Prison Transfers are Not a Fun Adventure

 It's not terribly unusual for Michigan prisoners to stay in the same prison, or even the same bunk, for years at a time. Before my recent move to a new housing unit, I was in the same cell, minus a brief stint away during the Covid fiasco, for almost five years. I was in the same housing unit for more than six years. And, though his case is unusual, another prisoner in the same eight-man cube as me in another prison was in his bunk for seventeen years!

Some prisoners like to move, even change prisons, every couple of years. I'm not one of them. I prefer the comfort of the known -- you know, "Better the devil you know..." Yet, when I have moved in the past, even to different prisons, the experience has not been as bad as I anticipated. Well, the transfer itself is, but not the relocation. 

Transferring from one prison to another is an exhausting exercise. It usually involves hours of waiting, being handcuffed and shackled, shuffling onto and off of busses or vans, long rides without access to the bathroom, fasting from food and drink (unless you want to have to hold your bodily urges for hours), and sweating -- lots and lots of sweating. And that's only the beginning. 

Once one arrives at a new prison, he is assigned to a housing unit and bunk. If he is lucky his property came with him on the same transportation and he may get it the same day or the next. If he is unlucky, as many are, his property arrived separately, and he may not receive it for several days. It's not terribly unusual for someone to wait a week, despite the prison policy that requires a prisoner receive his property within 24 hours. 

When prisoners must wait days for their property to catch up, they only have what they are wearing. This means they must wear the same sweaty, dirty clothing for days at a time, without showering. Sometimes, a prisoner in this situation is fortunate to know someone who will lend him what he needs to shower, and he may even be given a toothbrush and a change of clothes. Most aren't so fortunate. 

During transfers, it is also not unusual for the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) to misplace or damage prisoner property. The process to be reimbursed for damaged or lost property is months-long, and often means receiving less than the replacement value of the lost or damaged property. 

I have not transferred prisons since the MDOC has experienced its critical shortage of staff. I have to imagine things have not gotten better. You can't expect overworked, stressed out staff to care much about their jobs, especially when some already view prisoners negatively. 

With all the potential problems during prison transfers, it baffles my mind why some prisoners like to change prisons frequently. It seems like a difficult way to do their time. Though I expect to be transferred again soon, I hope it's my last time before I parole.