Feb 28 - Visitation Challenges

Saturday, Feb 28

Clayton was able to get a call out to his family on Saturday, but he emphasized to them that there was a new problem regarding visitation.  A guard had visited him at his cell earlier in the day and informed him that all of the visitor forms he had completed after arriving at the facility would soon return to him rejected.  They said that too many had been submitted, and the guard did not return to explain further.  Clayton also said that one of the family phone numbers he had been able to depend on for getting in contact was now not working, despite his earlier attempts to fix the block on his phone PIN number.

Confusion Over Visitation

When arriving at the facility for their daily visit, Clayton's family checked in to find out their status for visitation.  It was confirmed to them that all of the forms Clayton had completed for visitation since arriving at GCCC would soon be returned as 'denied.'  When Clayton first arrived at GCCC, staff had explained to his family that a visitor contact form had to be completed by him for each person before they would be allowed to visit him; with the exception of a single video visit which would be allowed during processing.  They explained that the information collected previously at MSPT could not be used for this purpose.

Now, the staff explained to family that this information was incorrect, and that Clayton's visitors list now included more than 18 people, and was not allowed to exceed 10.  Some of the individuals on Clayton's visitor list had been added as far back as 2009 when he initially turned himself into the police after the first indictment of charges against him.  Strangely however, some of the people to have visited him as recently as February 13th at MSPT had not been added into the system at all.

The staff at the facility did not seem to agree on whether Clayton would be able to correct the list, or even if he would be able to request information on who was on the list currently.  Meanwhile, the staff recommended that - like everything else - Clayton submit a cop-out form requesting assistance on the issue.  His family walked away confused and distressed, but hoping to be able to communicate with someone at the facility that could help them resolve their problem soon.  Thankfully, Clayton's wife was not denied the ability to visit for the time being, as she had already had a form completed and had been visiting the facility thus far.

Clayton Remaining Positive

Despite the upcoming challenges to visitation, Clayton was attempting to remain positive.  His cell mate, Andy, had continued to teach him more words and phrases in Samoan for conversations with his wife as the days passed by, including: 'have a good night,' 'see you tomorrow,' etc.  Andy had also been discussing with Clayton the appeal of the US to individuals in Samoa, talking about the increased wages.  However, he explained that basic living expenses between the regions were vastly different, and the US had many expenses that folks in Samoa did not have to deal with.

Dinner today was interesting: burritos, rice and beans, corn bread (that he could actually eat), an oatmeal cookie (which he gave away) and salad.  He gave away the cookie to Andy and actually ate the salad, but decided not to eat the beans out of courtesy.  Clayton informed his family that he and Andy had an inside joke; either "you are full of frogs" or "I am full of frogs."  Apparently, on a previous day Andy had farted incredibly loudly and Clayton told him one of his dad's old jokes about it being a frog.  Andy found the joke so funny that he continued to use the phrase for everything now.  Especially when other inmates were being particularly foolish and they agreed that "they are just full of frogs."

So far, things had been very quiet during day, without the typical yelling all night the night before.  After finally getting some rest Clayton ended up sleeping in and missing the call for a shower.  He had been working out every morning and every night.  In the morning he would work out for approximately one hour after breakfast and after they had turned the lights back on.  Then he would exercise again after dinner, but before bed.  Now he began to regret the prior day's workout as he wondered if he smelled (Clayton has a notoriously bad sense of smell).

Clayton had joked with Andy that they were going to learn a new exercise that day; and had shown him "bible curls" with a bible in each hand.  He also had a new bible verse for friends and family to read - Psalms 18:16.  As of right now he has read Matthew to Revelation again.  He wanted to encourage friends and family to send him bible verses and stories that they thought would be encouraging for him to read, or that they felt impressed with.

Surprisingly, Clayton did get access to a new book the day before.  He was standing outside of his cell, waiting to be taken back inside after his visit with his wife the day before, when he noticed a book balanced on a railing.  He asked the guard if he could take the abandoned book back to his cell and the guard agreed.  Much to Clayton's surprise, the book - which shall not be named - was bad enough that Clayton was not able to finish it.  His wife expressed utter shock, as this had only happened to him once before in the more than 10 years she had known him.  Clayton loves books more than any other pastime on Earth.

Clayton mentioned in discussion with his family that a new inmate had been brought into segregation that day.  He explained that it had caused quite an uproar among the other inmates.  They had been screaming and yelling that the man was someone who had raped a young boy.  Clayton said he would not even attempt to judge whether anything about their shouting was true, because the same people also called Clayton a "Chester" (child molester) even though it had nothing to do with even the false case against him.  Clayton explained that all the inmates would shout and scream and cause a huge scene any time that this new guy, or Clayton, were taken to or from their cells.  The man had also apparently received an earlier order of commissary items shortly after arriving, and the men had been screaming at the man's roommate to throw his things away.

