Medical Attention

[Clara]

Good morning,

I don't know were to start, but I need guidance on an issue with my
dad's health. He has been in the TDCJ system for 13 years. But this
past year his health has gotten worst. During the summer he was at
Coffield Unit were they basically were treating him horrible. They
were not giving him his insulin or meds. After I called and complained
so many times and having a friend attorney call and speek to the
Warden he was taken to Galveston Hospital for treatment. He was there
for about 3 weeks until he recovered a little bit. This caused him to
completely loose his eyesight in one eye, his kidney is now on stage 4
disease, and now anemic.The other eye has partial sight, in my opinion
glasses should help but they won't treat him for the other eye. He was
than transferred to Terrell Unit were he was recovering and being
giving his medicine. But the last past month they stopped giving it to
him. This caused him to become ill and a simple cold became Pneumonia.
He was in his cell for 5 days with out eating of or recieving medical
attention. Until he finally passed out and they could not revive him
quickly. He was taking to Galveston hospital were he was for 2 weeks
on a ventilator machine. He now requires dialysis 3x week. And was
transferred this past friday to Estelle Unit. Our family had no idea
all this was going on until this weekend that he was at a Unit that we
could go visit him. He told us all that had been going on. All I did
was cry yesterday but today I am past hurting, I am just mad. That
this could all have been avoided if he was giving his medication and
insulin to begin with. I don't know who to contact and complain, and
if I do. Will my voice be heard or just ignored? He has Parole coming
up in May. Im praying that he can be release and come home.

He is on a 16th year sentence for Manslaughter intoxication. In june
will be his 14th year. I think he has done enough time. His health is
bad, he has good conduct. Is this enough arguements to win his case?
I was only 10 when I lost my dad. I now I'm a married women with a
son, but that still needs her dad around as much as when I was 10.
Thank you,
Clara Zamarripa

[bebe martinez]

Hello Clara   I read your email and I could feel your frustation and I wanted to email you with some information.  The TDCJ Omsudsman program is suppose to help families. By the grace of God I haven't had the need to call their office but at least I have a start if I ever do need them. I hope this helps you! God Bless you and your father and I will keep yall in my prayers!   Bebe Villarreal   TDCJ OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM (en Español) Coordinator - Linda Shaw Mission In accordance with Section 493.016 of the Texas Government Code, the TDCJ Ombudsman Program provides a single point of contact for elected officials and members of the general public who have inquiries regarding the agency, offenders or staff. When necessary, investigations shall be coordinated through appropriate TDCJ officials. The TDCJ Ombudsman Offices strive to provide timely responses to the public. What an Ombudsman Can Do Act as a liaison between TDCJ and the general public; Respond to informational inquiries regarding agency policies, procedures, or actions; Respond to questions concerning a specific offender; Facilitate problem resolution; Make appropriate referrals to agency staff; Act as a contact and information resource for special interest groups EXECUTIVE DIRECTIVE (ED-02.03) - TDCJ OMBUDSMAN PROGRAM What a TDCJ Ombudsman Cannot Do Override decisions made by appropriate authorities (i.e., Judges, Board of Criminal Justice, Office of Inspector General, etc.). Handle issues outside the oversight of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Whom do I Contact if I Have Questions Regarding an Offender? Many concerns can best be addressed by contacting unit administrative staff at the offender's unit of assignment, by telephone or mail. Addresses and telephone numbers for Agency facilities are found on the TDCJ website or are available by contacting the Ombudsman Coordinator's Office. What if I Have Contacted the Unit and I Would Like Additional Assistance? Contact the appropriate Office of Ombudsman or the Ombudsman Coordinator's Office. How Does an Offender Seek Problem Resolution? The Offender Grievance Program was developed to help offenders communicate with staff regarding concerns affecting their incarceration. The grievance process provides an offender an opportunity for problem resolution at two distinct administrative levels. Step 1 allows the offender to request relief from unit administration by completing a grievance form and submiting it to a Unit Grievance Investigator. Offenders receive a written response which they may appeal to Step 2 (central administrative staff) if desired. By encouraging offenders to utilize this process you provide them an opportunity for enhancing their skills in responsible problem resolution. How to Contact a TDCJ Ombudsman (Please submit inquiries in writing) For expediency, it is best to attempt to resolve issues and obtain information at the unit or parole office level: Ombudsman Coordinator General Issues concerning the agency’s operation and policy and procedures. P.O. Box 99, Huntsville, TX 77342-0099 (936) 437-8035 (936) 437-8067 fax ombu...@tdcj.state.tx.us TDCJ-Correctional Institutions Division Ombudsman Office Issues from the public relating to secure facilities (prison units, state jails, and substance abuse felony punishment facilities), and any specific concerns regarding offenders confined in these types of facilities. P.O. Box 99, Huntsville, TX 77342-0099 (936) 437-6791 (936) 437-6668 fax ci....@tdcj.state.tx.us **Bilingual Staff Available - Se habla Espanol** TDCJ-Parole Division Ombudsman Issues from the public relating to parole supervision. May also respond to concerns from offenders on parole or mandatory supervision. P.O. Box 13401, Austin, TX 78758 (512) 406-5795 (512) 406-5858 fax parol...@tdcj.state.tx.us Agency Toll-Free Telephone Number:1-800-535-0283 [Return to Administrative Review Home] October 1, 2010 --- On Mon, 2/21/11, Clara <clrs...@gmail.com> wrote:

