By Charles Raby
It snowed here in Texas, and speaking as a full-blooded Texan, we Texans, at least those of us further south, do not know a damn thing about snow. Sure, we get snow in the panhandles and I hear they get snow in Dallas now and then, but not this far south. We get freezes so we know about black ice on the roads, and even then, we don’t handle it very well. Texans just aren’t cut out for the freezing cold and snow. I personally think one must be a little crazy to live in states where there are feet of snow, but to each his own.
So here in Texas, there have been reports of numerous car wrecks and a couple of deaths. Power has gone out, and people are freezing, and then a main water pipe busted that appears to supply not only Livingston, but all the small towns leading all the way to Houston, so Houston is having a bit of a water shortage, but then this pipe also supplies all the towns around Houston as well, so everyone is feeling the effect of this busted pipe. I am sure there was likely more than just one busted pipe, but the way I understand it is a mall pipe busted, and it supplies millions of people.
Here in hell, aka the Polunsky Unit, their classic knee jerk reaction is to shut the water off. Which is very understandable and logical. We still have power so that is a blessing, but right now, it ain’t smelling too good here in hell, as no water means no toilet flushing. It also means no drinking water. They passed out some water yesterday, one eight ounce cup per person, and then came around with a big bucket allowing us two bowls full to help flush our toilets, which did nothing. But I have to say it is a blessing to have electricity, because without it, it would be freezing in these concrete walls, more so, since the master-designer-genius had the bright idea to put the bed along the back wall, so right now my back is facing the back wall, and I can literally feel the cold pushing its way through the concrete walls onto my back and it is so cold. The wall is ice cold, so if that is any indication of how it would feel in this cell without the heating on, I imagine I would be miserable. We all would. And some parts of Texas are going on day four without power, so are those out there in the real world are likely freezing their tails off. I know us here in prison are miserable when cold, and being from Texas, I get cold really easily. I can’t stand the cold. It is what I think hell must be like. Then on top of that, many out there have no water. I guess I am pretty lucky. I can at least listen to my radio and get the news, which sounds like a lot of finger-pointing right now.
Our governor, Greg Abbott, is good at that, but he wants to point the finger at clean energy, and blame that and then talk about how much we can’t rely on clean energy, and that is why we still need oil and gas. He was saying whatever came into his mind, anything to show big oil, big money he is on their side when re-election for him comes. Really, trying to paint clean energy as the enemy, but later had to walk that talk back and come out and admit natural gas aka oil, was just as responsible for the power shortage and for people not having gas in their homes to stay warm.
But I feel for those out there in the real world. I know I would be miserable as hell in here without power. I am miserable with it but without water, so those out there with no power, no water and no gas…wow! I feel for you. Makes you think and wonder how our ancestors used to do it with nothing more than animal skins for clothing and building lodgings, and just old wood cabins. They must have been some hardy people.
Here at this unit many guards aren’t coming to work. Some just can’t, so others are being forced to stay here, sleep in their cars, and shower here. I heard that they can be forced to stay up to nine days. I am sure that is not going to sit well with most of them, especially those with children. Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) wants them to put the needs of TDCJ first, over their personal needs, which, is a matter of public safety and something I can understand. They need the manpower to run this place, but I foresee many more guards quitting after this. So, we will be going on lockdowns even more due to being short staffed.
But what gets me, is they haven’t picked up mail or passed it out since Friday. I get that many of the mailroom staff, if not all, haven’t been coming in due to bad weather, and I don’t blame them at all for that, but there are Jpays (emails) to pass out, so there is no reason at all why the rank, who goes and collects the Jpays, can’t print them out. How hard can that be? They tell us “Oh that ain’t our job, we aren’t trained for that.” Yet those same ranking officers pass out legal mail and books and confirmation forms for things that we get in the mail, when they are not trained for that either. It appears it is ok for them to do one thing, but not the other. I can’t wrap my head around it.
It is hard to understand the decisions made about operating this unit. When hell freezes over, it is like the people here running this place just do not know what to do, they just freeze in one place.
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