I’m 2/3 of the way done with RDAP and am still on track to be released to the Newark halfway house on September 30th. July 1st starts one more 12 week RDAP module and then I have one week of what they call aftercare. My daily routine has changed slightly. I was on the Unicor roster, but was unable to work due to RDAP programming during the week and no Unicor work on the weekends. So I was asked to get another job. A popular job for RDAP guys leaving soon is to work for the recreation CO and clean the gym, but all those positions were filled. So I knew someone in landscaping who got me a job working in the Lewisburg USP compound village where some of the CO’s live, trimming bushes and dragging the debris away with a tarp. I’ve also done some weeding and grass trimming. Others in my crew are power washing vinyl siding for the small old houses of which about 80% are vacant. I joined landscaping to help mow the endless amount of lawns on the compound and expect to take the place of another RDAP inmate who is leaving July 1st. They have about 8 guys mowing a few days a week. RDAP guys typically mow from 11:30-2pm Mon-Thurs. Like most jobs, I haven’t worked much, but do expect to work more once I get to mow. We don’t work if it is raining, too hot, when shopping for commissary or when they do any surprise census counts. I could have found a less busy job, but decided to try to stay as busy as possible because those who are leaving soon say time passes slowly the last few months. Similar to the recreation CO the landscaping CO is very nice and accommodating.
Flag football was popular while it lasted, but with all the rain in late May and another wave of inmates leaving July 1st who didn’t want to get injured and are scared of any medical hold, football ended by mid-June. Now there is a very active and organized camp basketball league hosted by the recreation department. They have 4 teams, 3 refs, a portable electronic scoreboard, a stats guy and an announcer with a speaker. They have been playing 2 games from 6-8pm a few nights a week. I don’t play but it is nice to watch my friends play, especially when the TV’s are off. Currently everything is open at the camp. We did have some contraband found in our RDAP building which caused the TV and break rooms to be shut for almost 2 weeks. They are now open and have window AC units that do a decent job, thankfully during the current heat wave. Our bunk area does not have AC. We have some fans, but the past few nights have been very hot while trying to sleep until about 3am when it finally cools down.
All the kids along with our son-in-law Mo visited me on Father’s Day or other days in June. Patti continues to visit me as much as possible, which is every other weekend and on federal holidays.
Gabriel graduated from North Hunterdon High School on June 12th and Patti hosted a graduation party for him with family and friends on June 14th. It rained all day at the party but everyone had fun inside with great food. Apparently the kids had lots of fun in the hot tub until late that night as well. Charlotte was invited to Denver last minute and flew out with Kelsy, Mo and Connor on the 16th. They are keeping her busy with all kinds of fun stuff including hiking and a concert.
I’ve been asking fellow inmates about the Newark halfway house experience and discovered they typically don’t let you go to home confinement until you hit 90% of your sentence, which is expected to be January 24th for me. Even after that point home confinement is not guaranteed. I’m still earning first step act (FSA) credits and will likely continue to earn them through the end of January and expect my out of BOP custody date to be July 7th, 2026. Then I’ll have two years of probation where I will have much more freedom. Upon arrival to Newark on September 30th I expect to remain there 100% of the time for 7 business days, which is considered their blackout period. Then I expect to be eligible for weekend home passes, so I can go home Friday evenings and return back to Newark Sunday evenings. I should also get regular gym passes, job interview passes and regular work passes. My goal is to work for the pool business, but it doesn’t get busy until April, so I will be looking for a winter job to start.
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