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[Louise]

For those who are able to receive telephone calls from TDCJ inmates. I am interested in finding out if anyone else is having/or has had problems receiving calls from an inmate.

 

My son is in Phase III of the Grad program at the Ramsey Unit. He became eligible to place calls on Jan 17th.  One consistent problem for him is that he has to try placing the calls from 8 to even 20 times (inmates are allowed to try 4 times to place a call each time, though the phone system billing only shows 1 attempt). Or, the call just won't go through no matter how many times he attempts to place it.

 

Another problem has been his inability to have a voice recording made over.  The first time my son attempted to do this, he was unable to get back in time for the recorder from Embarq to do so and the guy was just leaving the unit and told my son that he didn't have time to redo the recording.  My son then submitted an I-60 to record over and now has been on the list for a redo for over a month. The Ombudsman's answer to this was:

 

"Regarding voice re-enrollment:  The offender was at work or school the last time the field technician was at the unit on February 18, 2011 and was unavailable for re-enrollment." My comment is that he will always be at work when the recorder is there so when can he be re-recorded! The recorder only comes to the unit during morning work hours every two weeks.

 

A third problem has been garbled lines, or noises on the line.  On his last two calls, when he was finally able to get through, half-way through the calls, I could not understand him at all as the call kept breaking up so badly. Ombudsman's answer to this:

 

"Regarding the noise during the call:  The offender can report OTS problems using the system in place, or the called party can contact Correctional Billing Services.  It is recommended to cite specific phone call times for the investigation."  Well, we have done this numerous times with no resolvement from CBS.

 

I apologize for the length of this letter. However, I want to pass on some information for people to know.  In order to try to get problems resolved, such as my son is currently experiencing with the phone system there are procedures that the inmate and/or family members can pursue.  We were not aware of these procedures before we sent an email to the Ombudsman Coordinator's office in Huntsville and received an email back from them today.

 

Ombudsman's additional information:

 

"OFFENDER QUESTIONS/ISSUES WITH TELEPHONE SYSTEM - When there is a problem, enrollment issue and/or telephone account question, the offender should complete a TDCJ Offender Telephone System (OTS) Assistance Request form (pink form) and turn it in to the unit mailroom.  The vendor will respond within 7-9 business days.  For voice enrollment/reenrollment, the offender will be placed on the ticket for the next scheduled Voice Biometric enrollment at the unit."

 

Inmates normally make requests in TDCJ by the submission of an I-60.  However, for phone problems an inmate submits a "pink form" to the mailroom.  I wonder how many inmates are even aware of this.

