ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK IN FEDERAL PRISON
I am now wearing a stylish orange jumpsuit, orange shorts and orange underwear. I do not look good in orange. I am still at the holdover facility in Tallahassee. I was instructed to work in the kitchen. This was a mistake for several reasons. First and foremost, I am not much of a cook. My wife barely trusted me cooking steaks and chicken on the outdoor grill. The prisoners are going to be disappointed by my lack of culinary expertise. In addition, I am now learning how the food I have been eating for the last 19 months is prepared. I did not like the food before, and I really do not like it now!
My current cellie is awaiting trial on a drug charge. He is new to the prison environment and does not know the rules. As a result, our room has not passed inspection once! He snores louder than anyone I have ever experienced. I am getting about 3 hours of sleep a night which makes my stay here even more distasteful. The guy in the next cell is in his late 30’s and has been convicted of 35 separate felonies. He is facing a prison term of 30 years to life and has been in a rage for most of his waking hours. He gets on the telephone and threatens his attorney and his spouse with all kinds of repercussions if they do not do what He says. He is not a pleasant person. I try to avoid him but He is aware of my former profession and He wrongfully assumes that I have some insight into criminal law matters. If you have committed 35 felonies, I do not think you can expect much compassion from the legal system?
I hope to be out of here in the next few days. In the meantime, I am working on my cooking skills.
Ken Flaska
