SPROCKET

Rod and I spent Monday, the Memorial Day Holiday, with Corey. It turned out to be a crazy busy day, lots of families with small children who pretty much ran roughshod in the visitation room. It was noisy and busy, but it was wonderful in a way as well, in that it felt less like a prison than at any other time. Everyone was walking around, kids were playing with toys and each other, laughing with their fathers, the guards were very low key, one rarely noticed they were even around. We started out our visit at a table in the middle of the room, but after 10 am the outside patio is opened up and we saw several vacant tables out there, so jumped at the chance to secure something quieter. Also they seem to always keep it pretty cool inside and outside the sun was shining, it was a lovely warm day.

We had a good day as we always seem to, and one story Corey told us was particularly interesting. It was about Sprocket. Sprocket is a small jack russell terrier who has taken up residency at the Camp. Apparently he lives somewhere nearby, but spends most all his time at the camp, where he has befriended almost everyone and is treated royally. All the men at the camp feed him, play with him, talk to him, even share their bunks with him. Corey tells us when the weather is rainy or cold Sprocket can often be found tucked under the covers of someone in the unit, and often when the guards make their rounds at count time, you will see little Sprocket traipsing down the aisle behind him. Corey says everyone loves Sprocket and Sprocket loves everyone...except for one inmate.

Apparently there is one fellow at the camp Sprocket has taken a serious dislike to and when ever the two of them meet, or if Sprocket sees him across the yard or coming into the unit will bare his teeth and bark at him, has even on occasion tried to bite him or has grabbed is pant leg with his teeth, snarling all the while. I am to understand that this fellow isn't particularly liked by the other men in the camp either, an inmate with some strange habits and behaviors most find irksome. Regardless, Coreys descriptions of these incidents were pretty funny, and we found ourselves laughing at the images conjurred up.

"Properly trained, a man can be dog's best friend." ~Corey Ford