 

Here is some additional information for the inmate phone system"

 

CORRECTIONAL BILLING SERVICES (CBS)

Website:  www.securustech.net

Email:  customer ser...@correctionalbillingservices.com

Phone:  800-844-6591 or 877-800-5729

 

Louise Elzner

Tifa Member

[Dave Hamrick]

Louise,
     We have had similar problems with the phone system even as far back as last year when we were finally able to get the use of the phones (March of 2010). . .my son is at the Walls Unit in Huntsville and last year when the PACT Conference was in Huntsville in April at the Sam Houston University Criminal Justice Center, I visited with the phone system people about the way these phones don't work like regular phones we use today . . .they work like the phones did back when I was in the Army 40 years ago and one person could talk at a time and then push the button for the other party to then talk . . .that's how this phone system works now in modern 2011 . . . we've had noise in the lines so bad we couldn't talk, we've had it cut-out on us so we couldn't make out what was said from either end of conversation and had to hang up, we've had it do everything in the approximate 12 months that we have used them, and they have worked OK many times, but often they don't work worth a darn.  So, your concerns are valid and trying to get something done through TDCJ will be a miracle if you can get it done. .  .they are making money no matter how the phones work and the more calls that are made, they get the money for every call, so good luck . . . Dave, Amarillo

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[Louise]

 

Thanks for your input.  We intend (my husband is on the Tifa Board of Directors) to keep pursuing this issue.  Embarq is supposedly responsible for the phone system working properly, not really TDCJ.  But whoever, we do intend to keeping working on this issue.  And I agree with you that the phone system is old stuff compared to what we have out here these days or like I was also working with in the Army over 40 years ago. My husband is an electronic communication engineer by profession so he pretty much knows what can and can't be done with this system so Embarq's excuses for poor quality/service is often times a bunch of crud.  As you say, Embarq and TDCJ are making money from us, so they should be held responsible for trying to get it to work better.

 

I imagine there are many people that have experienced problems with the system but just don't pursue the issues.  Often times it is easier just to gripe about things rather than to try to pursue remedies.  

[Rita Castro]

P.S. If the problem of his getting his voice recorded persists, I'd call the unit warden. Good luck.

Rita Castro, Chair
TIFA-San Antonio Chapter

Cell: (210) 387-1558

On Thu, Feb 24, 2011 at 3:21 PM, Rita Castro <rcastr...@gmail.com> wrote:

My son and I had problems at first. He couldn't get the phone to understand his voice because he got it recorded, but in the day room, there were industrial fans in the background so the system didn't think it was him. He was very frustrated. And, several times, when he would call and I would indicate I would accept the call, it would then hang up on us before we could get past hello. Finally at my wits end, I called the company and complained and got credited several many failed but billed calls. Happy customer. Lately, we have been able to talk well enough to keep us happy. Hope I don't jinx it. xxx  ;-)

Rita Castro, Chair
TIFA-San Antonio Chapter

Cell: (210) 387-1558

[Rita Castro]

My son and I had problems at first. He couldn't get the phone to understand his voice because he got it recorded, but in the day room, there were industrial fans in the background so the system didn't think it was him. He was very frustrated. And, several times, when he would call and I would indicate I would accept the call, it would then hang up on us before we could get past hello. Finally at my wits end, I called the company and complained and got credited several many failed but billed calls. Happy customer. Lately, we have been able to talk well enough to keep us happy. Hope I don't jinx it. xxx  ;-)

Rita Castro, Chair
TIFA-San Antonio Chapter

Cell: (210) 387-1558

On Thu, Feb 24, 2011 at 3:01 PM, Louise <lel...@satx.rr.com> wrote:

[Jan Logsdon]

In the beginning when the phones were first installed, my inmate had
to get re-recorded but has been ok in that regard since. There are
occasions in which we have difficulty with static and blank spaces in
our conversations but we have noticed that when it happens, one or the
other of our locations are experiencing heavy humidity or rain. We
have had problems wherein payments were not registered either to the
correct account or not in a timely manner. So far we have adapted to
the circumstances. There have been times when we have experienced
line troubles it seemed to stem from using remote phones and another
signal intersecting ours. Just enough to be annoying.