Commissary Needs

Clayton explained to his family that he discovered a commissary need today which he hadn't anticipated before.  When looking at the commissary list previously, Clayton had noted with amusement that there was a rather vast assortment of lotions available on the list.  "Why would I ever order that?" he had joked to himself, but now a new predicament had taken the amusement out of it.  Now he knows...

When removing his socks Clayton realized with a shock that he was beginning to peel like a snake up to his ankles.   The skin peeled as if it had a bad sun burn, but it did not burn or itch.  It appeared to be an extreme case of dry skin.  When he spoke with his cell mate, he realized that Andy was having the same problem, and Andy's dark skin only made the condition seem more drastic as the skin peeled.  Andy's theory was that their skin was drying out due to the soap they were given by the prison.  It wasn't until Andy suggested buying lotion from the commissary that the light bulb clicked for Clayton, and he began to laugh.

Clayton was not sure when commissary items would be scheduled to arrive, but he hadn't received any so far.  He also mentioned with a heavy sigh that he understood why the prison staff balked at the idea of letting him bring a pen into the video visitation room, even to take notes, as he described that he was looking at his visitors through the outline of a penis which had been gouged into the screen.

Clayton informed his family that he had not received any new letters or responses to previous cop-out forms during the day.  A friend inquired during the visit about the metal D-rings they could see attached to the wall behind him and he explained that this was the method used to attach his belly chain to the wall during an in-person visit with his lawyers.  They would connect the belly chain to the D-ring with a set of handcuffs.  A D-ring could be found on all four walls of the visitation room.  He also noted that the room had a lot of plug-ins for laptop computers, and a dry erase board on the wall for the lawyers use, which could not be seen from the other side of the video.

In wrapping up his conversation with his family, Clayton discussed a few other odds and ends.  He explained to his family that inmates are given an opportunity to go outside every morning at the same time as they are given the opportunity to request a shower.  However, as far as Clayton understood, they were not given coats and so he was worried about getting sick if he took them up on the opportunity.

Despite the concerns about visitation, Clayton remained intentionally upbeat.  Clayton's family intended to contact security on Monday, as instructed by staff, to find out why their numbers were still being blocked.  They also asked the staff if there was any way to send Clayton postage that he could use for sending return letters, and were informed that there may be a possibility to send pre-printed postage on envelopes; which the family decided to look into.



AUTHOR'S NOTE:  The family was able to determine many days later that sending envelopes is not a possibility.

Feb 27 - Still Learning How Things Work

Friday, Feb 27

When leaving the conversation with his family yesterday, Clayton had been concerned about how his cell mate, Andy, would react to the wild and false allegations against him from the other inmates.  Now, every time he leaves his cell they end up screaming, "Alison!  Chester!" etc.  Fortunately, Clayton was happy to report that Andy simply shakes his head and replies, "They're stupid."

His conversations with Andy had also given him another idea to think about most of the day.  Andy and his wife had been able to raise enough money for bail, but weren't able to find someone who was willing and able to serve as a third party for the court.  Years earlier, Clayton himself had been on 'third party' status for more than 2 years, so he was very familiar with the requirements.  The individual(s) have to be within sight or sound of the person on bail 24-hours per day, 7 days per week until the resolution of the trial or dismissal of their charges.  It can be an impossible burden for anyone who works, unless they are able to divide it between more than one individual.  For example, Clayton's third party had been divided between 2 family members.

Clayton had been pondering whether a program could be developed that would provide court-approved third party volunteers/employees.  He talked about the various complexities around the issue.  However, a program of that nature would provide a service for families in the difficult situation of being trapped in the court system.  As Clayton's own family had learned, a 'right to a speedy trial' frequently meant years before finding a resolution.  Especially for individuals whose family are out of state or out of country, finding someone who could meet this need on a strictly voluntary basis can be practically impossible.

Tips for Commissary and Inspections

Clayton learned today that if someone in the prison has $20 or less on their books, they can claim an indigent status with the prison.

"Indigent inmates may mail, at the Department’s expense, up to five pieces of mail per week, legal or otherwise, weighing up to two pounds each. (See Indigent Supplies for the definition of an indigent inmate) Each piece of mail must have a Commissary Request form 302.11A filled out and attached to the letter. Indigent mail needs to be written in the comment section of the form. The Superintendent may consider requests of heavier pieces of privileged mail on a case by case basis. Inmates may not use indigent mail to ship out excess property" (Goose Creek Correctional Center Segregation Handbook, May 2013, p 32).

Clayton also learned that someone with an indigent status may also fill out an indigent commissary form.  He's not sure what other supplies are available on that form, but it is handy to know for individuals who may not have any money, because the prison will not necessarily alert them to this option if they are unaware.

