Conversations from jail
He called from jail. The first call cost me three dollars plus a minute fee that seemed reasonable so I accepted. He asked me to go online and put sixty dollars (his money) into his “trust fund.” I agreed, put him on my running account of inmates (currently three) and paid the money. Sixty-seven and change, once they added on the “service fee” (ka-ching).
A day later he calls me again and damn I forgot to buy some phone time from Connect Network yesterday so again, I have to pay the full three dollars to talk now. I grab my credit card and punch the numbers in again. The same recording warns me that “this is an inmate is calling from a correctional facility”.. When I am finally done plotting the numbers he is on the phone again asking me for more money. As if it were my business I asked: “What happened to the money I put on your commissary yesterday?”
“Oh they took that to pay for my jumpsuit and shoes and some other things like shampoo (ka-ching). I only got eighteen dollars left and I wanted to buy a radio. They said I cold buy one there where you get the snacks.”
“How much is a radio?”
“Thirty-five.”
“Dollars?”
“Yeah.”
(ka-ching)