Jan

>>> *From:* Dave Hamrick <ham...@clearwire.net>
>>> *To:* tifa...@googlegroups.com
>>> *Sent:* Thursday, February 24, 2011 2:26 PM
>>> *Subject:* Re: [TIFA Talk:1332] Re: Inmate Telephone Calls
>>>
>>> *Louise,

>>> *

[Louise]

Hi Rita

 

You know Robert enough to know he will call the warden if the re-recording is not done this next time when the guy is there and it's supposed to be done.  But it does get frustrating for inmates undergoing these system problems.  I guess the whole problem being is the usual...if an inmate request is ignored (and of course most of the time this is the case) then we, the family members have to start making an issue in order to get anything done. It should not be this way but of course, realistically speaking, a lot of us have been around long enough to know this is how it is.  But, we have to keep trying and not give up until something gets done, whatever the case. 

[Louise]

Jan

I agree that weather does tend to affect the calls too which is
understandable during inclement weather times. I don't really expect the
system to be perfect, but certainly also don't expect it to be totally of an
unacceptable nature either.

One time when my son called we heard a recorded message stating that the
call could not be made because we had three way calling on our home number.
Then we were billed $1.00 for the call which was never received. We have
Time-Warner and have had it for many years. Three way calling is just a part
of their service but we have never used it and had forgotten about
it...until this happened. So my husband was able to go online with
Time-Warner and deleted this function. Then he did call billing services
about the charge and it was taken off the bill. The system does not check
every number called, but it does to "random" checking. This is why the call
was not put through...when our number indicated to them that we did have
three-way calling.

I know there are people who transfer their home numbers to their cell
phones, but if the system should randomly check then I imagine they could
probably be denied calls also. I guess doing this is sorta like taking a
chance on not getting caught.

Louise

[Jan Logsdon]

Louise

I have learned. We once received a call saying just that thing. I
didn't know if we had that capacity nor do I now. But I will find
out. Thanks for the information.

Jan

[Rita Castro]

Hi Rita, T2946 marie trichka, I'm having trouble accessing the group to reply to phone problems.  Can you post to the group the most economical way to pay for phones

Have the inmate purchase from the commissary.  $.023/minute   We buy $20.00 at a time.  The system tells the inmate how much time he has when he places the call and then he knows to buy more the next time he goes to the store.  Tells me it is a free call when I answer.  We always call on the same day at the same time once a week and then no missed calls.

My husband and I worked with phones all our lives.  The transmission problem is with the data transfer and not enough bandwidth for the system.  The more it is in use, the more likely for dropped calls once the call is in progress.  Nothing that can be done because TDCJ has a contract for a specific bandwidth and that won't change.  Yes, the rain does seem to affect, but not sure the exact reason.  Voice recognition is a hard issue and families do have to stay with the requests for recording as a solution.  Don't be too upset the system is about as good as you will get for this type of contract.  Sorry, not to have a better answer.

Rita Castro, Chair
TIFA-San Antonio Chapter

Cell: (210) 387-1558

[Louise]

My son was going to purchase phone usage from the commissary but they took his ID card as a portion of the picture was peeling and the unit has been taking away the ID's for repair/re-issue...and  so the inmates can't get commissary while the ID is taken and the normal turn around time is approximately one month.  In return for the ID, the inmate is given a piece of paper for ID but of course it can't be used for commissary purchases.

