gnplummer421 said:
Rifleman,
I was there for 30 days in '83. Although Bread and Water was on the menu for anyone stuck in "the hole" (sound proof/light proof padded room) we ate like kings. How else could you do all that PT. (there was lots.) One cig after every meal unless you screwed up. No talking at any time unless you were addressing "the Eyeball" on the post by the staff office. (eye contact with DB staff was not allowed as you were too low as a detainee to address them directly) We did not mark time while shaving. We did do many station jobs at night. (IE waxing the floor by hand using a wad of wax inside a thin towel and making swirls)
Once you completed two weeks the privileges would get better, but could quickly be taken away again. Everything was driven by good behavior. If you shut your yap and followed directions, you flew under the Radar. All in all a crappy place to be. I arrived there a bit flabby, and left there in the best shape of my life. Even though I screwed up, I feel the experience made me a better person, and luckily, the Army kept me.
Gnplummer421
I've been to Club Ed before. Got out in Feb of 2008. At the time there were 6 of us and we all came in at the same hour. Apparently, according to the staff, that's the most there has been in about 5 years before that.
After reading what you've typed out, I guess i'm lucky to have visited after the new millennium.
Our basic day was 10 seconds to get outside of the cell after they open, 10 minutes for however many people there are to shower under 4 shower-holes, which are pipes hanging out of the walls, nothing more.
10 minutes to clean cell, and prepare all kit in properly measured sizes and positions on your rack.
30 minutes to eat breakfast, do dishes and mop the floor. The staff tended to have leniency with this timing only. We sometimes stretched this out to up to 45-50 minutes.
During the day; after breakfast, we would do what seemed to be joe jobs. Cleaning A, B, C, and D wings along with their cells. Although, we never had to clean "The hole". We shoveled snow in behind the DB where the 5 minute break area was for our smoke breaks or breaks for nothing if we didn't earn the 150 or so points needed to have 1 smoke a day.
There were also old military gear with all of the metal parts painted black, we had to scrape it off with a nail and polish it to standard, along with the galvanized steel pail it came in. [If anyone ever has to do any time here... I found out that the paint is water soluble, if you use the water from your boot polish can, you can just wash it off with the help of your kiwi rag. Don't do it too fast though, they'll make you do it again and you'll be left using spit, and being sneaky. Should take about a week to finish.]
We would also do hour PT stints with the help of PSP staff on Wednesdays and Fridays and used the gym-room for the remainder.
Lunch and supper preparation were the same as breakfast and they're also followed by dishes and mopping.
As for what we ate, it was great. Each Friday we got to choose from a menu, what we would eat each day, for each meal. Soup, drink, main dish, fruit, and desert (The chocolate cake is really damn dry, get pie). We could usually take up an hour every Friday making up our meals, it was great.
We had time after supper to do laundry every night. While our laundry is being cleaned, we would attend sessions with a padre, read in the library if we earned the points needed, or work on our painted kit more.
Days really seemed to fly by because it was always laid out for you. Smoking wasn't a big problem, you're always busy.
Other than that, It's simple. The first full day; after laundry, a detainee left a wool sock in the dryer. We were approached from behind, while standing marking time for a reason we didn't know yet, by a staff making animal noises and wearing the sock as puppet. We all laughed and proceeded to kiss the floor 21 times every few minutes for the next half hour.
You don't have the right of speech which you're in the DB, but you can always just whisper to the guy in the cell across from you, or to the guy next to you in the laundry room. When you have group sessions with the padre, they are supposed to be between padre and the detainee speaking, but we always got away with group discussions about nothing. I remember talking with the padre about guitar hero. Yes. Guitar Hero.
Well, i've done too much typing for now and i'm running out of thoughts, so... yeah, try to stay away from Club Ed, and especially "the hole" if you do find yourself there. They CAN and DO still feed your bread, lard and water
Oh yes, as for the points, you can get 7 a day. Chances are you'll lose 5 within the first half hour of the day when the "SIR"s are around.