When It’s Hot, It’s Hot!

Ok, I am writing this in the office. The office doesn’t have A/C. It feels like it’s 130 degrees with 60% humidity in here! So, this might be short and I might be a little crabby. With that being said…..on with my life…..and welcome to it…..

This week I’ve been hanging out with prisoners and crazy people. Another reason to be a little crabby. However, I got to spend today at home and finally got some things done that needed to be done sooner. Like getting meds refilled that should have been refilled last week, defrosting the drink fridge that should have been done last month, getting vehicle tags renewed before the cops come after me, and clearing off the top of hubby’s cabinet that I have been asking him to clear off for a couple weeks. So the week hasn’t been all futile, I did get a few things done. (And I’m getting an entry written! Woohoo!)

It all started when we got a plea from the Sheriff’s Office to go the the state mental hospital on Monday and pick up a “super crazy woman” (their words, not mine), take her to court and then take her back to the mental hospital. State mental hospital is 125 miles away and we had to have her back here for court at 9 am! So that meant leaving in the wee hours of the night, (about 01:30). We left a little earlier because from prior trips to that facility we knew we might have to wait outside the doors for 30 minutes before anyone let us in. This time was only about 20 minutes but we had to go to two different buildings. The trip back wasn’t too bad. She was fine as long and I was talking to her but if I quit she would start talking to invisible people. I normally have sympathy for people in this condition unless it is self inflicted like hers and that’s a little tougher. For the most part she behaved in court but did have to be called down a few times by both attorneys and the judge. However, she refused the court appointed attorney so the hearing had to be continued. She was given until Wednesday to contact her attorney and get him to the hearing at 02:30. The trip back was mind numbing and we both had headaches by half way there. She talked, mostly cussing and threatening the entire length of the trip. If I were to add up the time she wasn’t talking it would total about 30 seconds, and I am dead serious.

So Wednesday comes. Again the trip to court wasn’t too bad, she was quieter but still talked to non-existent people. Outbursts, but at least those were of laughing and singing. HOWEVER, court was something else. She still didn’t have an attorney so the judge ordered that the court appointed attorney would handle her case. The trouble started when she found out that her children, which had been left with her boyfriend (father to one of them) and even worse, his parents were all in the hallway of the court. As soon as I heard that I knew there was going to be trouble! Those are the people she had been threatening most of the time we were with her. I made an excuse to go out of the courtroom before the hearing started and was able to find a city police officer in the hall. He notified the sheriff and they both sat in the courtroom. Don was in charge of instructing her where to be when and I acted as bailiff. When we left the courtroom she took off after the father of her BF. I grabbed her and shoved her into the law library. Don and the sheriff followed me in. The Sheriff warned her several times that if she didn’t settle down she would be escorted out of the building and over to the jail. She finally settled down. But when we left the library to go back to the courtroom she spat in the face of her BF’s father, screaming names and hurling accusations. We weren’t told beforehand but the reason the kids and family were there is because after her hearing, the hearing for custody of her children was held. We had to stay for that. She had settled down but no decisions were made and we have to take her back August 6th. She was very quiet and mannerly on the way back…finally. Don and I put in 15 hours the first day and 14.5 the second day.

Yesterday we got a late call to transport two of our prisoners to two different cities. When I got to the jail I found out that one of them was going through withdrawal. When she was arrested she only had on a bikini. No shoes, no clothes. We had to take a trashcan for her to get sick in and she was shaking so bad she couldn’t stand or sit still. The other one was an alcoholic that we had to take 45 further to a treatment center. She only threw a fit once and that was when we couldn’t stop to get her a bottle of water. We had less than an hour to get her to treatment and didn’t know for sure where it was located in the city. The S.O. hadn’t given us a number to call either. If we were late getting there they wouldn’t have admitted her. We made it by about 10 minutes.

Sooooo Don said he told them we were taking today off and not to call! They didn’t! But he has to transport two males to 2 different cities on Monday and we both have to take one female to prison about 75 miles away on Thursday.

This sounds like I am complaining. There were some things done that could have been done better and would have saved us some headaches but all in all, it was like being back in my hayday when I did this kind of thing more. I once worked for the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office and spent more time with prisoners and for the most part liked it. My late husband was Sheriff and we lived in the lower part of the jail. So it’s like going home in some ways. I’ve said many times that now my life is dealing with prisoners and children, the two are a lot alike but usually the children are smarter and better behaved. My turn with Children’s Church starts August 5th and Pre-School August 20th.

Ok, it’s hot and this is long!!! I’ve gotta go check the fridge…….or maybe get in the fridge!