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DAVE'S WORLD BEHIND THE BARBWIRE

ST. PATRICK'S DAY   ISSUE # 7

MARCH 16/17, 2011

MEDICAL UPDATE: on The 3rd of March the medical staff here told me at FCI Bastrop that the funds were approved by Region for my Hernia operation on the 29th of January. I guess in spite of the post 9-11 stream lining of government red tape, information still moves kind of slow in the BOP... Hopefully I will get this operation soon!

LEGAL UPDATE: On the 15th of March the government has asked for it's 3rd extension of time. So no news on my appeal until April 15. 

FEATURE STORY: "Where I Sleep" An update on a few of my accomplishments and daily concerns here behind the barbwire.

Well, this is "News-Letter # 7 and it has been almost 6 months since I first started this monthly commentary revolving around my prison stay.   Last month there was not much new to share, so I skipped this section. Normally the pattern is, "Yesterday" was just like "Tomorrow" will be.

One milestone I have reached this month is, I have now read over 100 full-length novels since landing behind this barbwire fence. To some of you that may not seem like such a big deal, but to me it is a personal achievement that makes me smile. I am also taking a class every Friday morning called " Advanced Reading/ Biblio-Therapy." When reading the flyer about the class, I had read the flyer to say "for average to better readers," but when I got to the class I found out that the flyer meant to say, "Better than Average Readers."  Oh well, such is life in prison...

Anyway, the object of the class is for each student (there are 8 of us) to pick a book of our individual choice and during the class each of us talks about the books we are reading. It is very casual. I am reading C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity." One thing I have found out since starting the class is for some reason, it is not about what you read, and it is about "whom" you read. I don't know, maybe all that book reading brings out the "snob" in some? So needless to say, when they start talking about this contemporary author or that contemporary author, I just sit there lost.

That is not to say that I am completely out of touch, and that my personal arsenal of classic authors is not somewhat impressive. I look at it this way, I am "old school" and thought it best to start with a solid foundation. So I started with the authors I remembered my family and neighbors talking about when I was a youngster, and the authors my teachers told me I had to read to get through school. Somehow I managed to get through school without reading any books, but now I am reading all those "old school" authors. It is never to late to start doing the right thing.

In addition to C.S.Lewis, other authors I have read since coming to prison are, Twain, Steinbeck, Hemingway, Dickens, Carrol, Tolkien, J.D. Salinger, Pearl S. Buck, Jack London, Robert Lewis Stevenson, Alister McLean, Harper Lee, Nathaniel Hawthorn, Gipson, James Mitchner, McCullough, The Grimm Brothers complete collection, and Hans Christian Anderson. And let me not forget to mention, Moses, the Prophets, and Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. I am also reading Louie LaMour and other western authors. And a few of the more resent authors are Clancy, D.Brown, and the young genius Christopher Paolini who at 12 started writing "Eragon," then went on to write "Eldest," and at the age of 19 wrote "Brisingr." There are 50 or so other authors but I am sure you get the picture.

Now on to another part of my prison reality. It has to do with where an inmate sleeps. Here at FCI Bastrop each cell has about 120 sq. ft. of floor area. Each cell has one set of 3 level bunks, 3 metal lockers mounted on the walls, one toilet, one sink, and one mirror hanging on the wall with a small florescent light fixture mounted above it to light the entire cell. Also 3 towel racks mounted on the wall and 3 grown men assigned to each cell. As you can imagine it is a cramped situation to say the least.

I have been in this same cell for 22 months now. I consider myself lucky to be able to boast such a statement. I have had a total of 11 different roommates in that same 22 months. The longest stay was with my first cellie, which lasted a total of about 15 months at two different times. The shortest-lived roomie was for about 5 minutes. My first cellie (we will call him Mr. X) was in the cell by himself when this black cat and I landed in the cell back in July of 2009 during a lock-down due to a small prison riot. The black cat lasted about 4 months until he found some black brothers to cell up with. He was cool, he was clean and he was quiet also he was a no nonsense kind of guy. The combination of those 4 things says a lot for a man in prison.

Back to Mr. X. We were in the cell together from July 2009 until January 2010 when he left to go back to court. This was his second "bid," (second time in prison) his first time was for 7 years I think. This time his "bid" is about 15 years. Anyway he was gone for the next 5 months and returned in early June 2010. When he got back, the cell was full so he moved in down the way. But after about a month he used his clout to move my newest cellmate out (I called him Avatar, I will say no more) and himself back in. I learned just about everything regarding how to survive on the yard from Mr. X. More about Mr. X later.

After the black cat moved out we found a clean, quiet "Piza" to move into the room.  A "Piza" is a Mexican from Mexico. Usually the only time I saw him was at the 4 P.M. stand-up count everyday and at lock-down at night. He got up early every morning and was gone as soon as the door was unlocked. His stay in the cell lasted about 4 months, and then he was transferred to another dorm where they house the inmates who are taking the drug program.

