By Crystal McLaughlin – Mendocino Country Environmentalist, August 1, 1990
“This is jail.” Having spent 2 days in the Mendocino County Jail for “trespassing” on the LP logging site at Osprey Grove, I heard this phrase a lot.
That’s their answer to every question, no matter how politely or logically asked. Having always
(rather innocently or stupidly, I suppose) expected to be treated with fairness, friendliness, and respect, in return for it. I was shocked and dismayed to find quite the opposite response in these jailers.
When we first went into the main jail area, we were “locked down” in our own rooms (separately) for 24 hours, due to some supposed misconduct by our colleagues (whom we didn’t know). We were given jail jumpsuits and allowed to take 5-minute showers. After the lock down was over, we were allowed to go to the bathroom freely, browse the books, and make phone calls.
The jail seemed to be understaffed or at least unorganized, since only one of us was being booked at a time. Or was this simply another delay / frustration tactic that the jailers use? I remember standing behind the glass, feeling very alone, trying to catch someone’s (anyone’s) eye, and feeling sure that I was either invisible or at least no more relevant to them than an animal in a cage. Not one would even meet my eye.
I quickly began to feel that it was pointless to try to be friendly only to get stabbed in the back the next moment by some comment—”Oh, she’s real cute” “this is one of those tree-sitting assholes” so I agreed with myself to be nothing more than neutral from then on. Were these people envious of our lives or the strength of our convictions, or were they motivated by misery, guilt, or sheer meanness? I’ll never know.
After about 30 minutes of waiting to be booked, I asked to go to the bathroom. I was taken around the counter, through the office, and into about a 6’x6’ room with a toilet, a sink. a plastic covered mattress on the floor, and a window which looked out into the hall. The door was locked behind me, and the light turned off. After I finished, I knocked on the door, assuming I would be let out and returned to the booking room. I heard someone say “just leave her in there” so I knocked louder.
Two jailers came to the window and yelled at me in a very threatening and mean way “just sit down and shut up—you’re not getting out.” I said, “you can’t just lock me in a dark bathroom for no reason,” The reply was, “just shut up, or we’ll put you in restraints.” I wasn’t completely sure what that meant, but I didn’t like the sound of it, so I sat down and tried to relax, even though my heart was pounding as if it would burst.
I was in there for over an hour, and it was only “explained” to me later that that bathroom was the “detox” room (I was not intoxicated) and that it was cooler in there and they were trying to be “nice,” though in reality I noticed no difference between that and the booking room.
Don’t fall for this tactic—it’s something akin to your parents telling you they’re spanking you because they love you—I can do without that kind of “love” or “niceness,” thank you—it didn’t make sense to me even when I was 6 years old, and it still doesn’t.
Another game these jailers play is loudly dropping office “gossip” around the prisoners. I “over heard,” for example, that all the male prisoners had cited out, and that those who refused to give their names would be transferred from the jail to prison. Don’t listen to it!
When I was being fingerprinted for the third time, the jailer purposefully smeared my print, then blamed me for it, as an excuse to yell at me, jerk me around, and pinch my fingers very tightly. I was told to clean my hands, after which I was fingerprinted again for the fourth time. When I asked why, I got an answer designed to make me feel stupid. A strip search, as well as numerous delays, interruptions, and confusion in the booking process, only added to the humiliation.
The food is tolerable (or was I just real hungry?) though as a vegetarian, I had to pick the ham off my salad and forego to main entree (spaghetti w/meat sauce) altogether (vegetarian requests are ignored).
None of these things is meant to scare anyone away from jail. In fact I encourage more people to do Civil Disobedience this summer and always. Jail isn’t a concentration camp, I didn’t get the shit beat out of me, but hey, it isn’t much fun either.
To a person dedicated to the freedom and rights of all species, just the physical effect of being locked up inside by power-tripping, system-upholders after living in the woods for awhile, is a huge shock to the system. The best thing to do is remain nonviolent, go along without kissing up, ignore their bullshit and don’t let it get to you, know that there are people pulling for you on the outside, and remember why you’re in there! Going to jail for a cause you believe in can, and should be a very empowering experience.