We're still working hard at the Suite to get you more of the variety and more both of the things that you need to know as well as the things you might like to hear about the Lone Star State. Unfortunately, this overriding editorial obligation requires patience and perserverance in order to do things right and properly around here. What am I really try to say? That I feel like I'm waiting on Godot on some features that in the long term will reap immense dividends for you as the reader which requires that on weeks like these leaves me with almost nothing to write.
However, in light of a couple of article series that we've been working on here, I thought I'd share a couple of interesting items related to both our "BEHIND THE BARS" and "COWBOYS, JUDAISM, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT" series that I thought would serve as fascinating background material for you to ruminate and "chew the cud" on as this week's substitute and glorified excuse for an article.
[SPACEKILLER #1:] This one comes from the Freedom In Jesus Prison Ministry Newsletter "Jesus, the Key" printed by previous Suite interview subject Don Castleberry that serves as a little bit of a primer on the unique language and prison slang used by inmates to describe various facets of prison life:
[CONVICTION AND PRISON SLANG:]
Cop out - A plea of guilty from the accused
Stacked - Two or more sentences which run consecutively
Fall (or fell) - Received a conviction and subsequent prison sentence
Fell from - Refers to the city or county where convicted
Rum rap - Unjust conviction or charge
Fall partner - Two or more inmates convicted for the same offense
Trey - Three year sentence
Nickel - Five year sentence
Dime - Ten year sentence
Two bits - Twenty-five year sentence
Four bits - Fifty-year sentence
Six bits - Seventy-five year sentence
[INMATE REFERRALS TO INSTITUTIONAL RULE INFRACTIONS:]
Flam - Being unjustly accused of a rule violation
Case - Charged with a rule violation
Make it - Receive light or no punishment for an institutional rule violation
Wreck (or switch) - Getting into trouble
Ice - Segregation
The Hole (or meditation) - Solitary confinement
Cold shot - Unfair treatment
Racked up - onfined to cell for count or some other infraction, such as a shakedown
[SPACEKILLER #2:] I saw an interesting poem in "Christian Cowboy Magazine" written by Don Corley of the Christian Cowboys Association that you might like to read:
