the fear of change

Ever since starting CPE, Metro has been amidst a transition of change. As you may recall, starting in July we got a new warden, Ms Seabolt, and we also got a new deputy warden, Mr Fagan. With both of these people came new expectations and changes. Some will happen very slowly over time, and some are already happening.

Now we're in another change. The prison now has a new mission of holding all the close security inmates. I don't know who made this decision or why it was made, but over the past couple weeks there have been large shipments in and out of the prison. Out have been going lower security women, and in have been coming close security women. Every time I enter F Building, there are new faces I don't recognize, and there are faces I look for that are now gone, sent to one of the other two women's prisons in Georgia.

There is some fear among those women who haven't been shipped yet about living in a dorm filled with close security women. Just so you know, the security level of an inmate is originally based on how big the crime was, and how violent. Close security usually means someone has committed a murder or a very brutal act of violence. The security level, however, can be lowered after an analysis conducted over time in the prison. If a close security woman has displayed remarkable change in attitude and manner (for the positive, of course), her security level may be lowered.

I have heard more than one of the women speak about their fears of living amongst so many close security women. One view in particular that I have heard from more than one woman is that many of the close security women have life sentences with no possibility for parole or probation, and because of this, they have nothing to lose, and so they don't care about acting friendly or polite or following the rules. I realize this is a large generalization, but certainly there must be some truth to it. I do keep in mind, however, that perhaps the fear isn't so much about the fact that these women coming in are close security, but really more about the fact that every day many of their friends are being shipped off and replaced by strangers. Some women have lived at Metro for years and are suddenly, and without warning, shipped off elsewhere.

Because of this transition happening, there has been a lot of tension in the air this past week. I've noticed it, and so have many of the women and staff. This has led to more squabbles and fights breaking out, and for the officers to act even more aggressive and abusive than they already do. Will this sense of tension and fear calm down after a while? Is it just a matter of getting used to the change? Will, as many of the women fear, the atmosphere of the prison take a drastic change once it becomes mostly close security? I certainly don't know the answers to these questions. Since CPE only goes for two more weeks, it may not be long enough to find out. I do think, though, that Metro will always be going through some sort of transition or change, and there will always be an initial fear to that. It's just a matter of getting used to it and letting things settle down.