austin skate notes

The famed Donald D has written a response to my question, “What is Christmas like in Prison?” Here it is for those of you who might want to compare their own recent holiday experiences. I transcribed his letter adding paragraph breaks where it seemed appropriate.

Holidays / X-mas in the joint is different on all levels- too many “Time Bandits” in the mix. For some, this is the rest of their life, others just passing through so to speak. Myself, I’m just passing through with 2 more years and 5 months to go for Aiding and Abetting a marijuana deal- although I’m innocent and always will be. The jury saw it differently after TMW (name withheld for libel reasons) out of Santa Barbara testified and lied on me. Same as RD’s (name withheld for libel reasons) boy JM (name withheld for libel reasons) also lied on me.

Anyway, holidays in prison from my view of what I’ve seen and heard - you would be surprised by the festive and creative ways some of these people on the inside go through to celebrate a holiday. First off, I do not condone any of these corporate days called holidays. To me, when I was free, they were just days to go sk8 all the spots where security was tuff — AKA jockdicks who ran fast and tried to put their hands on you - I’ve been against all holidays since the age of 13 - Punk rock ethics I suppose - Mr. Anti-everything is what I’ve been called behind these walls - and that I am when it comes to these dreamers acting as if it is ok to participate in the sham of X-mas or any other holiday.

For the hardcores just trying to get through it’s just another day workout, read, sleep, stay busy, etc. Then there’s the holy rollers which in the joint is a party place for the homos and pederasts- yea, it’s sick and sad there is no reform for the sexual weirdos they get here and get weirder - and the holidays are when these prisons are under-staffed, so the sickos get away with more. Don’t go to the chapel and stay the hell out of the rec bathroom - Santa’s cumming to a browntown near you. By the way to whoever’s reading this: Report all diaper snipers and pederasts - Even if they’re being nice and swear they’re reformed cause all the sickos in here that I’ve seen and / or heard about have been here more than once. Why am I being so harsh on SEX OFFENDERS? Because they fuckin’
disgust me. They’re all snitches. More of them are criminals. They’re sick losers who’s little head is bigger than their big head. They need safety so they get on the guards’ good side by reporting all they see and hear which in turn makes it ruff on those trying to live through this shit. Maybe I’m off the subject of what it’s like to celebrate the holidays in prison, but that needs to be known. Buying sex and getting porn in here is easy, so where’s the reform in that?

Then there’s those just trying to live the rest of their life here, to them the holidays are a chance to see a loved one they rarely see that might have moved away from the area they’re locked up or only makes it to the area they’re locked up on those special days. After 20 years plus, those 2 1/2 hours mean a whole hell of a lot. Yes, there are some good murders in here. Sounds crappy, huh? I’m for someone who kills but so against pedophiles. Well, children, that’s something you will grow to learn on your own. I do not condone these killings, but when push comes to shove, what are ya gonna do? Don’t take your guns to town, Bill, leave your guns at home.

To me, meeting some of these lifers is an honor because these men will never be seen in society again. They’re books of knowledge from different times in history. The true Time Bandits. They get a table in the day room and it’s like a potluck dinner. Everyone brings a little something depending on who’s in their crew. Sometimes those celebrating will save something from a foodbox they got. Or they take ramen soups, fish, meat, chips, pickles, etc. and mix it into one big bowl like a gumbo and WAHLA PRISONBREAK - enough sodium to blow up a small animal’s heart- But hey, it’s the corporate American way creeping into the mindset of the forgotten who still want to feel a part of society. The abnormal trying to feel normal.

In my block, a few old convicts and an old fag made some apple pie out of apples saved from the chow hall, packs of syrup, oatmeal, and some other shit. There was a lot they were passing it out to all the people they knew and who’s been in this block the longest. I laughed to myself wishing they would offer me a piece so I could say NO!

I’m a loner. I stay away from groups. There’s no punkers, only punks who take it up the ass in here and there are no skaters. Only those who like about this and that. Once they find out you skate cause you’re looking at a skate mag- I listen to the stories and when they’re done I say, “You’re so full of shit!” Because obviously they don’t know who they’re talking to. I have nothing to share with some phony-ass bitch I’d rather take out back and put him out of his misery. Especially during the so-called HOLIDAY SEASON.

I don’t believe in reform. These places are not built for reform. Reform comes from within and very few want to change or know how to
change. The only HOLIDAY I like is NEW YEAR’S EVE or DAY ’cause then I know I’m getting closer to go skateboard and yeah, when I’m snaking all you soft fuckers in those big bowls scared to roll in, you’re gonna be pissed. Good, Maybe you’ll skate with more aggression and stop trying to be all cute and stupid showing off for all the X-Goons. You see, Holidays are not elected by the
government saying today’s the day you can celebrate. No, everyday’s that day. Especially when I’m skating. No matter your age. The lifers know what I’m saying. When you wander away from the path of a skater’s life you can end up in places like this. Ask my friends Wild Will, Gator, Hosoi, Neil Heddings (well, Neil was framed), Crazy Eddie, Josh Swindell, I could go on…

Holidays, though. Hahaha-heh-hee-hee-hohoho- Jimmy Finley is a free man and he’s my brother. He just did 8 years . He got out then I got locked up for 8 years. Yeah, I’m off the subject but all of this ties together someway, somehow. Yeah, Holidays in prison suck cause you get no mail. You hear people bitching about this and that. How their people didn’t send them a foodbox or $, etc. There’s a lot of ungrateful son of bitches in here that deserve this place. Sometimes I wish I didn’t study the didn’t study the truths about history and religion so I could be a mindless, gluttoness idiot celebrating the raping of all that is, inside the AMERICAN NIGHTMARE. Wow, what a sad thought. No, I’ll just remain myself through all the government’s church’s, and corporation’s plots to try and convince me otherwise. For all those outside my cell who feed into that holiday shit, too bad for their blind happiness. To me it’s all a facade of corniness.