The reality of prisons. Please dont read if you dont want to know.

[BusynMember]

In MY day, Chicago in early 70s, everyone know you could and would get a felony for even being with sonebody smoking pot. Yes, even if we werent smoking.

I was careful because this terrified me.

 

[Jabberwockey]

A lot of that depends on the area. I'm from a small town and unless you were a known trouble maker, they would probably just chastise you then tell your parents.

 

[Lil]

While we haven't dealt with it personally, we have friends whose daughter is our son's age. A few years ago when they were in high school our friends had her brought home by the police when they caught her and several other girls smoking pot. She was not charged or anything else.

Of course, a month or so later, while parents were out of town, they got a phone call from jail. The cops weren't lenient a second time.

So even today, at least in some towns, they're still pretty lenient about pot.

The college town closest to us (bigger than ours) doesn't even arrest for under a certain weight. They just give tickets and call it an ordinance violation. They keep it in city court and don't send it to state if the kids show up and do what they're supposed to.

 

[BusynMember]

Whole other story today. Pot will soon be legal everywhere. For many addiction prone kids this will be as bad as legal alcohol, but it is what it is.

Right know, in 2016, you are unlikely to get much for smoking pot. Every state sees the legalization on the wall.

All drugs are a danger if you have addiction in your family DNA. The big drug out here that scares the parents is heroin. Our small middle class town is now known as "lille Milwaukee" (this is not meant to be a compliment). Dealers come up here to sell to our kids because our kids have more money and they charge more. Our one high school here is infested. When my daughter did drugs, heroin was not up here.

Hub and I plan to move to a different town when he retires. At least our kids are out if high school. Sonic is repelled by all drugs plus cigarettes. Jumper is in La Crosse, a much nicer town, and she wants to be in criminal justice. She even thinks pot is "stupid."

Drug wise we feel safe but it sure has changed since we moved here from Illinois. Not that I think the Chicago burbs of Illinois are much better. You can run, but you cant hide.

 

[GoingNorth]

Yes, Chicago was and still is horrible, though you are less likely to get badly busted for small amounts of weed if you are white, which I am.

Also, IL recently legalized medical marijuana and liberalized its laws.

At the time of my arrest, I lived in Highland Park, IL, a rich, mostly Jewish, suburb of Chicago along what was called the North Shore. My late aunt all but gave us a house to get us out of the city, as the neighborhood in which we lived, East Rogers Park, had become known as "The Jungle" and was no longer safe.

Constant shootings and racial turmoil. I think now parts of it are becoming gentrified.

 

[BusynMember]

Jeez, GN. I grew up in Lincolnwood. I hung out in west rogers park. I stayed away from drugs, but they were there, including in Lincolnwood. A lot.of my Linclnwood peers were from very prominent rich families but became serious druggies. I hated lincolnwood, by the way. Liked rogers park and evanston a lot more. Im allergic to money snobs

Weird that we grew up nearby then moved to similar areas in wisconsin.

 

[GoingNorth]

Couldn't stand Lincolnwood. I had a friend who lived in Skokie. I had a part time job doing computer tech at Elek-tek, which was in Lincolnwood, so had to deal with it a few nights a week.

 

[BusynMember]

I wanted out of, what I considered, Snob Central, the entire North Shore. Once I left, never went back, never missed it. Have memories of diva spoiled mean kids and being bullied by them. But many DID get into drugs. I didnt care for any of those suburbs. I had a few doctors in Highland Park and many relatives still around there, but I dont know them.

My dad still lives in that area. Yukkers.

 

[GoingNorth]

I absolutely hated Highland Park. My life there was hell what with bullying, etc.

I got the hell out of there as soon as I was old enough, moved to Chicago with "later to be husband" and wrote my own story.

 

[BusynMember]

GN, heh, we actually have interesting things in common.

My lincolnwood exoerience taught me that rich doesnt mean smart or kind and that I would never judge anyone by what they owned. It I feel was a good lesson.

After I got married we lived in chicago for two years then spent thirteen years in DesPlaines, and I liked it there.

 

[GoingNorth]

Highland Park was actually richer than Lincolnwood was during the time I lived there. I don't know about now.

I'm quite familiar with Des Plaines. Never lived there, but drove through it nearly every day for many years, travelling from Chicago where I lived, to Lincolnshire where I worked.

Used to grab carry out dinner on my way home, at the Pita Inn sometimes.

