Many a home in the hood is torn apart in the wee hours of the night
In the name of the crime fight
We live in spotlights of badges and guns
Unwarranted frisks, searches and seizures
Seizures gone untreated on bullpen floors
Dope fiends shaking in their own vomit
There's nothing, no remedy to stop it.
Bullpen therapy to break spirits and souls
Collect phone calls home
Jail wives diligently hold on to all they love
With all their might
Holding on to the memory of that last night
Hopes and prayers of freedom
Time speeding
Needing
Home
To be happy, secure, safe and filled with love
Flicks, packages and multiple hour trips
Putting up with Correction officer Bullshit
& this for us is it...
From child support to direct sales and traffic tickets.
If they can find a way to steal a black soul they'll run with it.
Black babies thrown in the system, adopted away forever in 18 months
Mommy's got a 2 year bid
Now another family's lost another kid.
Look, it's a shame what we've did.
We were born with the wrong color skin.
(*not blaming the incarceration solely on racism but speaking the truth of minorities being targeted primarily in the inner city to fill the correctional facilities mainly located in rural small towns with limited income in an effort to provide economic stimulation. They've got to find someone to fill all these jails-and they're not looking at their neighbors. )
Bullpen Therapy- The practice of extended hours of incarceration with many other individuals in a small, medium or large one room concrete and steel barred cell. Each cell is lined with one to two benches on each side allowing for a limited number of individuals to be seated during the wait for court in New York City's Central Booking. Many are forced to sleep on the floor while waiting several days in the Booking's.
Although food is provided there is no visiting with loved ones, family or friends while awaiting court. This allows for the psychological and sociological aspect of incarceration. During Bullpen Therapy the detainee has time to reflect on his or her actions leading up to incarceration, call family, friends and legal counsel for assistance, speak with counsel before court and discuss his or her case with other detainees in the Bullpen. In New York City one can be detained for up to 72 hours awaiting arraignment-in the Bullpens. Some individuals frequent the Bullpens never making it to Riker's Island but going home from court, over and over again. Others learn the first time and never come back.
Others are transported to Riker's Isand for a wide variety of reasons where the true Bullpen Therapy begins. The individual can spend another 72 hours being processed through a series of medical and mental health testing and screening (including Hepatitis, TB, STD's and pregnancy in the case of females) before being sent to their actual cell block to await the next court date. These bullpens range from very small single person cells to extra large holding cells. The individuals are moved from cell to cell like cattle during the processing on Riker's Island and many cells are filled to standing room only capacity, sometimes with more than the legal amount of people per cell.
The detainees are dressed in jumpsuits and many sleep on the cold concrete floors after being washed down in a freezing de-lice shower at the beginning of the Bullpen process (not optional). Many people get colds, flu and infections after or during Bullpen Therapy. There is air conditioner running during all seasons in the Bullpens to prevent the spread of airborne illnesses and kill bacteria. Blankets are not given in the Bullpens until the detainee is ready to be housed.
(image: an actual Riker's Island cell block)
During Riker's Island Bullpen therapy one is not allowed a phone call, visit or contact with the outside world forcing the individual to face the reality of their situation. Once finally placed in their housing unit detainees are not safe from bullpen therapy. Bullpen Therapy is used for court dates, outside medical and sometimes for child visits.
The day of release for an inmate is a very long day of Bullpen Therapy-hopefully making sure the inmate doesn't return. Reality is the recidivism rate is astronomical despite the sheer torture of Bullpen Therapy.
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