A-pod, 272 is a transfer tank in Tower 2 of LA County Jail.
It’s where inmates are sent, usually for a night, or two, on their way to permanent housing somewhere deep within the belly of the beast.
My situation being sort of unique, I was there for 3 (or was it 4?) nights.
The tank would repeatedly fill to the brim, with around 90 or so inmates, then it would empty again, only to repeat the process.
Usually the filling occurred late in the night. I was even able to learn to sleep through it.
The lights stayed on in the tank around the clock. I learned to sleep through that as well.
When the TV was on and everyone was up and about, the tank was a boisterous place, to say the least.
I remember when this one big brother appeared. I’ll have to admit, the guy was a bit intimidating…really big and always with this scowl…
well, not always…
You see, there was this other skinny dude with lots of frantic energy…and always happy, reminded me of Pharrell.
The skinny guy would dance around the tank, cracking jokes. He was a riot, really.
Well, one night, I was trying to sleep, but everyone else was pretty much still awake. I was one of the “older” dudes in the tank.
Anyhow, there was this Harry Potter movie playing on the tele.
And big “scary” dude and the skinny one started bantering back and forth like a couple of olde Brits…
imitating Harry and his female cohort, Hermione.
“Harry, Harry, stop it Harry…”
“I shan’t stop, Hermione, Lord Voldemort, commands me to carry on…”
“Oh Harry, stop it…no…Harry…no…”
“Oh yes…Harry…yes…yes”
These “tough” guys had to’ve been Harry Potter addicts because they had the accents down pat. They were killing me!
I couldn’t help but to break out laughing. They both looked over and gave me a…
“what the hell you laughing about, wood…”
kind of a look.
Then they just smiled and carried on with their Brit banter.
Others in the pod began to notice and all of a sudden everyone was having a grand old time being entertained by these guys and their Harry Potter impersonations.
It was a riot.
athletic talent…
comedic talent…
showbiz talent of all shapes and sizes…
and who knows what else…
perhaps literary?
But, rather than view prisons as repositories of talent, they are viewed more like suppositories…
I believe perhaps if those in prison were treated in a way that reflected what they really are…
That is, human beings possessed of the same potential as all the rest of us…
Rather than wretched refuse that society needs to be protected from…
Well, then perhaps real rehabilitation could occur…
And we’d all be a whole lot better off.
image credit: ! Ťhe Half Blood Prince ! via Compfight cc
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