Clayton's family had also gathered some basic information on how to pass inspections from the guards to pass along to him.  The day before, Clayton's cell had failed 'cell inspections' while he was away at the showers, and therefore Clayton had lost phone privileges for the day as punishment.  Clayton's wife explained to the guards out front at the facility after her visit that it was impossible for her husband to know how to pass cell inspections consistently, when he had yet to be given the opportunity to read the Segregation Handbook which included these instructions.  They agreed this was an undue burden and relayed some basic information to her verbally: make sure nothing is ever covering vents (apparently vents can reverse-draw air in case of fire), speaker boxes, or the gap in the door; keep things on desk to prevent fishing; no blankets or sheets can ever be draped off, around, or in bed to block off light; and penalties for inspection failure last only 1 day.

More detailed information on room inspections can be found on pages 12 and 13 of the Goose Creek Correctional Center Segregation Handbook.  However, much of this information pertains to the special module at GCCC for PC folks called K Mod.  In the segregation cells, inmates are not allowed to leave their cells except at designated times with an escort, and inmates are not given storage bins at all, so the rules are applied differently.

Little Details

One of the guards commented that inmates in Administrative Segregation are sometimes given the opportunity to read the Segregation Handbook at the law library for that section, but that the law library kiosk has been down for a while.

Clayton mentioned that the health inspections had also been different between MSPT and GCCC.  At MSPT he had simply been given a TB test after being at the facility for a couple of days.  At GCCC they took his temperature, blood pressure, weight, and asked about allergies and basic medical history.

Lastly, Clayton told his family that he was reading in Matthew right now, and specifically about Jesus calming the storm.  Andy has been reading Isaiah 53, and they had been discussing their reading together.  His family told him he should also check out Psalm 69 and Isaiah 54.  Overall Clayton said he is keeping his hopes up and deciding that if he's going to be in there, he is going to make his time worthwhile.

Feb 26 - Magazines and Phone Problems

Thursday, Feb 26

Clayton started his conversation with his family today by explaining there was no news on the paperwork front; meaning no letters had arrived, and no responses to cop-out or visitation forms.

His new routine had become: workout, read, eat, learn Samoan, eat, workout, sleep.

While reading and sleeping he had discovered something new about the blankets.  They reeked, and Clayton has nearly no sense of smell so he wondered how they would seem to a normal person.  He also said they seemed to be laced with other people's random hair.  Both he and Andy have very short hair, but they were both pulling hairs out that appeared to be over 6 inches in length.  "In general," he said with a grimace, "Grody."

Due to his speed reading, Clayton had already burned through the bible once, and was now hopping around to read select stories.  He told his family he had read the stories of: Job, David, Jonah & the Whale, Nebekenezer, Daniel, Samson, and was now working on Abraham.  He was very pleased that the bible he'd been given also had a concordance, so he could explore the appearance of different words and themes.  He told his family he felt particularly impressed today with 1 Corinthians 13, a chapter about love.  He said that he loved and missed his family and his wife.

During the day, Clayton had also learned a new exercise from Andy.  He explained that the bunk beds have ladders here, but they are 'pathetic' with very tiny steps.  There are no hand holds, and so inmates don't really use them.  Andy showed him that he could thread his sheet through the ladder like a sling, and then use it to curl his body weight up towards the bunk; making an effective bicep exercise.  Clayton said they had been stumped before on how to manage an exercise that was truly good for your biceps.

Magazine Fishing Show

Clayton excitedly told his wife that just after her arrival, and before their visit, he had gotten to watch the greatest fishing expedition yet.  It had taken place directly across from Clayton's cell, so he'd been able to watch the entire drama unfold from his bunk.

Apparently, just after he had been notified that his wife had arrived for a visit, a man across the room on the upper balcony attempted to 'fish' a stack of magazines down to someone in a cell on the lower balcony.  "I'm not sure how many magazines there were," he explained, "but there was definitely more than one."  The man had punched a hole through the magazines and tied the 'fishing line' through the bindings.

Remember, 'fishing lines' are made from all kinds of materials (bedding, towels, stitching from clothing, etc.) through a very destructive process.  Just a few days ago, one of the guards caught an inmate ripping up sheets for super long lines, and they had stripped him down to his underwear as punishment and to prevent him from making more.  Clayton said that keeping 'fishing lines' from other inmates out of your cell was a real challenge.

Back to the story at hand...  AFTER Clayton's wife had arrived for her visit, and the guards had informed Clayton they would be coming, this man from the upper balcony begins his 'fishing' attempt. He flung the magazine stack and line out from under his door hard enough to go completely off the upper balcony.  On its way down, it managed to fall through a metal staircase and get snagged.  The man worked to get it free, but instead the line snapped off completely and the magazines landed in the middle of the walkway on the lower floor with a tremendous thud.

The 'fishing' failure began an absolute FRENZY within the unit.  Everyone began yelling and shouting at once; screaming things like:

"Get it off the floor quick!"

"The guards are coming for Allison!! Hurry!"

"You idiots! Now we're all f*****!!"

"Someone get a hold of it!"

Suddenly, 5, 6, 7 guys or more (men that Clayton hadn't even realized had 'fishing lines') began throwing the lines out into the hallway from their cells; trying to snag the magazines before someone came to get Clayton.  Eventually, someone did manage to snag the cut line and drag the stack into their cell; which immediately began an entirely new round of shouting:

"Hell yeah!"

