We've all heard a kid say "I go home regardless" -- and know that sometimes "regardless" is regardless of finishing out one's sentence in TDCJ, right?  But -I- get to go home ANY TIME I WANT and never have to step foot in a dorm again.  That's kind of a nice feeling, knowing there's an escape hatch should I need it.

And the nice things about home?  Ohhh, I've  been blessed because of what I've earned at TYC.  Things like:

  • Double-ply toilet tissue.
  • More video games, movies, high speed internet and music than I can access in a lifetime.
  • Someone who loves me to sleep with, in a bed with a real mattress.
  • Keys to the house, car, etc, and the pride and responsibility of ownership of more than fits in a plastic bag.
  • Pets, and caring for thier well being.
  • Friends who call and come by or vice versa, and relationships with others in my community.
  • Whatever kind of food I choose to afford, prepared with all the seasoning and spices I like.
  • Power tools, and other big boy toys.
  • Solitude when I want it, company when I don't.
  • Getting up/sleeping when I want on my days off.


There's more, of course.  What I learned early in life -- without having to be locked up, or be a victim or a victimizer -- was always playing by the rules is the best thing to do.  APPEARING to go by (most of) the rules was next best,  and if you want to call it cheating, lip service, stretching things a little that's OK.  Sometimes if you flagrantly BROKE THE RULES and/or weren't slick enough not to get caught, well... darn... time for a Thinking Report, eh?  Easy come, easy go.

What the kids here will benefit from is TRUE responsibility for their behavior.  Either it is OK or not OK to do every little thing we can imagine them doing, good OR bad.  So why don't the 5's and 6's make up some REAL BASIC training sheets with directives on what flies and what doesn't?  Can we all say "zero tolerance" and know what it means enough to apply it consistantly, even if we're a visiting staff on a new dorm?  Knowing even a few FIRM RULES would help us regain control of the dorms again.

Anyhow...

I KNOW I can't expose MYSELF to a co-worker, say, and not get locked up.  The kids do it to the female staff ALL THE TIME now and the consequence is just "TSK, TSK... oh, you naughty boy!"  

Now, if I want to stay in the Free, -I- have to go by the rules... and wonder have to what would happen if a staff preferred charges against one of the kids who  was just "sexually acting out" as they say here.  Can't see why they souldn't have the legitimate right to do so!

Wonder how/if  having another few years added to one's sentence would send an unmistakeable message to all the rest of the TYC kids and others in the community at large:  If you play with yourself and don't play by the rules society has set up for everyone's benefit, you will what... will get sent to the Giddings Resort For Naughty Children??  No problem!  The nice thing is that it's OK there to be a practicing sex offender, I suppose.  Sure offends me, anyhow, that they get away with it nowdays.