 

[BusynMember]

Highland park was a lot richer than Lincinwood, which ticked off my snobby peers. I dont.know what its like now either. Once I left, I was forever gone.

Desplaines was more middle class and even some lower middle and a few rich. It wasnt snobby and it fit me better. I would make a miserable Valley girl. I cant get excited over stuff. I don't know or care about name brands or even which cars are status symbols.

Lincolnwood was all about that. Yuk. Glad I escaped.

 

[GoingNorth]

When I hit HP from Chicago, all of a sudden my jeans weren't right, my tops weren't right, I didn't have the right shoes, and worse yet, not only did I not give a darn, I KNEW my parents couldn't afford all that stuff.

I didn't even understand WHY something like that even mattered. I picked up the bullies in Jr High and carried them right along to HS. I dropped out at sixteen because the bullying had gotten to the point where I was in physical danger.

I got my license and got a car. I'd been saving up since i was 14. I got a 69 VW Squareback that I rebuilt from the wheels up. My peers' parents got them BMWs and Camaros and Firebirds, and eve Z28s. A couple of kids got Porsches!

Then, the bullying changed to the bullies trying to run me off the road in my VW, cuz while my VW ran well and looked good, it was old and there was no way it could keep up with the sports cars, though it actually handled better than they did except for the 2 Porsches.

I didn't get into drag racing or any of that. I needed my car to get to and from work and volunteering, and for my social life.

And, I paid for that car, for the ins, for gas, and for whatever mechanical work I couldn't do myself (and parts).

 

[BusynMember]

GN, im sorry it got THAT bad. Once I hit high school, it was no longer just Lincolnwood. It was Morton Gove and Niles too and everyone hated the snobby, rich, flaunting Lincolnwood kids so things improved for me. I also got very pretty and that matters when one is a teen. I wasnt popular. I didnt want to be. But I was left alone and kept to myself and I had a good friend with a big mouth so the bullying stopped.

Damage from eight years of bullying from my own mother, kids and teachers had taken its toll. I gave up trying to do well in school. I started having depression and bad panic attacks. I cut school. I enjoyed attention from boys, but couldnt keep one because I was dead set on being a virgin when I got married. So sometimes I was lonely. Im surprised I didnt drop out. I had horrible grades.I did not participate in school events. I refused to go to my graduation ceremony. School meant nothing good to me.

I think of Lincolnwood in a very negative way. I cant think of one thing I liked about it.

Thank you for sharing. Kids are mean and im convinced that rich, entitled kids are the meanest if all. The kids from Lincolnwood had fancy new cars too...lol. and, if course, fancy expensive drugs as well.

 

[GoingNorth]

Well, I was what we used to call a "freak"...sort of a hippy without the "non-violence" thing. We'd take care of ourselves, and yes, we were druggies. I was into that until husband enlisted in the Army, at which time we both got clean. I haven't used anything non-RX or not as prescribed since then. husband as well until toward the end of his life when I got him marijuana to ease the side-effects of chemotherapy so that he could eat. I learned how to make "edibles" for him. It was taking huge risk as if caught, we would've had our property seized, but rather than him starving to death...

So, though I haven't used marijuana since 1982, I know how to make various "psychedelic" treats, LOL!

 

[BusynMember]

Wow, GN. Freaks. That brings back memories lolol. I remember freaks. Wow. And the greasers who beat them up lol. Fonzie was no greaser. He was too nice and didnt drink or do drugs lol.

I was a "nothing" by choice. Many of us were. We sort of dressed like hippies because we liked the style, but the similarities ended there. I was a semi conservative kid who didnt do wild stuff or drink or take drugs. I also didnt do school...lol.

I had a few friends, mostly younger, and had many spectrum symptoms. I hung with kids mostly from Chicago. I tried not
to be home because it wasnt pleasant there, especially for me. Although I didnt like parties, drinking or drugs, my close friends did. My mom didnt drive then so I had constant access to our 1968 bell aire and would take my friends to wild parties where i was bored and ususlly the only sober kid there and the pot and cigarette smoke choked me bad. Id stand outside a lot.
Sometimes I liked to do things that freaked out the kids doing psychodelics, such as putting shoes on my hands and making them walk. It is not hard to amuse a room full of drug users.
I remember being shocked one day at Belmont beach. There were cops and they were flirting with us and smoking dope with my friends. I was very naive and probably had my jaw on the ground the entire time.

