding.... I will explain a few things.

Death Row in Texas was not always at Polunsky. It was once at Ellis, and they were basically in a population setting.

Lots of violence and fights. The worst that Junior ever witnessed was a guy, nick name Gorilla fighting a guy and shoving a typewriter rod through one ear and out the other resulting in his death.

They were moved to Polunsky and housed in a Seg setting, with a lot less benefits than seg, imagine that.

While at Polunsky they communicated through the doors, kites and kept an eye on one another by peeping out their cell doors. (The doors had windows and so did the cells {windows facing the parking lot}).

The only inmates who were back where they were would be SSI workers which are your kitchen, laundry and maintenance workers. If they were not a prison official, CO, DR inmate, or SSI they didn't get back to death row.

Now he is somewhere in the wild wild west trying to make it through the days until our appeals are won and/or until the high court rules in our favor.

If he didn't have hope he wouldn't make it through each and every day.

When I visited last year, I saw the violence first hand. Dude was coming out on a stretcher with the shank still in his chest, paramedics telling the hospital he may be a DOA.

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Junior's words on Necessities in Population

They give us 2 pairs of clean clothes, socks, boxers and 1 towel.

We can only EXCHANGE our towel on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Tuesday we exchange our sheets (I prefer to wash mine)

Monday and Friday we are allowed to exchange our Pants, Shirts, Boxers and Socks - one for one. If you don't exchange, you don't get sh!t.

The 'necessities' are 1 bag w/ a string on it containing 5 tiny bars of soaps (the green bars you seen in the bath rooms when you visit)., 1 razor, and a tiny cup of baking soda (powder tooth paste) and TWO ROLLS OF TOILET PAPER. You better make that TP last, it's golden around here.

As for a tooth brush, you have to ask the desk boss for one, and IF they have one they will give you one, THAT'S IF THEY HAVE ONE.

That's life in TDCJ