 

I also wonder if people who pay by either mailing in checks or bank drafts,  know that it takes Correctional Billing about "10" business days to post to the accounts.  We did not initially know which payment system to use and so for direct billing we paid the first amount due via bank draft (there's no additional fee to mail in a check or to do a bank draft payment) on Feb 3rd and the bill due date was Feb 15th.  When I checked on Feb 13th, the check was still not posted even though they had it well before the due date.  And of course if payment isn't made by the due date, then calls are blocked from the inmate.  I ended up calling in the payment and was charged a $5.00 service fee.  We then just sent in a larger amount in order to have extra money in the account and then, finally and well after 10 business days, as it turned out, CBS posted the first bank payment on the account.  But of course because my son can't get calls through to us still, the money is just sitting in his account.  Once he gets his ID card back, and once he gets recorded again, then he can purchase call time via the commissary.

 

Thanks to everyone for responses on this subject.

 

Louise

----- Original Message -----

From: Rita Castro

To: tifa...@googlegroups.com

[dalla...@aol.com]

my grandson is in smith unit in lamesa texas. i have been direct billed for over a year now and always pay my bill online. yes i pay the extra $5 a month, but I can go online at anytime and see what my  bill is any I can make multi payments. I know it cost extra, but to have the peace of mind that he can call as long as he has minutes left and the amount I pay is credited right then. my only grip is, we pay for these phone calls and they are making a large amount of money from us, so why are they limited to only 240 minutes a month? thanks for letting me input on this

 

      mary mccorkle

 

 

 

--

[Jan Logsdon]

Mary,

My son is limited to 120 minutes a month and my other son pays the
bill in the same way as you do. It is my understanding the 240
minutes is not the norm. I fully realize that this is no solace for
you but I am also griping about the 120 minute limitations and wonder
how you managed to acquire 240... perhaps we could do it too.

Jan

[Louise]

Jan

I was under the impression that 240 minutes is the norm. Which unit is your
son on? We will ask about this as everyone else I've talked with has a loved
one who gets 240 per month.

TDCJ is always telling us that they can't differentiate in the rules for
inmates. This came up some years ago when TDCJ took away colored paper from
"all" inmates because "women" inmates were using the colored paper to make
dye with and then to color underwear and presumably used it to barter with,
etc. When we asked TDCJ about this, if it was just women doing this, then
why did they have to take it from male inmates. We were told because TDCJ
cannot make just a rule for female inmates...that rules/policies have to
pertain to "all" inmates.

[Jan Logsdon]

My son is in the McConnell unit in Beeville. Thanks for the info,
delicious. We will check it out.

Jan

[Dave Hamrick]

I'm with you Mary, the easier and simpler we can make it on ourselves and our love ones having to use the "poor" phone system the TDCJ has, the better it will be for all of us and the less stress and pain dealing with it . . . .We just get the calls "collect" and push #1 to accept and then are billed for the calls through CBS once a month and pay the bill . . . .the calls cost $ .26 per minute, about $3.90 for the 15 minute call . . . But, that is little to pay to be able to talk to our son in the Walls Unit in Huntsville . . .it's 600 miles to drive there from where we live, so we don't get down there that much, maybe twice a year.  Talking on the phone adds to the letter writing we all do and I'm sure that everyone knows that was all we had before the phones got put in; probably the last state in the Nation to get prison phones for inmates, but I'm not fussing cause we now have a way to keep the positive going between us and our son and find out things sooner and can deal with problems sooner if they occur.  So, as bad as the "system" is, both TDCJ and the phone system, we have another method to stay in contact with our love ones living behind walls and dealing with the treatment they have to live with everyday . . .Hope everyone can get some useful ideas from this give-and-take on the TIFA site so we can all help each other and our love ones incarcerated . . . Dave

[Wonder Mom]

According to TDCJ, it is 240 minutes. I pay through www.jpay.com
with Fund an Offender Phone Debit Account. This has worked good for
us.

