Despite everything that has happened the past 3 years, it's sometimes really hard to wrap my mind around the fact that it all actually happened. I'm sure that there is some natural survival mechanism in our brains that takes traumatic experiences, files them in a folder somewhere on our cranial hard drive and then selects "hide folder". Sallie and I have at least one conversation a day where we both agree that everything that has happened doesn't seem real. And I assure her that if any of this starts to seem too much like a dream or a nightmare, I could just miss one of my check-ins with the halfway house and everything would get "real"...real quick!
The truth is that even though our life is not completely back to normal, we are so grateful where we find ourselves. I've gotten into a pretty good rhythm for
The staff at Centennial Community Transition Center (the official name of the halfway house) is very nice and my case manager has been very helpful in making sure I'm progressing through the program. There are some very basic requirements that allow you to progress through the program (or matrix as they call it)-
- Maintain Employment
- Pay Rent
- Complete your essays (weekly requirement)
- Stay Drug Free
- Do your chores
- No write-ups
So it's not like they're requiring a lot from people - but you'd never believe how hard it is for so many people to not check the boxes on these items. And I get it, anyone who has regularly read my blog knows, one of the takeaways from this whole experience for me is that life is harder for so many people than many of us would ever be able to imagine. The vast majority of us are people who have never had to consider trying to make ends meet on a minimum-wage job, homelessness or battling drug addiction. Take my word for it when I tell you that (for lack of a better phrase)- the struggle is real. So many of my fellow residents at the halfway house have good intentions - they just can't quite dig out of the hole that their life circumstances and decisions have dropped them in.
For the duration of my time in the system, my circumstances have made me the "exception" and not the rule. This has been frustrating at times - abiding by the rules that are in place for EVERYONE at the halfway house seem ridiculous at times. I find myself wishing that the system had the ability to properly evaluate each person on an individual basis and custom-tailor a plan that meets their specific needs. But the resources to accomplish something like that would be tremendous and frankly, (we), the common tax-payer would not be willing to support such an undertaking. So, I've come to accept all of the extra restriction as just another part of my punishment for making some poor choices.
As an example, I'll talk about the word "movement". Movement is one of those words that is used throughout the prison system. There is major differentiation between the security levels of prison and the allowed "movement" of prisoners. For example, in maximum level prisons, all movement is controlled. This means that the prison staff dictates when you are able to leave your cell and when you must return to your cell. Your cell door remains locked until you are able to move. In a minimum level facility, movement is not controlled as your doors are unlocked all of the time. You are just required to be back in your rooms for role-call at certain times during the day.
In the halfway house, the Staff must be able to account for your whereabouts at all times. This is primarily done through a computer system that allows you to pre-schedule your whereabouts throughout the course of a day and checking-in with the computer whenever you are moving from place to place. They audit your whereabouts by calling designated people in your life (boss, wife, etc.) or by requiring you to show your GPS location via a phone app. If you are found to be "out of location" at any time during the day, it is a write-up. Depending on the severity of a write-up you are either regressed back to prison or stripped of privileges. While I completely understand the need for a system like this, it becomes extremely frustrating to adhere to. Here's an example of how a typical Sunday looks for me-
600 am - Check out of the Facility (sign out via computer)
615 am - 6:45 am Travel to work
645 am - Arrive at work (call the Halfway House and check-in)
1130 am - Leave work to go to Church (call Halfway House to notify about movement)
1200 pm - Arrive at Church (call Halfway House to notify about arrival, Also GPS snapshot Halfway House)
200 pm - Leave Church to go Home (call Halfway House to notify about movement)
230 pm - Arrive at Home (call Halfway House to notify about arrival)
400 pm - Halfway House calls Sallie to verify my location
900 pm - Leave Home to go to Halfway House (call Halfway House to notify about movement)
1000 pm - Arrive at Halfway House (sign-in on computer that I have arrived back)
1000 pm - Halfway House options upon arrival (pat down, drug test, body search)
1030 pm - Go to bed
(If, at anytime you miss one of these check-ins it is an automatic write-up.)
So while I completely understand the logic behind all of the checking in, it becomes such a redundant task for someone in my situation. But having different requirements for different residents could be a slippery slope and there just aren't the resources to properly customize a plan for every single person and I get it.
As it stands now, I will be eligible to move home sometime in March. They haven't told me what their deciding criteria for actually letting me move home will be, and they have already told me that my situation is so unique that they may not have an answer for some time...
At the end of the day - things are going great. It is such a blessing to be back with family and friends and working again. I've been so busy getting transitioned back into life that I haven't made time to write on the blog like I should. So I've committed to writing more often - hopefully I'll make that happen.
Brandon Stephens, Weld County Jail, Wood Group, Sentenced, 5 Years, Prison, NFL, DRDC, Rifle Correctional Center, Colorado Department of Corrections, Jail, Judge Quammen, Steve Wrenn, Weld County, Executive, Oil, Gas, White Collar, Wood, BYU, Masters Degree, Colorado State University, SWIFT, Firefighter, Wildland, Sawyer, Fire, Inmate, Brandon Stokey, Miracles, Centennial Community Correctional Center, Delta Correctional Center, DRDC, Denver Diagnostic and Reception Center, Felony, Sallie Stephens, Greeley Tribune, Judge Thomas Quammen, District Attorney Steve Wrenn, Weld County Court, Oil & Gas,. Halfway House, Centennial Community Correction Center, CCTC, Felon, 416 Fire, Silver Creek Fire, Spring Fire, Cabin Lake Fire, SWIFT Run, 1.5 miles, Fire, Fighter, Brandon Stokey, Running for my life, Elder Gary Stevenson, Quorum of the Twelve, Apostles