Just before the Piza moved out, Mr. X left for his court date. At that time, I moved into the middle bunk that Mr. X had just abandoned. Usually in prison, most of the guys desire the lower bunk. (Lazy I guess?) I prefer the "upper-ground," just in case there may be some unforeseen trouble. It looks to me like it would be fairly easy to sneak up on the guy in the lower bunk and "shank" him in his sleep.

I moved into the middle bunk because it had the best view looking out onto a large grassy field teaming with grasshoppers. That made the field a natural sanctuary for just about every kind of bird in this part of Texas. My favorites are the bright red male cardinals and the large, long legged; long beaked, pure white snowy egrets.

Back to the bunk issue. Mr X or someone before him had the kind of clout to get the middle bunk altered. The upper bunk had been raised about 10 inches so the man in the middle bunk could sit cross legged on the bunk with his back straight and still have about 3 inches of head room. A very unique bunk in this institution and very obvious that the man in that bunk had seniority in the room.

A few days after Mr. X left for court, the Piza and I got a new cellie. He was not new to the unit, just new to me and our tranquil living situation. He was about 26 years old, and like Mr. X and a good number of inmates at FCI Bastrop, he was of Hispanic ancestry from south Texas.

In the federal prison system a lot of inmates group-up by race and/or by the geographic location they are from. Like the Houston area guys hang together, the San Antonio guys hang together, and the Southern Texas guys hang together. I'm sure you get the picture. Mr. X who had just left to go back to court was one of the speakers for the southern Texas group, which is one of the biggest groups here at Bastrop. So he demanded (if demanded is the correct word) a lot of respect from all the inmate population as well as the daily staff.

As you may or may not remember, in a previous newsletter I had written about being assigned to the cell during a prison lock-down due to a small riot. It was obvious to me that Mr.X was "someone special" by the way the staff member addressed him when we first entered the cell, and went out of his way to be polite, unlike the way staff treated inmates when I was at Lompoc. After we were locked into the cell and we all introduced ourselves, I got my bed made and since I still did not have any personal property and there were only 2 lockers in the 3 man cell, I suggested that the other new guy take the locker because he had his personal stuff, and I would deal with it when the lock-down was lifted.

For the first few hours it may have seemed a little tense, but things settled down and before the 9 P.M. count we were all relatively at ease with each other. If we would have come into the cell under normal conditions with no lock-down, things may have turned out different. Because normally the different races tend to gravitate away from each other.

There really wasn't anything to do in the room other then play cards or read or write a letters, and I guess there maybe some unwritten rule that men of different races do not talk too much about life in the world, or politics, or religion? But as you all know about Dave, I either don't know about those kinds of rules, or I don't feel that they apply to me, or I just make up my own rules along the way. The truth is, that it is a mixture of all three. (But I am now in the process of remaking my entire life and my new priority is that I will consider others first... But that is a story for another time.)

By the end of the week and the end of the lock-down, things were very mellow in the cell. After breaking all the unwritten rules and me telling them all about "Dave’s World" they began to open up about their own personal worlds and we were well on our way to being permanent cellmates. And for as much as one can expect from a prison friendship, Mr. X and I became friends.

So now Mr. X is gone off to his court date and the youngster from the same group from southern Texas has showed up in the cell and the first thing he says is that he is here now and he is now running the cell. I looked over at him from my middle bunk and said, "I don't run anything in prison except the space where this middle bunk is and what is inside and on top of my locker. And I do not expect anything from my cellies except the same thing they expect from me, and that is to keep the cell clean and to keep myself clean." The youngster looked over at me for a few seconds and then turned his eyes down and looked down at the bottom bunk to where the Piza was already or what appeared to be asleep and said he will move into his lower bunk in the morning.

Well folks, I guess this as good of a tense place as any to put a bookmark in this non-fiction story as any for this month. I will continue it in next months Easter edition of my newsletter. Until then, I wish you all the best; I will continue to pray for all of you and would highly suggest that you pray for each other. We live in troubled times and we can use all the Divine help we can get!

At this time in my life, where I have been ripped away from my family and friends, I know that the only two I can truly count on for my daily safety Is the Lord and myself (In that order) GOD bless you All. Love and Respect, Dave, alone in the lone star state...

MY SNAIL MAIL ADDRESS:

DAVID BURGESS 41278-048

F.C.I. BASTROP

P.O. BOX 1010

BASTROP, TX. 78602

MY WEB SITES:

www.davesworld81.com

http://www.facebook.com/davesworld  (I think)

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DAVE'S WORLD ~ BEHIND THE BARB-WIRE ~ New Years Eve Edition
December 31, 2010/January 1, 2011

MEDICAL UPDATE: Nothing new new...

