Searching For Meaning
One of my goals for camp was to read 2 books per month. Since arriving on August 26th, I've read 7. This pace will no doubt slow now that I have a job. Man's Search For Meaning by Victor Frankl is the author's personal account of his life as a prisoner in the worst of...
Healthy Living
If diet and exercise pave the road of healthy living, certainly being at Bastrop FSC can create some potholes. Diet is the real challenge as an inmate has no control over what is served in the Chow Hall. Food can be supplemented with commissary purchases, but healthy...
Chow Hall: Part Deux
Bastrop Federal Satellite Camp is a working camp which means that inmates each have a job that hopefully helps the camp run smoothly. There are several divisions within the workforce. There is Maintenance-1 where inmates repair and maintain the various buildings and...
Involuntary Simplification Plan
Have you noticed that from time to time simplification gets trendy? I've seen it come and go several times. At Bastrop Federal Satellite Camp, I am in the middle of an involuntary simplification plan. I'm afraid the chance of it trending is unlikely as my two big...
First Day in Federal Prison Camp
I've been here in the wilderness for 40 days, long enough now that I can reflect on my first day of camp. On August 26, 2015, I arrived at Bastrop Satellite Camp. It's called a satellite camp because it is on the same campus as Bastrop Federal Corrections Institution,...
Rumors and Miracles
One my first night at Bastrop FSC, I heard my first rumor. "Dude, you'll be out by Christmas," I was told. I replied, "Yeah, Christmas 2020. I'm asking Santa for an iPhone 12". Undeterred, the inmate went on, "No man, you'll be out this November. I heard it from my...
Fitting In
There are essentially three broad categories of crimes which have put inmates at the Bastrop FSC--white collar, drugs, and immigration. The socio-economic, age, race, and educational background of each group fits well with what is portrayed on TV drama and...
What Time is It?
One of the best kept secrets of Bastrop Federal Satellite Camp life is the answer to a simple question: What can I bring with me? I was told to bring a money order for the initial deposit to my commissary account. I was also told not to do this. I didn't, and instead...
The Boys in the Boat
An important part of my "incarceration plan" while here at Bastrop Federal Satellite Camp is to read. Upon arrival, I was glad to find one of the books on my reading list in the library. I'm going to write a report on each book that I read here, just like in high...
Chow Hall
My very first impression of camp was not a sight or a sound--it was an unidentified flying smell. That first day I entered through the side door and walked by the Chow Hall where the smell is mysteriously created. I seem to be the only person here concerned about it...
