From Dragonfly: The Hoops Just Keep Getting Higher

So... A morning of new news. I have officially been DENIED for the camp. I will not be going to the camp. Not even my case worker (the one who swears I'll be at the camp any day...) knows. The reason is due to my medication regiment. So, no matter what, I am in the medical facility's high security environment for the rest of my incarceration. Sure, I could appeal this decision, but the time that would take would go beyond my time left. I have one big recommendation for anyone about to face sentencing... If you have a health condition, unless it is to the point that you would be unable to survive, do NOT include any information on it in your PSR or as a supposed "mitigating factor" in your briefs to the court. I can tell you that men have a better option - they can go to a medical camp. Women, however, will end up at Carswell. They will be "minimum-in" to start, even though they would be "minimum-out" otherwise. Even as self-surrenders, they will be handcuffed/shackled on med trips until such time (at least 6 months in) that their status is changes to "minimum-out." If you can even just start at a camp, you will be "minimum-out" for the duration of your incarceration, even if they have to transfer you to Carswell in the future. If you are able to be off injections, blood thinners, other medications deemed to put you at a medical care level 3 or 4, even for a while, you can start at a camp and maintain that status. You still get medical treatment at the camps, in fact, sometimes the medical treatment is better than what is available here. Plus, you can always get transferred here, if you health status changes and you need medication, a surgery, or anything like that. I can't tell you whether you should or should not hide your medical issues, but I can tell you that all the lawyers who are saying that our medical conditions will HELP us with sentencing, are wrong and they have NO IDEA what it actually means for those of us minimum security women. I can't say enough about this and will likely write more in the future.

In other news, another hoop to get through at social work. We found the paperwork necessary to prove my ability to get health care coverage under the new Affordable Healthcare Act. In fact, ex-felons are guaranteed healthcare coverage, but I was told that I had to type up all the new information and bring it back to the woman who actually found me the information. She knows that access to type things up is very difficult, but I am using the email system, paying 5 cents per minute, to do so and bringing it back to her this afternoon. I can't understand why I would have to type up what SHE told ME, but it's another hoop and my sneakers are tied tight and I'm limber enough right now to reach it, I pray. More later.