[xx44]

odd,
I adjusted surprisingly quickly. Two days in rikers seemed like 2 months.By the way did I say rikers sucked. 50 inmates in a bed next to bed setting, during one of the hottest Julys on record, with no a/c, was not conducive for fun.

I was able to use my Jewish status to get kosher meals, which were microwaved lean cuisine type meals. It wass not good but much better than the sweaty chit they served, or as close to chit I ever tasted. They also gave you a whole box of matzah with each mail, which I was able to bring back to the pod to give to my newly acquainted buddies.

By the time I left Rikers (10 days) I felt like I earned my stripes. I thought I was toughened and felt good about my chances of walking through hell and coming out without a singe ont the other side. LOL! The guys at my final jail said I looked like a lost puppy the first day I walked into the TV room.

One was able to have loveds ones send check to the jail that would go into your account. Or, as I did, they were able to give $50 each visit.The store was available twice a month, and u made a list that would be deducted from your balance.


I did feel somewhat bad for those without money. However, it was not like they were going without, as the state provides most things. I never moinded giving cigarettes to somebody that did not have(smoking was a good habit I perfected in jail), and at times food.

A lot of money that I had was eaten up my legal fees. The da never fined uo, and maybe paid like $100 in court fees. I figured what money I had would appreciate in stocks when I was in, I lost over a third. As I said earlier my life is a lot more modest now. Not necessarily worse, I would even say better, from a really weird perspective. But I am now a firm believer in "money isnt everything", (no sarcasm).

Each housing unit had to hot plates that people were to take turns on. The commisary held food that could be cooked, rice, beans, JAck-mac (wonder if anybody knows what that is),pasta,etc..You wee also allowed to receive 55lbs of store bought food each month, as long as it was cooked and vacuum sealed.Each unit had a fridge that could store the perishables in your own personal net'-bag that had a combo lock on it. People had cooking groups. I cooked with 2 others. "Alaska" and I supplied the food, and rick (one w/o the means) prepared some tasty meals. I usually only ate lunch in chow (messhall).