CURRENT EVENTS UPDATE

Apparently, my recently published article in the Daily Beast has come to the attention of at least one old high school friend who I haven't heard from in over 50 years and one inmate at MCC whose parents are educated, knew the name of his bunky, and told their son about what they'd read.

So because I'm not allowed to "associate" with convicted felons as per my probation conditions, I feel I can convey updates and current events here.

BRAVE NEW WORLD

At 9 AM on July 29th, 2013, someone knocked on my door. I rose to answer and found two IRS agents at the threshold. Minutes later at least 6 cops rolled in with a search warrant. The message was clear: We've seized most of your money. Go get a lawyer. You might be going to prison. 

For nearly five and a half years, I waited for the federal government to finally determine if it was really going to lock me up. Then on 10/31/18, I at long last sat before the judge the final time. The words "a year and a day"  flowed from his mouth with such ease that if you weren't listening attentively, you could almost miss what mattered in all the legal mumbo jumbo that surrounded it. 

BRAVE NEW WORLD 2

It comes as no shock to me that prisoners who've served several years in prison are amazed by the radical changes they see upon re-entering society. I didn't think I'd experience anywhere near those radical changes after my release but surprisingly, I was wrong.

The very night I got home, one of the first activities on my agenda was to hit the local Rite Aid and score some Natty's! Granted, prison had lots of brewed-up hooch - not to mention a shitload of deuce (k2) and chinita (suboxone). So I could have gotten high if I were so inclined. But personally, I was not of the mind to get loaded in the joint - only to be locked into a 50 square foot cell with a bunky I didn't like. I just didn't think that would be good for my sanity.

EATING IN THE JOINT

Several people have asked me "So what's the first thing you ate when you got out?" The truth is I don't remember. And that's because I simply didn't find prison food to be all that horrible that I craved good food and fantasized what I would first eat upon reentry to society. Also, I'm not really a "foodie" like that. Consider the fact that for the past few years, I've mostly dined on whatever's offered at soup kitchens or pantries where I volunteer.

BUNKY BLUES

I am currently addicted to quora.com, the 80th most visited site on the entire world wide web. The general idea is for someone to ask a question in a category - and for someone else to answer it. I have chosen this forum to reach the world on the subjects of imprisonment and the life inmates lead in confinement. In three weeks, I have garnered over 1.6 million views, a number exponentially more than I ever could with a blog like this. The following is an answer to the question "What is it like living with a celly in prison?" If you are at all curious to read my answer to 99 more questions like the aforementioned, click on the link: https://www.quora.com/profile/William-Mersey

LIFE AFTER PRISON

So, the inquiring mind might want to know...what's different about my life after prison as opposed to before? Not a whole lot, actually. Except for one thing!

For fully 5 and a half years before surrendering to prison, I had a storm cloud hanging over my life. And that was the question of whether I was actually going to get locked up or simply given probation. I can't tell you what a relief it is to be done with my incarceration. It's like a weight off my shoulders.

HEARD IT ON THE RADIO

Last night I woke up about 4 AM and realized I'd had enough sleep. It was time to get up and do something. Anything really. So I went to Rite Aid and bought some Bran flakes. I knew from the website it was on sale. Not that I needed them right then and there. It was just a destination. The streets were cold and empty. Just my style. I was free to do what I wanted to do. That was the whole point.

In prison, when you wake up at 4 AM and realize you're no longer tired, there's not a lot you can do. You can't leave your 50 square foot cell. And your bunky is asleep. So milling about is out of the question. Paulie (Manafort) used to turn on his reading light and read the bible. Me? I read over 100 books in prison. But late at night, that wasn't for me. I listened to the radio. That was my other escape. In my 311 days at MCC, I heard maybe a total of 15 new songs I knew I'd want to view and listen to on You Tube over and over again when I got out.

CRAPPING IN THE JOINT

Unlike state prison where inmates frequently have their own cells (however spartan), federal inmates - and especially those at MCC - aren't offered that luxury. You're either in a dormitory - or in my case, a unit with 46 two man cells which feature bunk beds and literally 40 square feet of space in which to move. Club Med it ain't! 

And because the prison administration recognizes how uncomfortable and old that can get in a hurry, they'll let inmates move around with relative impunity in the interest of not having one prisoner slit the throat of another (something that's happened in the past). As a result, I had 6 different cellies (also called bunkies) in my 311 days at MCC.

OWNING YOUR CRIME

EXCERPT...Paulie (Manafort) used to get up in the middle of the night, turn on his special prison reading light, and dig into the bible. And I'd wonder "Is this his way of acknowledging his crimes? Is he saying 'I'm sorry' to God?"....