The war on drugs continues in its hypocrisy. In September, Texas locked down the entire prison system to eradicate drugs. It didn’t work.
I’m not really sure if that was the actual goal since not a day goes by where men aren’t sitting in the day rooms of every pod on Boyd Unit smoking away like it’s legal! The drug situation has taken a new and deadly turn. Four prisoners went out on an ambulance today. Just last Friday night, two prisoners went out on a life flight chopper due to drugs, and last month a guy died after falling out from smoking K-2 in prison. Heard he put enough paper sprayed with K-2 in one hit on a pipe to have made 3 or 4 sticks in one big puff — and fell out dead.
What I find most intriguing is there are tables on every pod where the smokers gather to smoke. These tables are covered with all sorts of paraphernalia used in rolling sticks of dope from the paper sprayed with K-2. It’s considered so precious that a piece the size of a Chapstick sells for $20.00 to $30.00. That’s paid in commissary, as is the tiny piece they sell for $5.00.
If you want more, it’s easy to find chunks the size of an ID card for $100.00 or more, but you have to have friends and family to send the money to you on a cash app.
Don’t Miss The Growth of K2 in Prison
Maybe I’m getting old. I remember when possession of drug paraphernalia was a misdemeanor in the world, and Texas prisons banned all smoking back in the ’90s. They used to have to have access to an electric outlet to get a light. Now they can use the plug on the tablet and razor blades to get a light anywhere, and those are rechargeable.
What is most aggravating to me is they still want to enforce petty rules about how we wear our hair, and God forbid one of us tranny girls wears makeup. Those drugged out guys will never be able to get out of the way in time to avoid being trampled as they run in to arrest us.
Never forget there are cameras, and all they have to do is watch to see who’s smoking and who’s selling and then enforce current rules. But they don’t and never will. They’re more worried about me sitting too close to the man who helps me stay sober by holding me close and loving me.
Seriously, K-2 in prison is a scourge. Many prisoners come back from commissary and carry their entire sack to the dope men. It’s a shame that these men never have a chance to get drug-free while in prison. One guy I know swears he’ll stop when he gets out. No one believes him. I doubt he even believes himself.
I know a few guys, who are days away from walking out on parole, who still smoke daily. What chance do they have? I have not been high in months at this time, but only by the grace of God and because I have a good man to lean on. Every day is a struggle to keep saying no. I shouldn’t have to fight that battle in prison. When the guards know who smokes and who deals and they do nothing about it, they become culpable for not only the drug trafficking but for all the deaths and damages that come from it, and that is the sad state of prison today.
The dealers are fueling this with a dope smoking challenge. If anyone can take a piece of paper soaked in K-2 the size of about a third of the barcode in one hit on a pipe and not fall out it’s free. Of course, if they fall out they owe $15.00. I saw three men try today. None succeeded. All had major drug-induced fits. I thought they were sure to die.
Don’t Miss Fentanyl and K-2 Coming In Prison Mail
A friend once advised me not to complain about how things are being done unless I had a solution for the problem. Here’s my advice to those in charge of Texas prisons:
1. Since the majority of the dealers are gang members, assign Gang Intelligence officers to watch cameras on one pod at a time and identify all smokers and dealers on the unit.
2. Have officers from the Office of Inspector General use this information to initiate full investigations of all financial transactions being conducted by these men and their friends and family.
3. File charges against everyone involved in the drug trade inside the prison system as well as those handling the money outside of prison.
4. Any prisoners identified as addicts should be separated from the prison population and housed together in more secure prisons without access to any commissary except for hygiene and legal materials for at least one year.
I am glad this wasn’t done while I was addicted, but it is time for Texas prisons to stop playing games and get real about this problem.
Most prisoners come to prison as addicts. They shouldn’t leave prison still addicted. Too many lives are being ruined, and too many lives are being lost.
Only by having serious consequences for selling and using drugs will we ever give men in prison an incentive to live sober. Right now it’s too damn easy to be an addict in a Texas prison. The penalties for introducing drugs into a prison are far too lax when it is so hard to catch a guard delivering.
Once the consequences for doing drugs is harsh enough, those caught using drugs will be more willing to turn in their dealers, and once the consequences for dealing become harsh enough, those dealers will gladly give up their suppliers.
For those, like myself, who struggle to stay sober every day, to have a drug-free environment would allow us to win our battles against addiction while providing hope for those still addicted.
It’s time. Just do it.
Daniel Harris #00622851
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Boyd Unit
200 Spur 113
Teague, TX 75860-2007