"Hey man!  Those are ours!  You'd better give them back!!"

"Man we rock!"

Clayton said it was by far the funniest thing he'd seen within the prison.

Learning Samoan

In addition to reading, exercising, and watching amazing feats of 'fishing', Clayton's cell mate had also begun teaching him words and phrases in Samoan.

Samoan phrases essential for calling your lady, according to Andy:

Ou te alofa ia te oe = I love You

Ou te Manao ia te oe = I want You

Pele = Baby or Honey

Clayton said there were many more phrases he'd written down and learned, but didn't have time to go through them all.  In general, he and Andy were still getting along well, but he had become concerned on his way out to visit with his wife.  Many of the inmates were yelling at Andy when they came to collect Clayton.  They were screaming Clayton's name and yelling out "Chester" (prison slang for a child molester), and asking Andy if he "realized who his cell mate was".

Clayton was very distressed by this turn of events, because the false accusations against him had only seemed to spiral into more blackness after entering the facility and had nothing to do with the case against him anymore.  He knew how much Andy loved his own family, and worried about whether the man would believe the wild accusations, but his wife encouraged him that he and Andy had gotten to know one another and surely the man would recognize that Clayton was not capable of a crime like that against a child.  The very thought made his wife sick.  She was already sickened by the state's horrible distortion of her daughter's memory being used to steal the life of her husband, but this twist was by far the worst yet.

Phone Blocked

Strangely, all phone numbers now seemed to be restricted from Clayton's personal phone PIN, so he had not been able to get a call out to his family earlier that day.  His family had been instructed by staff to speak with security about the oddities of some phone numbers not working on earlier dates and had called.  Now. Clayton's wife explained that security had told her they blocked all numbers from his personal phone PIN number because somehow his number (and many others in that unit) had been passed around to be used by others.  Even though she had requested for her own number to be unblocked, the change had not gone through yet, so Clayton was unable to get word out from the prison even if he did get access to the phone.

This caused Clayton great concern about how someone else could have ended up with his number.  He explained to his wife that he had thrown away a bunch of paperwork in his old cell when he was moved.  They don't have access to actual trash cans in their cells, so they had been using a large brown paper bag instead which had come from Andy's prior receipt of commissary items.  Clayton had simply left the paperwork he didn't want to keep in the bag in the cell when he moved, assuming it would be disposed of by staff before someone new entered the cell.

Clayton had learned at MSPT 5 years ago that having too much personal paperwork on hand in your belongings could prove dangerous if someone nosy decided to go through and read it when you weren't present.  Now he feared that this choice had been more dangerous.  He explained that the paperwork not only had his phone PIN, but his commissary number, legal paperwork, and PC information as well.  He said that he planned to fill out a cop-out form asking about it.

Feb 25 - Lawyers and the Fire Marshall

Wednesday, Feb 25

When he met with his family, Clayton went over more details about what meals are like at the facility.  He explained that for breakfast this morning the inmates had sausage patties with eggs and some kind of hearty cheese sauce, pancakes, and syrup.  Apparently breakfast always comes with milk here.  For lunch they had some kind of small hot dog with chili.  Dinner was a similar consistency to Dinty Moore beef stew with salad, green beans, and a cookie.  Clayton gave Andy his cookie, because he is trying to eat healthy.  Much to the shock of everyone in his family, he is actually eating the green beans and salad every day as well.

Clayton also mentioned that he gave Andy the top bunk when they changed cells yesterday.  He joked about getting up to the top just being one more exercise, but his wife remembered him talking about the bruises the upper bunks cause from the leap.  Clayton was also giving Andy the opportunity to read the Christian books from the chaplain, so they could discuss them together.  The first book he had been given was Finding God in the Dark, and the second was a book of testimonials that Clayton believed was called Resound.

Clayton explained to his family that now that he and Andy had both finished both books, he was very excited about passing them along.  Both books had a note written from the chaplain on the inside cover saying, "Pass these on."  Clayton had discovered during his stay that sometimes when someone was done with book, if they slid it out into hallway guards would offer it to other inmates in nearby cells to read before removing it.  He was hoping that someone else given a chance to read the books would learn more about God from them.  

Thankful

Clayton also mentioned that his lawyers came to visit with him today.  He explained that they planned to file motions for a mistrial and for an acquittal, but they did not want him to get his hopes up too high because of the way the legal system works in Alaska.  The lawyers get to be in the same room with Clayton during their visits, without the glass or video separation.  They were very encouraged by his law library research, and encouraged him to continue if he was able.  They also emphasized to him the importance of collecting letters from family, friends, and community members on his behalf asking for reduced sentencing.

However, he also explained that whenever he meets with the lawyers in person, he is chained to wall with belly chain.  This hadn't been done before at MSPT.  Here at GCCC his hands are cuffed to the belly chain separately.  In Clayton's opinion, one guard who walked him to his visit had been particularly considerate.  Guards do not have to, but frequently will, attach one hand with a set of double handcuffs so that the person has more room to move one hand for writing or holding a phone.  It is still awkward, but not impossible.  This particular guard had offered his personal set of handcuffs to give Clayton this use of his hand when there wasn't otherwise another set available, and Clayton felt very thankful.    When asked about the ankle cuffs, Clayton explained that they were not used in the video room or behind glass typically.

Fire Marshall Inspection

Interestingly, no showers were offered today because of new activity in the unit.  Apparently the Fire Marshall had come for inspections at the facility, and was checking smoke detectors and sprinklers in all cells.  Until the inspection, Clayton hadn't realized there was a smoke detector covered by metal grating in every cell.  He wondered why that would be true.  "If there's a fire, it's not like I can get out," he joked.  

Clayton said that he had asked multiple guards about cleaning supplies, but hadn't yet been successful in getting any to work on his cell.  He was hesitant to fill out a cop-out form because it might bug the guards.  His wife encouraged him that the guards expressed that this was the primary method of communication in the cells, and may be the only way to get a response so he planned to fill out a cop-out form for cleaning soon.  

Other than the visitors for the day, Clayton wondered about when responses and mail would arrive.  He had not yet figured out when the commissary he'd ordered would arrive or how much of a delay to expect in the process.  He also wondered how long it would take the letters from his family to arrive.  Someone from the family had sent in a question about whether gum was available on the commissary list, knowing his fondness for it, and he said there wan't.  He did advise his family though, that he'd figured out that he didn't get access to a phone much past 7 or 8 pm, so they didn't need to worry about waiting that late for a call from him.

Feb 24 - Bible and More!

Tuesday, Feb 24

When Clayton met with his family, it was obvious that he was in much higher spirits than ever before.  He had a very active day today, moving cells from one area of the prison to another.  He was informed that he was being moved to the 'less rowdy section' of the segregation area.  Much to his surprise, his cell mate Andy was being moved with him.  Clayton was very happy about this, because they were still getting along very well and he would not have to adjust to a new person.

The move came with a bunch of new paperwork arriving as well.  He received what he described as instructions about Protective Custody (PC). and how the process worked within the prison.  It included information on how an inmate could request re-release into the general population as well.

He also got paperwork on his personal property that had arrived from MSPT, and information that his personal property would never be allowed to exceed what would fit in his assigned box.  He was concerned about the space in the box that was being taken up by his suit, shoes and other belongings that had been on him when he was remanded in court.  His wife informed him that there should be a form he could request and fill out to release belongings to her, and he planned to look into it.

In addition to the information on his other belongings, he was given his personal paperwork from MSPT, including: notes from his prior research at the law library, a couple of sheets of blank paper, and letters he had previously written to his wife without the ability to send in the mail.  Clayton expressed to his wife that he would like to save everything he can throughout his experience within the prison system, in an effort to educate those outside about what the experience was truly like.

Positive Response from Staff

After moving cells, Clayton also met with staff from the facility for the first time himself.  He was given additional forms to fill out for requesting visitors, for which he was extremely thankful.  He had grown frustrated about his inability to get these forms previously, so he could request visits from friends and family.  Inmates in Alaska are limited to a list of 10 approved visitors, which they are only allowed to change once a year.  This inhibits their ability to interact with their friends and family by any means other than letters.  The guard who delivered the forms also explained to him how previous forms he'd completed had been filled out incorrectly due to a section on the bottom that he had assumed was for the facility to complete, and he was able to correct and resubmit them quickly.

When Clayton moved from his old cell to the new one, he left his books behind for the staff to collect or to be passed to other inmates.  The staff member that met with Clayton passed along religious supplies in addition to the forms.  They said the supplies had been provided by the prison chaplain including: a brand new New Living Translation (NLT) Bible, a Christian newsletter and pamphlet, 2 Christian books, and an "Our Daily Bread" devotional calendar.  He asked his family to relay his gratitude to the guard staff.  He didn't get to meet with the chaplain himself, and still wasn't sure when services would be, but he was very encouraged.

By the time Clayton met with his family he had already read the first of the Christian books called Finding God in the Dark, and said that it was an excellent read.  He was also beginning to read about Daniel in the lion's den in the bible after the recommendation of a friend.  "Tell everyone I'm ecstatic about the bible!" he said.

Settling into the New Cell

Clayton had been able to get a call out to his family earlier in the day before his visit, but was distressed to report that his own home number didn't appear to be working from the prison phone.  It was extra bizarre because he had already successfully called that number once before from this facility, and only now did it not seem to work.  He wasn't sure who to contact about the problem, or how, but planned to try and ask about it.

