Seventy Eight Visit to Taft

I will not be seeing Taft's visiting room on a Friday, ever again. Last Friday was it for Friday visits. I can't believe it's here. There were many "congratulations" on Friday from inmates and their families who would never see me again. They were all so happy for Ron's release, and most are waiting patiently for their own return to society. I have only 1 more visit left, the Sunday before I pick up Ron. I will not be visiting him the weekend of July 15-17. The 405 Freeway will be closed for 56 hours and traffic is expected to be a nightmare. I will stay home.

Ron was walking around camp in a zombie like state last week, when he stopped to talk to Greg, who is getting out the week after Ron. Greg said that most people had said that he, too, had been in a stupor for the past month. What was it about seeing the finish line that made time pass so slowly and life be so boring? Greg called it "release anxiety." I think that's a great term, because things really do change for the inmates as their release date nears. Anxiety is definitely part of what they feel, but they also feel fear, excitement and stress. Even if they've only been incarcerated a short time, a year or less, they have an uncertain future, which causes great anxiety. Will the relationship with their wife have changed? Will the kids be embarrassed by them? Will they be able to work? Will friends and family want them around? These are the kind of things that go through their minds. You can reassure someone that their fear or anxiety is unwarranted, but that doesn't make it any less real to them.

I met Ron's new bunkie, Ernesto, on Friday. His family came to visit him from Bakersfield. Ron's old bunkie Michael, was moved a few weeks ago, and Ernesto moved in about 2 weeks ago. He is a farm worker from Bakersfield, or so Ron thinks. He speaks NO English, and I mean none, so the communication is accomplished through sign language, interpreters, and pictures in magazines. Ernesto has lived all his 40 years in the U.S., yet he speaks no English. Hard to imagine, and it puts him at a huge disadvantage in everything he does. While in the visiting room, he was breaking rule after rule. Why? He didn't know the rules because he doesn't speak the language. Unless someone translates for him, he doesn't know what's going on. They teach GED and ESL at Taft, but he is not taking either class. He's a very nice guy, or so Ron says, but he really doesn't have a chance. All I heard from him was "hola" and "I don't speak English."

One friend of mine who I've gotten to know a little over these past months, came up to Ron and congratulated him, then asked him what the first thing was that he planned to do when he got out. He said "You mean the second thing?" (the first thing they all want to do is pretty well understood and doesn't even have to be said). The second thing will be to eat a steak. Carole spoke to me today and said she was going to miss me, and I wished her well and hoped that her visits would be coming to an end soon, too.

Jave, an orderly (Taft inmate) who works in the visiting room on Fridays, is a favorite of mine that I will miss. I always enjoy talking to him. He's so young, around 28, and has been incarcerated for several years. He will be getting out in about 2 years, but he's got such a great attitude, a book in his hand and smile on his face. He loves the horses, and we always talk horses when I see him. I hope he makes it.

With few exceptions, I will never see any of these people again. Once Ron gets out and we get back to our lives I believe most of Taft will be left behind. However, as Ron says, he hopes he doesn't forget his experience or the people. He feels it's very important NOT to forget. I agree.