Out of LA County Jail- Happy 4th to yall!
Fri Jul 04, 2008 at 11:31:56 AM PDT
As some of you may have read in the past, I was sentenced to 4 months in LA county jail for cannabis, having done two days of solitary confinement in a police station prior to sentencing. At my sentencing hearing, the jail time was suspended for a community service program with extremely stringent measures
that I was unable to fully meet due to employment obligations, and it became clear that jail time (instead of an extension or amendment of my probation terms) was the inevitable outcome.
After having served 2 weeks in Twin Towers(also known as Dante's Inferno), I am very glad to say that the excellent work of my public defender has granted me a release, with only a moderate addition of penalties to my terms of probation. (probation/parole can be a complicated system, for all you non-lawyers out there, so I'll embed some comments that illuminate the specifics somewhat)
The sole purpose of this diary is to thank all of the kossacks for their words of kindness and support on this site. Even though some of you may have differing views on decrim/legalization of cannabis, it was touching to see the support from everyone. It is impossible to describe the difference between my initial two days in police lockup, when no one knew about me and there was no phone to call loved ones, and the time in LA County, where I was aware of the support of friends (and kossacks!)
Tales of psychopathic LA County Sheriff's deputies and colorful characters will have to wait until the next diary. After that, work can FINALLY begin on a series of diaries about the history of cannabis, psycho-pharmacology, recent scientific research, and the century-long War on Cannabis/Hemp.
The original diary about getting locked up.
The second one the day before I was locked up.
A few comments explaining the plea bargain and jail time in a bit more detail here
and here
and here
I'll post this comment left on the first jail diary, as it proved to be very true(as were many other pieces of advice offered by kossacks, such as OPOL etc)
LA County Jail (5+ / 0-)
is more like prison than most prisons. Amongst other things, it is the largest mental institution in the US (i.e., the place housing the largest concentration of people with mental illness), which is scandalous. It is largely controlled by gangs, not guards, making the option of just doing your time difficult.
This is not from my own personal experience, but I have met a couple people who have been there (short stretches, 1 month or so) and read a bit.
You might want to have a look here. There are also some discussion groups online from prisoners and families.
I have a good friend who just ended a seven-year sentence (prison, obviously, though started with some jail time) last year and for him the racial issues were the most difficult thing. He's Mexican and the guards threw him in a cell with Aryan Nations types for fun (not fun for him). You will find that jail is one of the most segregated places you'll ever be, and that can bring up some wierd problems--like how if you are a white liberal you deal with being housed with white racists.
I wish you luck...
Political Compass says: 8.88, 8.67
"We never sold out cos no one would buy."--J Neo Marvin
by expatyank on Fri Apr 18, 2008 at 04:47:18 AM PDT
Having seen the guards, gangs, and mental ward of Twin Towers firsthand, and finding myself to have nothing in common with the 'white power' assholes I was sometimes housed with, I can confirm that expatyank is correct.
Feel free to ask any questions regarding probation, etc. It's good to be back! (and can we have the election already? McSame is in store for a serious ass-whooping courtesy of our 50-state movement)
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