LEGAL UPDATE: No new news...

FEATURE: Another year has come and gone, and we survived. Sure, things are always tough when you are out there in front, so at this time I would like to send out a special thank you for all the help regarding my freedom issues and everything else in my life, to my family back in Reno; Big Rob, Ingrid, & Jaydin, Jay, Kimmers & family, Troy, Sara & Octavian, Sohn & family, Fara & Ona, Mike & Yvonne, All my Nomad Brothers, Big Daddy & family, Young Will & family Johnny & family, Steve & family, Mike & family, Spike & family, Fred & family, Guido & family, Phil Jr & family, & the Prospects, and Bobby M & family, I would also like to thank my blood Brother Sherm up in Idaho & my sister-in-law Sue-Sue

ADDITIONAL CHRISTMAS CARD THANK YOU'S: Misty & Lil' MaryKate up there in "coffeeland," ~ My Brother HAMC Maxx & Kathy & the doggies (Thanks also for the CapeTown photos), ~ My Brother Angelo HAMCO, ~ My Brothers from White Rock Canada, ~ My Brothers from HAMC Rochester New York, ~ My Brother RogO from HAMC Rochester, ~ My Brothers from HAMC Salem, ~ My BHC Brother Greg and his wife Mary Domey, ~ Steve & Paula from Bend Oregon, ~My HAMC Brothers in Fulton Kentucky, ~ Prospect Tom Virginia Nomads, ~ My Brother Spike and his gal Jessica out on Igloo in the Valley of the Sun, ~ Willi Kay (aka Charli) in Seattle, ~ Dalton, Mo & the kids in Sparks, ~ My Pal Glen hide'n out at the Ritz-Carlton in CanCun Thanks for the postcards, ~ My NTH LINCS Brothers, ~ Prospect Joe from the Nevada Nomads & his family, ~ If you sent me a card and you did not see your name, maybe it is lost somewhere in the mailroom. Last year I was still receiving cards in February postmarked in December?
Again, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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DAVE'S WORLD ~ BEHIND THE BARB-WIRE
ISSUE # 4 CHRISTMAS 2010

DECEMBER 24, 2010 Christmas Eve ~ 5:00 P.M. Texas Time ~ A Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year to You ALL!

CORRECTION: In the past 3 Issues I've been putting the wrong web address where you can read all of the past Issues of Behind the Barb-Wire. The correct address is: http://www.facebook.com/daveburgess81 (I think/hope! If I am still wrong, maybe someone could let me know what the correct address is.)

PERSONAL NOTE: My longtime dear friend Kenny Croteau passed away on the 2nd of December 2010 from complications due to his Diabetes. Kenny was the first new friend I met when I first moved to Reno, Nevada back in 1974. We worked at the original Mustang Bridge Ranch cathouse together as "Bridgemen" (guards.) Back then the brothel had problems with law enforcement from the neighboring county trying to blow-up the bridge to the cathouse that crossed the Truckee river ten miles east of Reno between Washoe County where prostitution is illegal and Storey County where prostitution is legal. Over the years Kenny and I were also handy-men and did other odd jobs, and what ever else was needed around the brothel compound... We also built two complete new cathouses out in the "Valley of the Dolls" just off Interstate 80 East at EXIT 23 Nevada, MUSTANG Ranch #1 in 1976 and the TRIANGLE RIVER Ranch in 1983, later to be renamed MUSTANG #2. Kenny moved back to Oakland California in 1983, so he wasn't there when I built and opened my own brothel "The OLD BRIDGE RANCH" in September of 1984. But we remained close pals until he passed away this month. Kenny, you will be truly missed.

MEDICAL UPDATE: I've got all the pre-op tests done for my Hernia operation. (X-Rays, EKG, & Bloodwork) Now I have received a kite (note) from the "Health Care Administrator" here at F.C.I Bastrop. He Tells me that he has sent all the paperwork into the Regional office for final approval of funds. That went out on December 3rd. So we will see what happens.

LEGAL UPDATE: My "2255" motion was submitted to the court on or about the 11th of December. Because of the luck of the draw, I drew Judge Johnson as the judge to read and move on the motion. (By the way, Judge Johnson is the same judge who gave me my 15 year prison sentence) Many thanks to all who are making this "2255" happen. And thank you to Maria, Kate and the entire legal team working on my case. Also I know there are a lot of unknown folks working on my behalf on my case, but at this time I would like to say a special thanks to Sandy, Bill, Izzy, Troy, Flash, and Glen!

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DAVE'S WORLD "BEHIND THE BARBWIRE"
ISSUE #3 NOVEMBER 15, 2010
THANKSGIVING ISSUE

MEDICAL UPDATE: I am on the fast-track to getting my Hernia operation. They are already starting all of the pre-op stuff. I have gone in for new X-rays, and I had a new EKG done. The next thing will be the blood tests, and then off to the knife. I will keep you all posted.

