When I presented myself to the Captain, he had my jacket open. He said “you have never been to sick call have you?”. I said no.
Little did I know that the longer you go without ever reporting to sick call the higher your approval level rose with the brass.
Any number of malingerers, drug addicts and mental problems reported day after day.
The Captain then surprised me by taking out a newspaper clipping of my capture and asked “it says you have a college degree, is that true?”. I said yes.
He then asked if I would like a job in the Hospital.
I was truly shocked, it never occurred to me that I might get a job. There were squad mates of mine who had spent decades in the field, and after only a year I was being offered a building job.
I said yes.
It was 5:00am in the hospital. I was awaiting the chain list.
Every morning we would get the chain list, where the first word (due to security) was received of those being transferred off the farm.
It was necessary to review the inmates medical file and see if medications or special precautions were necessary. Then all the medical files of everyone on the chain list was transferred to the building lieutenant for transport with the inmates.
Because I was now serving as the “Physician's Assistant” on the day shift, it was my duty to review the files and issue medications required for the transit.
It is called “catching the chain” for good reason. Early in the morning a big converted school bus with bars in the windows pulls up to the yard. There the inmates going on bench warrant, to pre-release or being transferred to another prison are shackled at the ankles and hands. A leather belt with chain loops is attached to your waist and the entire group is put onto the bus. Where you are put behind a screen fence and the chain is removed.
I pulled the chain list from my box and started pulling records from our files until the world started spinning. For there on the list was my name.
It says transferred to pre-release. That was beyond belief, how was this happening? I had to sit down and catch my breath. There was nothing else to do but my job, so I pulled all the files.
I took the files to the Building Lieutenant and he smiled for the first time ever and said he would call me when it was time to gather in the yard.
What I did not know was that because of the huge wave of drug offenders being given time, the governor had appointed a commission to recommend the early release of first time/non violent offenders.
I had been freed from hell.