 

[Roxona]

Curiously even though the charges were dropped do they still show up on a background check?

The charges are on something. I don't know if it's a background check or on the state's case look up, which anyone who knows about it can use to look up anyone for free.

My son would like to try to get the information removed, but it will take time. Plus, every time I would think he would have enough time with good behavior (six months), he would do something else stupid.

He has a new job and seems to be keeping himself out of trouble. Hopefully, we'll be able to work on clearing the arrest record soon.

 

[jude-in-nj]

Thanks Jabber for your honesty. My son is currently at our county jail (second time) and has been there for 6 months. He will be out June 22.
He tells me he sleeps all day, plays cards, has not been outside since he got there (he's in the medical unit), claims that because he's in medical they don't let them outside... Anyway, I agree that jail is not going to solve whatever issues brought them there. I hope to get him into counseling as soon as he gets home.
As far as counseling in jail, he's afraid to ask for it because it will make him look "weak"
Thanks again for your information.

 

[AnnieO]

I don't know a whole lot about Belle's time in prison (right at a year), but I know from her stories and our few visits that it was pretty bad. The staff that was supposed to take care of our documentation were either overwhelmed or completely inept. So we got a visit in May that was approved but then we were suddenly not approved and didn't see her again till October. Of course until we were approved again we couldn't send money or set up phone calls. Letters only and nothing in them... We could send photos after approval, but only printed on plain paper, no larger than 5x7, and only 3 per letter. When we went to visit, I had Rose's toddler formula in a bottle (per their own instructions) and they made me pour it out. Of course in the visiting area they didn't even have milk. Even so, the large area where we visited had areas for talking to the kids, vending machines available, reasonable bathrooms. The "girls" all had to sit at assigned tables and face the cameras, which makes sense.

Belle said that it was better than jail, because they had more freedom inside their "cottages". I also know she got in trouble for a bunkie stealing her bra and she took it back... Solitary, and no one told us (as they were supposed to, per the agreement we had to sign) until we made the 90-minute drive, arrived and could not see her (September). But, they didn't give her the same medications, and put her back on something that did not work... And when she tried to see the doctor for some pain she was having in her legs, was ignored until she actually collapsed. She'd called me several times to try and figure out what was going on.

She said there were a lot of drugs coming in and out but she never wanted to go back to solitary again. Smart girl. Being Ohio, smoking is not allowed in any public building, so no smoking there, either, though she said some people managed to.

I would never ever want a child to go to prison, but I have to say, Belle came out the other side a much changed young lady. She's a success story.

 

[donna723]

"We have another member on here, Donna I believe, who also works in prisons in another state. Perhaps she'll be along and be able to help with the boot camp question."

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Yes, Lil, that was me. I worked in a Close Security state prison for 24 years before retiring six years ago.

About the boot camps ... we do have one here. It's located in a very small town about 20 miles from where I live. The program was started years ago with very high hopes. It was aimed mainly at the very young, non-violent, first time offenders (meaning a lot of drug dealers and gang bangers). No one was sent there involuntarily. The ones considered suited to the program went through the regular classification process at the reception center, then were given the option of entering the boot camp program. They could, for example, choose to do their five year sentence in a regular time-building institution OR successfully complete one year in the boot camp program.

It was modeled after old-style military boot camps and was very, VERY tough. Picture Clint Eastwood as a drill sergeant! A good friend of mine worked there for years. He is 6'6" and weighs a solid 350 pounds. He is also a total teddy bear but not when he was at work. A lot of those guys probably still have nightmares about him! Some made it, but a lot more didn't. Considering that their "clientele" consisted of mostly uneducated, smart-mouthed street level drug dealers and gang bangers who had never done an honest days work in their lives, not surprising. If they didn't participate in the program or chose to drop out, they were sent back to the regular prison to do their original sentence. The program was started with high hopes but overall was not successful and not cost effective and is now in the process of being phased out.

And for anyone who has ever worked in State government, here is what REALLY happened. They came up with this program and located it in this very small town as a political favor to a few very rich local "movers and shakers". This very small out of the way town was also selected as the site of a big medium security prison which was one of a few that were run by a private for-profit company instead of the State. And this same small town was also chosen as the location of a multi-million dollar state-owned golf course that sits empty 99% of the time because no one ever goes there. One of these days they'll probably plow it under and plant beans or something. So it's politics as usual here and nobody is one bit surprised!