LEGAL NEWS: On Friday and Saturday November 5th & 6th I received visits from my new attorney and her clerk. They are filing a "2255 Motion" on my behalf. The "2255" is a motion that states that I had ineffective representation during trial. I want everyone to realize that the "2255 motion" is a steep up-hill battle, but my new attorneys do have good issues to bring forward. I would also like to thank everyone who went to the trouble to find the new attorneys for me. I am looking forward to working with them.

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE: I have been here at Bastrop F.C.I. for almost 16-months now. I have had the same job as a Hobby-Craft Toolroom Orderly for more than 15-months. I have been paid between $11.40 and $13.60 per months for my troubles. But this past month to my shock my pay was cut to $7.90 for the month. I have been to 4 different Correction Officers (C.O.'s) that I work for and not one of them will give me a straight answer regarding why my pay was cut... Oh well, after-all, it is prison!

FEATURE: "The Nightmare" Part 2 ~ When I left you hanging last month, it was Friday evening July 10, 2009 and I had just been placed in the "hole" for the weekend and enjoying a cold dinner.
The weekend was uneventful. I got right back into my exercise routine of doing 500 push-ups and 2000 jumping-jacks a day. There wasn't much else to do in the "hole" on the weekend. The library cart doesn't come around on the weekends so I had nothing to read. I asked the C.O. if I could use the phone because I had not talked to my family in a month and it was time for my monthly phone call. The correction officer informed me that I will not get a phone call until after I had spent 30 days in the "hole" at this institution. I saw no reason to try to explain anything to him.

On Monday morning I was very anxious to get a visit from any S.I.S. staff member and get everything straightened out. I knew that as soon as I got out of the "hole," I could use the phone and tell my family where I was and that I was doing ok. Monday came and went with no visit from the S.I.S., as did Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. By Friday evening after the "mail-cart" went by my cell without stopping again, I just figured that being stranded in the "hole" this far away from home was just another part of being in hell.
On Saturday about noon I started noticing a lot of action in the hallway just outside my cell. Over the next two hours, four or five different correction officers came by my cell carrying clip-boards. All of them stopped and looked into my cell but none of them talked to me.

At 2:30 that same afternoon my cell door was opened and I was told they were releasing me from the "hole" because they needed my cell. 20 minutes later I was being escorted across an empty compound to my new housing unit. I asked the C.O. if I could stop and use the telephone to call my family. He said, no because the entire prison had been locked-down due to a prison riot.
I found out later that one Hispanic prison gang had used shovels, rakes, and horse-shoes to smash on another Hispanic prison gang because allegedly one of the gangs was making to much money by recycling the "hot-trash" back into the inmate population, and the other gang figured they need to be compensated for keeping their mouth shut regarding the alleged illegal activity. By the way, "hot-trash" is anything that is deemed contraband by the prison authorities. Contraband property are things like hot-plates, ovens, stingers, some clothing, X-rated books and magazines, fruit, vegetables, etc... Anything and everything that made it's way into the prison but was not issued to the inmates by the prison staff. I always wondered how the "George Foreman" oven got in here???
I spent four more days locked-down in my new 8 X 15 foot room with two other convicts. We dined on bologna sandwiches three times a day and strung a sheet up when any one of us needed to use the restroom. Finally at about noon on the fourth day, the correction officers opened the doors and all of the inmates including myself filed out of our units and outside into the warmth of a sunny Texas summer afternoon.
EPILOGUE ~ That first summer evening on the yard under that wide-open Texas sky was something I will never forget. Just seeing the moon and stars for the first time in over six months was almost overwhelming. I will never again take simple things like the sun, the moon and stars, and sunsets for granted again. I had never before realized how much those simple things meant to me until they were taken away from me for so long.
By the end of that first evening in regular population at Bastrop F.C.I., the previous six months in the "hole" almost seemed like a distant "bad-dream." The only thing that assured me that it had been no dream was when I looked in the mirror and saw that I had lost almost 40 pounds and my complexion was as white as a ghost.
The nightmare may be over, but the saga continues...

FINAL THOUGHTS FOR THIS MONTH: Well everyone, it looks like I am about to run out of space on this e-mail so news of my current life behind the barb-wire at F.C.I Bastrop will have to wait until my Christmas / New Years Issue. Until then, have enough fun for the both of us, but try to be safe. Take a "Christmasy" picture and send it to me. Again, have a Family Fun Thanksgiving, and GOD Bless you ALL! LOVE & RESPECT, Dave somewhere in Texas...

MY WEB-SITE: http://www.davesworld81.com

MY SNAIL-MAIL ADDRESS:
DAVID BURGESS 41278-048
F.C.I. BASTROP
P.O. BOX 1010
BASTROP, TX. 78602

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