Charlie

Chapter Seventeen: Prison Life (Charlie's POV)

On the third day of my arrival, I was given a job. Every inmate in here has a job to do. I was given kitchen duty. I earn a dollar an hour for all of my hard work.

I have to be in the kitchen at 6:00 AM to have breakfast ready for all the inmates by 7:30 AM. I am part of a crew of twenty inmates who run the kitchen. It's not so bad because we have about 120 inmates in total. There are not very many of us here.

Every Wednesday, I had a visit with my family's expensive ass lawyer. He and his law firm have been the family attorney for years. He is the best in the state of New York. However, I'm not just in any kind of prison I'm in the stockade or the technical term J.R.C.F. However, having the best attorneys will mean absolutely nothing in here.

Along with Mr. Harlin will have a JAG to be my representatives. My parent's money cannot buy me a good JAG. They can probably donate to the law school but that is not going to help my case. My parents came from money so essential so did I. We just never flaunted it like some people who are just as rich. It taught me to be honest and not a little shit. I am cocky but that has nothing to do with my families' money.

I along with other inmates that are waiting pre-trial are held on the Maximum-security area. This is because we have yet to be convicted. We must be segregated because we are still innocent technically. The J.R.C.F. only houses inmates either waiting for pre-trial or inmates who are serving five years or less.

The hardened criminals are housed at another facility. If you were to see a movie about prison life, the J.R.C.F. is nothing like that. We are treated as soldiers and not inmates. I've noticed that this place is very quiet I haven't seen another inmate fight another. No yelling, no outlandish behavior. I guess some would call it boring.

Mr. Harlen informed me that when I receive my bogus speeding ticket is when my name was red-flagged as being AWOL. If the ticketing officer had done his job correctly he would have arrested me right then and there. I let Mr. Harlen know that my ticket was a bogus ticket, I wasn't even speeding.

He and the JAG stated that it would more than likely be cleared up. I told him I wanted him to contact the captain of the officer who wrote my ticket to complain about writing bogus tickets. Also, to see if he can get it thrown out. Mr. Harlen informed me that he would make contact with Captain Cromwell. When Mr. Harlen said the Captain's name I knew exactly who he was.

I told Mr. Harlen about his daughter's jealousy and her former relationship with my future wife. I told him he was a part of a conflict of interest. He looked at me if I was crazy but I knew she had to be behind this. This made me furious because she had to stoop this low. I knew now how they found me at our home in Providence. I mean I wasn't hiding from the MP's I just didn't know that I was considered AWOL.

Mr. Harlen and my JAG stated that I might be away from home for almost two years. I was in complete shock because two years away from Re-Anne is torture just thinking about it. After being here at J.R.C.F. for the first two weeks, I could start calling my future wife. Our phone calls were limited to only thirty minutes every other day, but I was grateful for them.

I missed her more now than I ever. I wrote to her every single day, I knew our communication skills were getting better because this is all we had at this point. My prison life started to become routine. 5:30 AM morning wake-ups, breakfast at 7:30 AM and then after our work shifts we were able to go back to our pods. Lunch was at 11:30 AM and then dinner was at 4:30 PM this was just like boot camp just less dirty and sweaty.

Mr. Harlen informed me that he had arranged my first and hopefully only trial date for late summer. He didn't give me an actual date but I knew I wouldn't have to wait years for it. It was already March and I convinced Re-Anne to go stay with her parents for the week. I told her to take care of my car and she could use it while I was gone. I wanted her to be close to both of our families as much as possible.

She told me that she was doing well in school and was so proud of her. I want her to excel in all that she does. I love her so much. I was given access to use of the law library. I was happily reading up on what I could possibly be facing. I am hoping that they would let me serve a minimum sentence or let me return to my base so that I can finish out my contract as an inactive soldier. We will find out in late summer what my future holds.

I called my love as scheduled, she told me everything that had recently happened to her. I told her she needed to be careful of everything. I didn't need her to be in the same position as I was. If Mattie had the power to get me tossed in here I hope she doesn't make Re-Anne's life hell. I told her to prepare just encase she was summoned to court for assaulting Mattie at the movie theater. I know she loves me completely but she has to control herself around that bitch. This bitch has been flexing her powers around New York State and I just want Re-Anne to be careful.

Just as I told her, she received a summons to court for assault and battery. I was upset that she had to go through that. She told me that my parents called up Mr. Harlen to take of this problem. Naturally, Mr. Harlen being the best and what he does, fixed this situation and Re-Anne's charges were dropped.

Re-Anne informed me that Mattie had started to spread rumors about her and my family. I asked her to ignore them because she was just being childish and wanted to get her upset. Mattie was trying to get Re-Anne mad so that she could assault her again. She told me that was scared that she was summoned to court. She said she would never break the law ever again.

I believe her the first time you go in front of a judge it's intimidating. Re-Ann stated that she passed all of her classes and she was now a sophomore at Brown University. I am so proud of her. I just wish I could be with her to celebrate such a big accomplishment. I asked Re-Ann to stay with her parents or my parents during summer break.

If my parents decide to pay me a visit it would be easier for them if she was just next door. When I wasn't working, writing or going outside for some sun I was in the law library. I really started to like all the reads on all different kinds of cases. I found it very interesting and how loopholes are formed. How some attorneys use them for their defenses. I am really thinking about becoming an attorney when I got out of here. I did very well in high school with all of my college entrance exams, but I chose to serve our fine country first. For me college wasn't a choice, I thought I was going to spend my career as a solider.