After arriving in his new cell, Clayton noted that the floor was dirty as it had been in his last one.  He still had no idea how to find out if he could clean his cell, so elected to try to use what he had available to him and set to work.  He used one of his two towels as a rag to wash the floor, and his small sink to rinse it as needed.  Then Clayton noticed red running over his hands.  "I thought I was bleeding at first," he explained to his family, "but then I realized it was dye."  The dark purple towel was oozing red dye from its fabric, leaving Clayton to wonder if he would eventually begin to resemble a purple-people-eater after enough time using them.   

He also learned more about 'fishing' today.  Peering into other people's cells he was able to see that they created their elaborate 'fishing lines' from all kinds of weird resources, including their towels, their bed sheets, and even the stitching from their own clothes.  "It's dumb," he explained, "and super destructive.  I think they're only doing it because they're so bored, but it's no excuse.  It's wasteful, but there are a LOT of people doing it."

Clayton also learned today that the big caged area in the middle of the cell block is the legal library he had been hoping to visit for their section.  He was surprised to discover that there was a typewriter down there for inmates to use, and said it suddenly made sense why he had seen typewriter ribbons on the commissary list.  He didn't seem to see any books in there from where his cell was, so he still wasn't sure how the law library worked exactly, but he hoped that he would get an opportunity to soon.

Clayton had gotten his cell mate, Andy, to join in on his exercise program recently, and they were still getting along well.  They had both still avoided the 'Big Question' of why each was serving time, but both felt more comfortable that way.  Just like with most of the other people in Clay's life, he enjoyed making Andy laugh, and he talked with his family about funny stories he could tell.

Clayton's wife mailed him a letter on Monday morning, and two other family members sent off letters today.  The whole family now waits to see how long it will be before those letters are delivered. 

Feb 23 - Commissary Finally

Monday, Feb 23

On Monday, a few of Clayton's family and friends were afforded the opportunity to speak with the staff of GCCC.  They discussed some of the critical issues of concern for them about Clayton including visitation, media coverage, protective custody, medical concerns, and Clay's need for a bible.  The family explained that even though they probably heard this a lot - with Clayton's case they truly were dealing with an innocent man who'd been falsely convicted and had no idea what was happening to him now, or how things worked within a prison.  They explained that Clayton's access to a bible would be key to his ability to adapt to the new environment, and the staff agreed to have one provided through the prison chaplain as soon as possible.  The family left the meeting generally feeling positive about the discussion, and hopeful that Clayton would soon have some of these needs addressed.

When Clayton's family were able to meet with him again they updated him on how the meeting with GCCC staff had gone, and their hopes that he would have a bible in the near future.  Clayton discussed some of his own concerns after meeting with attorneys earlier in the week.  He discussed factors in the case which had ultimately led to the false conviction, including the diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Type III - Hypermobility Type in Jocelynn's mother being banned from mention within the courtroom.  He also talked about other topics that had been banned from mention in the trial including: the behavior of doctors who had jumped to conclusions early on; the behavior of police conducting investigations with the family; Clayton's past work experience providing services to young disabled individuals with great success; and much more.  Clayton was very concerned about these critical issues being raised and discussed options with his family.

Commissary Tips

Clayton was very excited to report that the commissary form had finally arrived late last night, as Andy had suspected it would.

Tip #1: STAY AWAKE.  Late Sunday night, the forms arrived and were stuck in the door.  The forms have to be filled out right away because they are collected shortly after that same night.  Clayton and Andy had been napping when the forms arrived, and when the lady came by later to collect them, they almost missed her.

Tip #2: COMMISSARY INVOLVES MATH.  Some items are in some kind of category indicated with stars, while other items are not.  The form has 3 columns: item costs, 3% tax, and total.  Inmates must do their math carefully because they are limited to spending $25 per week initially - including the sales tax.  Andy explained to Clayton that if your total exceeded $25, you don't get anything that week.  Clayton also noted that the commissary list was much more restricted in Administrative Segregation (PC).  For example, the list included stationary items like paper and envelopes, but no pens and pencils.

Clay elected to focus this week on hygiene items he had attempted to get before leaving MSPT: soap and a soap case, 2-n-1 shampoo/conditioner, shower shoes, a comb, etc.  Inmates are also limited to purchasing 10 items per week, so they have to be selective.  Unfortunately, this commissary list did not allow fingernail clippers, but Clayton explained that he had access to some when he showered.  He also elected to buy a small pocket-sized address book in the hopes that he could begin to collect needed information for calling and writing to folks during visits.  His pants do not have pockets, but there is a small pocket on the front of his shirt that he could use to carry things to the video visitation room whenever it arrives.

Tip #3: - BUY EAR PLUGS.  Clayton explained that the lack of ear plugs was really beginning to cause exhaustion from a lack of sleep.  In-part, Andy apparently snores very loudly.  Much worse, however, was the constant yelling between cells all night long.  Clayton explained that the inmates in the segregation unit ended up on weird schedules.  They seemed to sleep all day, and only begin to truly wake up in the evening around dinner time.  Then they would begin to get loud.  He said you could lie in your cell and try to drift off to sleep, but every so often someone would start screaming, "HEY!!!!!" or just plain screaming for no reason.  Occasionally they would shout back and forth, but it seemed like they simply screamed at the walls more often than not.

