Once you get into prison you become aware that intricate measures are in
place to prevent the unauthorized entering and leaving. However, these
measures pertain only to humans. This cesspool called prison cares
little that bugs and vermin can come and go as they please. They care
less about what crawls, hops or flies into prison cells.

Prisoners soon learn to be very vigilant and keep their eyes and ears
open at all times to defend against the onslaught. These critters appear
in all shapes and sizes. Cell doors keep prisoners in, but they do not
keep bugs and vermin out. They just come in under the doors, wiggle up
through the sink drain, or come in through the bars or vents. The larger
creatures use darkness as their cover. After the main lights go off, you
can be sure that a field mouse (usually with brood in tow) will run in
under your door to forage for a meal. Mice and rats are the largest
visitors. Mice can make good pets if you can catch one. Peanut butter
makes great bait. Mice can smell peanut butter from a cell block away.

It is important to remember to look inside your shoes before sticking
your feet into them. You have not suffered a more excruciating pain than
to be stung by a scorpion or spider upset to find your foot intruding
into its space! These creatures crave the warmth and darkness of shoes.

You are most defenseless when you sleep. It is most common to wake up
and find numerous bite marks on your body. These invaders are stealthy
at night. Bugs own the darkness. You can find large sewer roaches, water
bugs, crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, cockroaches and even small
lizards. Flies, mosquitoes, moths and gnats attack day and night. You
learn to coexist with these unwanted houseguests. However, there are
times when you must draw the line.

Case in point. For a number of months I have been noticing tiny black
bugs in my cell. They are not a threatening type of bug, and I do not
know the name of this species. I could not determine where they were
coming from. Then one day I was looking through the paper sack that
contains our lunch and I spotted a couple of these bugs at the bottom of
the sack. They were hiding in the folds of the sack. Since the lunch
sacks are usually wet or very damp at the bottom, this makes for a
convenient place for these bugs to exist. One day I noticed that these
bugs had made their way into the sandwich bread. I stopped eating the
sandwich lunches completely.

It was not until the other day that I got really bugged. Our breakfast
trays arrive at 6 am, when most of us are bleary eyed. As I was eating
my breakfast I noticed two black specks in one of the compartments of
the tray. Upon closer inspection I discovered that two of these little
black bugs I had seen in the sack lunches had made their way onto my
breakfast tray. I skipped breakfast.

Rather than get all worked up over this, I decided to alert the proper
personnel. I placed the bugs in a small plastic bag and attached it to
an inmate letter that I sent to the appropriate person. I explained that
these bugs were not a disgusting type of bug, such as cockroaches, but
what was bothering me most was that I was now being forced to compete
with these critters for my meals! Edible food is scarce enough around
here.

I knew I had raised some concern with my paperwork when two burly
sergeants appeared at the front of my cell and ordered me to "cuff up".
This meant that they were going to handcuff me behind my back and remove
me from my cell. I asked what this was about, and although I had a good
idea it had to do with my bug complaint, the meaner looking cop said
"It’s about nothing!" Yeah, right, I said to myself. I was shoved into
the shower and left there for 40 minutes handcuffed while they went
about tearing up my cell and throwing everything around. If they could
not find some unsanitary condition in my cell to explain where the bugs
were coming from, then they would make sure they sent me a strong
message not to complain about such matters again.

When I was returned to my cell I confronted them by acknowledging that I
knew what they were up to. The "about nothing" claim disappeared when
the burly sergeant angrily noted that I was the only one out of 750
prisoners to complain about bugs in the food. I countered by looking
them in the eyes and explaining that I thought they would appreciate
hearing about such health code violations in an informal manner as
opposed to a grievance or law suit. I also noted that I was not trying
to be a problem or to point fingers at others. I just wanted the problem
addressed before it got worse. I further stated that the reason no one
else complained about these bugs was either because they did not notice
the bugs, or that they did not mind the additional "protein" in their
diet!

As is the case in such shakedowns, they take lots of little items from
your cell. I also knew that some additional retaliation would follow.
Sure enough, about two hours later, the pod officer hollered into me
that I was on "report". I yelled back to ask why, and was told that I
had "too many antacid tablets" in my cell! Being on report means that
you will receive a disciplinary write up followed by loss of privileges
for 30 days. Thinking about this situation I guess the lesson to be
learned is that you should not "get bugged" over being bugged because
you may well find yourself getting stung!!!

*      *      *

Richard Rossi, 50337
Death Row
ASPC Eyman, G-42
PO Box 3400
Florence, AZ 85232
USA

March, 1999