There are a handful of interviews with prisoners on Heathen World. These were done over the mail in the early 1990's. I traded zines for interviews. It worked out well. The prisoners got something fun in the mail, and I got a reader with plenty of time on his hands, and who probably lent his stuff to other guys who also had plenty of time on their hands. I figure if my stuff is entertains these guys, who are in such a grim place, it must be pretty good.

I didn't censor any of these guys. If you don't like what you read, then read something else.

This is not a prison, it is a county jail, but sometimes they (county jails) are worse than penitentiaries. Sometimes you can be in here up to a year before you‘re even sentenced.

The average incarceration period here is anywhere from 30-60 days.

Some very intelligent people are in jail, but on the average their intelligence is probably 8th grade so sophomores in high school.

25-35. I couldn’t tell you the oldest, but there’s been a few on the edge of senile. The youngest I can remember was 17. I’ll tell you more about him later.

In all honesty, probably 95%, although there are some cases where they are sentenced unfairly.

Yes, there are quite a few first time offenders.

There are a lot of drug offenders. Most of them are federal cases because of circumstances regarding quantity of drugs. The most common drug charge is of course, possession of marijuana, or distribution of the same.

No, there is no education or rehabilitation of any kind whatsoever.

There is racial tension because this is a predominantly white county.

There is no gang activity to speak of.

All our mail and calls are censored, including outgoing mail, even though it says they say it is not. We are not allowed to seal our envelopes unless it is "legal" mail (to lawyers or judges).

Violence is common in any penal institution.

I have heard of no rapes yet.

No, pretty well everyone that comes in through here has been straight, although there has been a few homosexuals.

There have been so many fucked up things and situations of injustice I’d have to write my own book to list them all.

He was about a 65 year old man, who weighed all of 100 pounds. Lots of people picked on him. Unfortunately, there is no smoking allowed in this facility, therefore he decided he’d have his wife sneak to the window, use a cordless drill to drill through the glass. The idea in general was so he could get smokes. Also, he’d steal anything. As soon as everyone went to sleep, he’d start. Everything from coffee to your slippers was fair game. The next day he’d deny it fully.

To be honest, lunch is most often pretty decent. Of course, I’ve only got breakfast and dinner to compare it to. Dinner consists of Salami sandwiches, a few potato chips, and if we’re good (?) a small container of ice cream or a piece of cake. yum! yum!

I guess they work all night, the air is very dry, almost every morning we awake with bloody noses (I do anyway).

All of the time except when you go to church or the library, then you're only out for about an hour.

35' x 25' - this holds 16 inmates.

In four months I've only been outside to go to court.

Yes.

No.

Driving on a revoked license.

I've been incarcerated for 4 months and have two to go.

Only to show me how unfair our justice system is to low-income people, or I should say just what money can get you out of.

No prisons, only a few other jails - some are better, some are worse.

Having something wrong with me, and their quack (doctor) not diagnosing it in time, or correctly.

Play cards, watch TV, sleep, work out. Push ups to work out, there are no weight benches or exercise equipment at all here.

No.

I wouldn't know, those aren't allowed here.

No.

Sometimes, mace and solitary.

No, although I've seen plenty of people go to solitary confinement for the most fucked up reasons. examples:

• not cleaning up hair of other inmates when there were let use clippers.
• saying "that's bullshit"
• anytime you go to the doctor (hospital), no matter how sick, you're put in solitary confinement for 3 days. I'll probably be put there myself if they read this.

Get my ass back to my girlfriend and out of this county and back to work.

None at all.

I feel I have been unfairly sentenced for my second driving on a revoked (misdemeanor). I was given 364 days and a $1000 fine. That is the maximum penalty for such an offense. A rape example: one guy rapes his brother, sister, and mother, only convicted of brother though, was sentenced to 6 months and is already out. Another example: there are at least four people on work release for really hurting someone. They get out every day for work and have to return at night. At least three of these had charges of aggravated assault on police officers. Almost all of them got drastically less time than I, and they get work release to top it all off. If you're appointed a public defender here in Franklin County, and your bail is too high to bail out, you can hardly ever get to speak to your attorney. I've seen one talk to about 30 people about their cases all in a matter of about 45 minutes. He only comes to the jail about once or twice a month. Someone needs to have this county investigated. There is so much more I could tell you, but they might read this and I might "commit an offense" and lost my good time. I'll let it go at that. If you remain in touch, we can correspond on these matters at a later date. Hope this gets to you and doesn't "get lost". Write back and let me know if it does.