Always a New Challenge  

Clayton and his roommate had been given the opportunity to use the showers that morning, like normal.  He had a new tip for inexperienced inmates however:  WAKE UP.  The guards come by in the morning and offer showers to anyone that wants one.  However, it happens relatively early in the morning. If you sleep in and don't hear the offer, you miss your chance for the day.

In their area of the prison, Clayton explained that showers are single cells interspersed between 3 or 4 of the cells in the block, so you're never taken very far from your own cell.  He also explained that it is extremely easy to hear conversations between shower cells and room cells.  He reminded his family that inmates toss out their current clothes after being locked inside and are given fresh ones to change into.  One person in the showers today, however, had a rather unfortunate series of clothing mishaps.

This person had been escorted to the showers and locked in, tossed their clothes out and showered, but were never given a new change of clothes.   This meant that after they were finished they had to stand around naked in the single enclosed cell and wait for the guards to return.  When guards finally arrived they tossed in some new clothes, but the inmate was immediately distressed.  The clothes were much, much to small to even try to put on.  They begged the guards for a larger size, and then waited again.  Finally, a new set of clothing was tossed in, and much like a scene from Goldilocks, this pair was about 2 sizes too big for the already large man.  He ended up having to tie his clothing on, and elect to wait for a shower the next day in hopes of getting correctly sized clothing.

Clayton spent the day re-reading the books he had received from the guards before.  He would occasionally read out sections of Outlander to his cell mate to make him laugh.  While reading Clayton realized that part of the caged station he could see in the center of the main room, but not identify earlier, was an elevator for meal trays.

He told his family that he wished he could use the law library like he had been doing at MSPT for research, but so far his request by cop-out form had gone unanswered - as all of his cop-outs had so far.  At MSPT he had been making good progress in learning about sentencing and various case law, so he tried to relay what he had learned to his family for their own efforts.  He explained that LexisNexis could be used to look up case law, both in Alaska and nationally, and that it was relevant because cases with similar situations could be compared and contrasted in how they were handled by the courts.

As their conversation wrapped to a close, Clayton told his family that he continued with his exercises as well.  He had developed a new exercise of his own where he would get into the position to do lunges, but push against the wall with all of his strength to work the muscles.  He also discovered that he could do pull-ups on the edge of the bunk.  The bunk was too short to do them normally, but he could kneel, cross and lift his ankles, and do a modified version of a pull-up from the shorter platform.  He said it was hard on the hands though, because of the sharp edges of the metal on the bunk.

Exercise once again left Clayton thinking about how dirty his cell was.  He wondered with his family if there was ever an opportunity for him to clean his cell.  At night, inmates in yellow come in to clean the walkways, but no one seems to come in and clean the cells.  He explained that the cell had gunk built up around the edges, and that it was inevitable for crumbs to build up after meals each day.

Clayton's family was once again left with more questions than answers, but looked forward to a visit the next day.

Feb 22 - Books and a Cookie Thief

Sunday, Feb 22

When Clayton was able to visit his family again, he was feeling much more positive about his cell mate (Andy) and much less nervous than the day before.  He was back to smiling.  Of course, part of that happiness likely came from the arrival of books.  Clayton has a passion for, and genuine addiction to, reading; a trait that his daughter Jocelynn had recognized even in her short life.  Her mother fondly remembers watching Jocelynn lie next to her daddy with her own cardboard book, flipping her pages as he did so on his paperback, and studying her pages and his face.  

Clayton explained that a very kind female guard came through last night with a push-cart of books.  They allowed each inmate to choose two books from the cart to keep in their cell, if they were not already over the limit of 5 books in possession.  Clayton was surprised to find the first book from the Outlander series in the pile (a rather steamy collection of romance novels).  He explained that the prison had clipped the front of the book off so there was no picture on it.  He grabbed it to give his cell mate a good laugh.  He also picked up a Dan Brown book he'd never read before called Digital Fortress,  To anyone who doesn't know Clayton personally, he is also a speed reader; meaning he can read a chapter book this size in just a few hours.

During the day, Clayton had also gotten the opportunity to learn more about Andy.  Andy expressed that he considered himself from both American Samoa and Independent Samoa, and started teaching Clayton some basic words and phrases in Samoan.  Andy explained that he was very surprised to be placed into a cell with another inmate, and that the segregation cells in Anchorage have only one person.  He liked that better because he could pray and think about what he had done wrong without the presence of another person.  So far, none of the segregation cells Clayton has seen at GCCC have 3 people, and there are actually some empty cells.  Andy also discussed missing his family, and expressed that he specifically wanted to start a petition some day for conjugal visits for married people in prisons (which is currently not allowed in Alaska).