The following rules apply to the system:
•Phones are available from 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM, unless conditions
dictate a change.
•Calls are limited to 15 minutes.
•You will hear a warning message one minute before being disconnected.
•Offenders are limited to 240 minutes per month.
•All calls, except to the Attorney of Record, are subject to
monitoring and recording.
•Calls may only be made to home land line telephone numbers. No calls
are allowed to cell phones, internet services, 800 numbers,
businesses, pay phones, or international numbers.
•To receive calls, the telephone number owner must be listed on the
offender’s Visitors List. Additionally, the name on the Visitors List
must match the name on registrant’s driver’s license or state
identification card. Additionally, this information must also be
reflected on their telephone listing or bill.
•To register you will be required to confirm that you:
◦Are the registered owner of the telephone number.
◦Are not registering a wireless number.
◦Agree to allow the offender to call the phone number.
◦Are at least 18 years old.
◦Will not forward calls or make 3-way calls received from the offender

On Feb 25, 8:40 am, Jan Logsdon <jamiel1...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Mary,
>
> My son is limited to 120 minutes a month and my other son pays the
> bill in the same way as you do.  It is my understanding the 240
> minutes is not the norm.  I fully realize that this is no solace for
> you but I am also griping about the 120 minute limitations and wonder
> how you managed to acquire 240... perhaps we could do it too.
>
> Jan
>

> >http://groups.google.com/group/tifa-talk?hl=en.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Jan Logsdon]

I agree with Dave but there is another avenue. We also use the e-mail
system through jpay. Each page is 44 cents. The equivalent of a
postage stamp, you buy the stamps up front and each e-mail is deducted
from that store of stamps. Credit cards accepted for the purchase.
Mastercard I think.

Through trial and error I have found I can write in a word prosessing
document and using font #12 in microsoft I can get the equivalent of
two pages, depending on the space lines. I cut and paste that
document into the space for the e-mail. Then I do a preview to insure
it fits without being charged for another page. If it fits, I send.
My only regret is that it is only one-way but if I need to get him a
message quickly, I use the e-mail. If I send at mid-night, he usually
gets it around noon the following day depending on the mail-room staff
except for week-ends. The previewed letter has an assigned number in
the header. The posted letter has a slightly differnet number. I
copy that last number on the document that was pre-composed, just
because it seems the thing to do. Hope that helps someone.

Jan

[Louise]

Jan

Thanks for sending out the info on the jpay emails. I also use this method
to keep in touch with my son. Before he became eligible for phone calls in
mid Jan of this year, the emails were my fastest way to keep in touch. My
son (until this past July) was in Ad Seg at the McConnell unit for over ten
years. But even there if I sent an email one night, he would always have it
the next afternoon or evening. So this is another great resource, enabling
us to keep in touch with our loved ones. In Ad Seg this was an important
improvement for communication since segged inmates are excluded from
telephone calls.

I also agree with you Dave about the phone system. It is a vast improvement
over no calls at all.

Once again, thanks to everyone for the ongoing info. Tifatalk is a good
tool for all of us who have loved ones and friends within the system to
share ideas and information, both good and bad.

Louise
----- Original Message -----

From: "Jan Logsdon" <jamie...@gmail.com>
To: <tifa...@googlegroups.com>

[Jan Logsdon]

Louise,

I enjoy it also even tho I don't often post. I would only wish one
more thing other than the obvious. I would like to be able to access
a site that would give the "personality" of the different Units. The
state does not keep those kinds of records. In case of transfer I
would like to see assessments of the kind of changes their lives would
encounter.

But another time... another place.

I have enjoyed this. Thank you all.
Jan

On 2/25/11, Louise <lel...@satx.rr.com> wrote:

[Jan Logsdon]

P. S.

I almost forgot. I came across a story earlier today about the over
11,000 books banned by TDCJ. Here is a link to a 59 page pdf. report
indicating those books.

http://www.texascivilrightsproject.org/docs/prisonbooks/TCRP_Prison_Books_Report.pdf

Jan

[dalla...@aol.com]

my grandsons minutes were also 120 a month, and for whatever reason ( and I am not complains), the unit increased it to 240 a month. I was told by correctional billing that the unit sets the minutes for the inmates. they can also now push a # when they start making their call home and it tells them how many minutes they have left. lol....guess I should not complain at all!!

