From Dragonfly: Preparing for Release

From the moment I arrived at Carswell, I started my work toward my release. I have my out date (7/2/14 due to the national holiday) and my home confinement date (5/28/14), but I learned quickly that there are other dates that are earlier and possible. It ALL depends on specific factors and is individual for the inmate. For me, the most important thing I need to do is get medically cleared. This is because I am at a medical facility and have the highest level of "need of care" given to me - a 4. Only people who are 1's or 2's can be qualified for halfway house and/or home confinement, unless you wait for your out date. You halfway house date can be months, literally months, prior to your home confinement day. This does not mean you spend the months entirely at a halfway house, either. Decisions are individualized, but many people only spend a week or several at the halfway house before being approved to home confinement. Home confinement will last until the out date. It may, or may not, include electronic monitoring and other restrictions. To start this process for me, my case worker is working on transferring my case from the jurisdiction I was prosecuted in to the jurisdiction I live in. I lived 2,000 miles away from where my home is now when I committed my crime. It had been 5 years since my criminal act and I had moved to my family home after I lost everything when I got caught (what I still call my "unintentional intervention"). My school is within a half day's drive of my family home. So, my case needs to move to the state I live in now, in order for me to live there after imprisonment. This is the easy thing that I have to do.

The medical clearance will be much harder. Going from a level "4" to a level "2" will mean getting the medical team here to re-evaluate my medical condition and say it is not as bad as it was indicated to be on my pre-sentence report (the PSR is the the report all categorizing decisions are made on). So, here's the problem. I do have the medical conditions that were listed in my PSR. At the same time, I am not being treated properly for the conditions (especially my autoimmune condition) while in here. Instead of complaining, I am just getting through each day. I figure months without my medication and the pain, fatigue and issues that may arise, I can handle. Once I can get home, I can go back to my medical providers and they will once again get me on the medical regiment I need. As long as I don't have a flair, I can show my doctors, honestly, that I can be downgraded in their system. I'm unsure how this will actually occur, but I will do whatever I can to get home as soon as I can. A little pain, headache, or sweating is not a big deal when freedom is at stake!

The only way to get this medical clearance is by seeing a specific Nurse here - Nurse Jones - who will meet with anyone seeking clearance on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. That's the 18th of this month. Many, and I mean many, women will wait hours to see Nurse Jones. I will likely have to do this numerous months, in order to learn next steps and get her advice on how to clear my status 4 to a status 2. My doctor here can block the entire process if he assesses me to be too ill. But, I am doing okay. Other than needing a lower bunk and having mild work restrictions (lifting, etc), I am doing everything - including 24 steps up and down numerous times a day from the first floor of my unit to the second floor (where my room is). There is an elevator, but I am not requesting a pass. Once again, anything to show I am not a level "4." Funny thing is that level "4's" tend to be in the hospital units, but I am way too capable of that. I will only have issue if I have a flair and I will do everything to not have one (if I can control it at all).

My recovery comes in well here. I say the serenity prayer a lot. There are many things I can not control about my situation. The few things I can, I do what I can, within the restrictions of the location I am in. I've written 3 cop-outs (staff requests) to get a non-feather pillow (I am allergic to feathers) and none of the cop-outs have been answered. I will do another tomorrow to my counselor. I will keep trying (others do get non-feather pillows). It's about patience and persistence. I've learned patience through recovery and have always had persistence. Prison is a place to use your positive qualities and to be humble to the fact that there are many, many women here who need things as well. I am NOT the center of anyone's universe here. I can, however, show myself to be a positive, courteous, persistent person.

23 days inside...