Surprisingly, Andy seemed much better at getting responses from the guards, and was even willing to do so on Clayton's behalf.  At this point, Clayton was still desperate for a toothbrush.  He described Andy going to the cell door and pleading with the passing guards, ""Please! Please brotha'... We need a toothbrush!"  A guard did respond eventually, but Clayton expressed concern about whether the prison has money problems because the guard handed the toothbrush over like it was hard to get and a 'special favor' to get.  Andy was also able to get 2 additional contact forms for Clayton to use to request permission for people to visit him at the facility.  Clayton had yet to receive any response from the 3 cop-out forms he had submitted with questions.

Later in the day, Clayton had laughed and joked with Andy; expressing that he himself had developed a 'married man tummy' over the years.  Andy had laughed and agreed.  "God I'm out of shape," Clayton expressed to his family after beginning an exercise program of his own.  He said he was pretty sore, but had only been able to find one exercise that would cause his heart to really work; the step-up exercises described the day before.  Clayton explained that exercises like jumping jacks or running in place are too loud to be a good option; as they draw unnecessary attention from other cells.

Settling In

While lying in his bunk, Clayton noticed bits of paper stuck in a square-like pattern above him.  It apparently used to be a picture.  After asking Andy about it, the man explained that some people in the prisons use toothpaste as glue to affix things like pictures onto surfaces.  It's not allowed by the prison, and while Clayton said he could understand the desire it "wasn't worth wasting the toothpaste on" in his opinion, or the risk of losing any privileges.

Clayton also noted that the blankets used at the Mat-Su Pretrial Facility (MSPT) and Goose Creek Correctional Center (GCCC) were radically different.  Inmates are given two of them, and two sheets, in both locations.  MSPT blankets were made of a soft, felt-like, blue material.  If you pulled them up to your chin, your calves and feet would stick out on the bottom for an average six-foot man.  At GCCC, the blankets are much larger.  They can be pulled up over his head and extend past his feet.  They are also a much warmer wool material, but they are itchy.

Clayton was very excited that he had finally figured out a way to make a much more comfortable pillow.  Inmates are not provided pillows or pillow cases by any facility.  Clayton had rolled a towel inside of his sheet to make a pillow the night before.  He doesn't want to use the blankets because they are itchy.  He doesn't want to use the towel alone because they absorb moisture, and could breed germs and things against his skin at night.  Using a sheet by itself got really uncomfortable, but with the sheet and towel together it was like, "Yeah."  He had finally found the combination that would be comfortable enough for decent sleep.

In describing his surroundings further, Clayton explained that the cells have four windows; one in cell door, and three in the wall next to the door.  The windows are 3-4 inches wide and very tall up and down.  Even lying in his bunk he can see the inmates in other cells, and what they are doing; causing a bit of a fish bowl effect within the unit.

He could also see that there is a big clock on the wall in the main room, allowing Clayton to track time much better throughout the day.  He is on the second floor, around a big common area that is empty except for some kind of station in the middle of it.  Using the clock, Clayton was able to determine that meals are delivered around 6am, 11am, and 5pm.  His family was very surprised to hear that lights out was at 10 pm.

In MSPT the lights had remained on at full brightness all hours of the day.  Here at GCCC the main lights are apparently dimmed at night, and cell lights are turned off entirely.  Clayton expressed that it was a very refreshing change, because it gets decently dark and makes it much easier to sleep.  He explained that they also turn them back on at 5 am for the early morning meal, but then turn them back off again for a couple of hours to allow folks to sleep longer.

Cookie Thief!

Clayton said they seemed to be having more disciplinary problems at the facility today, because more people had been hauled into the segregation area.  He described the ordeal as the funniest experience he had had at the facility so far.

Among the sounds of the shuffle outside his cell, he heard a guy scream out, "Hey!!  Hey [so-and-so]!!  Is that you?!"

Pretty soon, a second voice replied, screaming back, "Yeah!  What do ya want?!"

The first voice replied something along the lines of, "You fat bastard!!  You stole my cookie you m***** f*****!!  You just wait!  I'll get you!"

Clayton began to laugh as quietly as possible about the apparent cookie disagreement when a third voice chimed in with a, "WHAT?!  [So-and-so]!  That was you?!  You stole my cookie too, you...!"

And a fourth voice with, "You S** of a B****!!  I'll kill you when I get out of here!  How many f****** cookies did you steal you $#@$@%$#%!!!!"

They apparently carried on for an extended period with their screams, shouts, and banging; incensed over the theft of their private stash of sweets.  Clayton explained that at MSPT the vast majority of items on the commissary for purchase had been additional food items, but that there was a limit to the number an inmate could purchase each week.

Clayton also explained that even though guards had expressed to his family that Sundays were commissary days, no commissary form had come yet.  Andy seemed to think that they would get commissary forms late that night, because that was how it had been done in Anchorage.  There was also, to Clay's disappointment, no church service announced today.

Clayton's family was overall happy to once again be able to see him, and thankful that he was in much better spirits than the day before.  The main concern that he expressed was his continued lack of a bible.  His family assured him that they would look into ordering one for him as soon as possible.