This week, I'm on my way back to Cali - on a bus, no less.  I'm excited, anxious, a little bit scared, but mostly I'm looking forward to the new chapter of my life that is about to unfold.

The past few weeks have been so stressful for me. Not because of the anxiety of going to yet another unfamiliar prison environment, but because of that bus ride I will be taking by the time you are reading this.

I'm the same one who had a panic attack, and broke down in tears the first time I had to get on public transportation at the halfway house when I was ending my state prison sentence. Thankfully, the women who came to my rescue were sweet, patient, and understanding of my plight.  They literally held my hand, and supported me through that initial ordeal. I never got used to riding the city bus. I would walk to and from work most times, rather than ride the bus. Other times, I would just share a taxi with my co-workers, especially when traveling late at night.

Lean, Mean, Money Making Machine
Before you start thinking that I'm being dramatic over having to ride the bus, let me tell you why I stopped. It wasn't the drug deals I bore witness to. Nor the blatant prostitution hustles I overheard. No, it was none of that. Those things I could handle, especially having just learned in prison not to hear, see or say anything about anything. 

What I couldn't handle was the saggy, smelly and skinny white guy whose wrinkly, hairy balls hung out from underneath his daisy dukes swinging freely as he sat cross-legged on the seat opposite me. Uh, yeah! F*@k public transportation! I'm walking!!! Check, please!

Federal prison allows you to transfer from facility to facility for various different reasons. Prisoners refer to this as "touring" prisons, especially those that have some serious time to do.

In some cases, the warden will allow an inmate to "furlough" transfer unescorted from facility to facility. Not everyone gets this privilege to transfer unescorted, and those who pose a risk to the community, they never get to transfer in this way. Those inmates not allowed usually include those transferring to administrative, low, medium, or high security facilities.

The inmates who are privileged to furlough unescorted must be transferring from a low or minimum security facility, must not pose a threat to the community, and must have demonstrated responsibility while incarcerated to assure furlough requirements will be met. Those inmates convicted of a serious crime against a person will not be granted a furlough.

Institutional transfers can still be requested by those not meeting the eligibility requirements for an unescorted furlough transfer. These inmates will generally be transferred via U.S. Marshal transport - i.e. ConAir and full prison armor.

Inmates can be transferred for the following reasons, among others:
- To an institution with greater security
- With lesser security
- As a result of misconduct (disciplinary)
- Nearer the release destination
- Relieve overcrowding
- Increase population (of newer facilities)
- Participation in a specialized drug abuse program
- Other types of program participation
- Return to original institution upon program completion, withdrawal or removal

Transferring facilities is seen as a privilege (when not as a result of an institutional need), and a prisoner's disciplinary record plays a major role in the granting or denying of such requests.  It's just like in the real work where you have to give a little to gain a little, and bad deeds are never rewarded.

I will follow up with my bus ride adventures next week. Thank you for stopping by.