The Buffer

My brother asks whether he can buy me some phone cards and send me some vitamins. He wants to know whether I'm eating well. I appreciate his concern for my well being, but, like many people, he doesn't know the condition of the jail.

Unlike prison, where the environment is a microcosm of society, jail is the buffer between prison and society. It's temporary. Aside from the letters, money orders, and reading materials, I am not allowed to receive anything.

In jail, the most time a person can serve is about one year. Anything longer than that and the state prison is the next destination. Though I'm an immigration detainee, not many people stay in jail for 18 months like I have.

I'm grateful that I'm doing all right under the circumstances.