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Louise <lel...@satx.rr.com>
To: tifa-talk <tifa...@googlegroups.com>

>
Sent: Friday, February 25, 2011 8:40 AM
Subject: Re: [TIFA Talk:1343] Re: Inmate Telephone Calls


> Mary,
>
> My son is limited to 120 minutes a month and my other son pays the
> bill in the same way as you do.  It is my understanding the 240
> minutes is not the norm.  I fully realize that this is no solace for
> you but I am also griping about the 120 minute limitations and wonder
> how you managed to acquire 240... perhaps we could do it too.
>
> Jan
>


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[Silva Carver]

I'm sorry you are all having difficulties, but I'm still going to complain though.

My closest friend died a few weeks ago after a long battle with cancer. She was like a sister to me, and had written several times to my husband (who has been in TDCJ for 6 years).

I emailed my husband about our friend's death. Because I live in the UK, we don't have access to the phone system so my husband asked the Chaplain if he could let my husband speak to me on the phone for a few minutes. The Chaplain said no because that is only reserved for immediate family deaths - and only immediate family to the inmates. Apparently it wouldn't have mattered if she had been my sister, because she wasn't his sister.

It was 2 weeks before a letter arrived here from my husband with words of comfort.

So please, whether it is 120, or 240 minutes, remember that it IS better than not having the system at all. I would be more than willing to pre-pay a slightly higher charge per minute if it meant we could have phone calls too. I can only assume that Embarq can't make extra money from overseas calls, as well as not being able to verify that it is a landline in many countries (although not in the UK as our cell phone numbers all begin with 07).

Silva

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[dalla...@aol.com]

Silva,I am so sorry for your loss, I didn't mean to sound ungrateful about having the phones calls. I am VERY grateful.

I too have had to call the unit that my grandson is in to inform him of a death in the family. I called the Chaplin both times and he allowed him to call home and talk to me as long as he needed. although he was monitoring the call. the first time I had to make that awful call was because his step dad passed away. But the second call, was the hardest of all. I had to tell him that his baby brother had killed himself! we tried to get him brought to his funeral, but the board refused our request because he had 5 years left on his sentence. so, yes, I am very grateful for the calls.

 

Mary

[Louise]

Silva

 

My condolences to you on your friend's death. It is always so difficult to lose someone we love.

 

The reason I have been putting out information on the phone system problems is because we are trying to compile the various problems in the hopes of attempting to get some of them remedied...not because we are ungrateful.  If we don't recognize problems and at least make the effort to obtain some improvements, than nothing will ever change.  It is always much less effort on our part to accept things as they are, rather than to at least "try" to do something about it. Working with TDCJ is always, always difficult, but we still need to keep trying.

 

Louise

 

[Silva Carver]

No, sorry, perhaps I came across wrong. I didn't mean that you were being ungrateful, just that having the calls is better than not having them.

I'd love to be able to sympathise better with all of you, but TDCJ and the Legislators simple wont allow us at the moment. Maybe that is one problem you can add to your list? They are missing out on the money we would be spending on the calls, and that seems to be the top priority with TDCJ at the moment (isn't it always)

I know they cannot individulalise their "service", but sometimes the facelessness of TDCJ rules makes me so cross.

Sorry if I upset anyone, I really didn't mean to.

Silva

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[Jan Logsdon]

Silva,

I for one am not offended. BTW, thanks to the discussion here, my son
has 240 minutes. Didn't know.

Jan

[Louise]

Silva

I'm not the least offended. I understand how you are feeling about things.
It is too bad you are so far away but I hope you will always feel free to
express yourself on this forum. I do know how frustrating it can be dealing
with TDCJ as my husband and I have had 18 years worth of it.

Jan...glad you now know the correct minutes your son can call you. My
husband and I visited my son today so it sorta made my day as we enjoyed a
very pleasant visit outside.

Louise

[Jan Logsdon]

Louise, lol, since he calls more than one of us, time gets a little
lost. Now his call tracking voice tells him he has 18 minutes left of
the month and 972 calls. Who knows?

Today was a very nice day and am happy that mother nature assisted
your visit. Have a happy.

Jan