לאמיר שרייבן צו אונזערע ברידער אין תפיסה

[ידען]

איך הער יעצט א אינטערוויו אויף קול מבשר מיט איינעם האלענדער און ביים סוף בעט ער מע זאל מחזק זיין די וואס זיצן אין די פינסטערע תפיסה צעלן.

ער לייגט צו א נאמבער וואס מע זאל רופן פאר איפא וויזוי צו שרייבן די בריוו

718-513-2525
Ext
218

כהאב געטראכט ביי מיר אז סע א גוטע זאך און פאר דיע שרייבער דא וואס קענען דאך במילא די מלאכה איז דאך א גוטע זאך אז זיי זאלן געבן א פאר מינוט דא און דארט און אויפלעבן דע צובראכענע ברידער.

[שמואל הלוי]

איך הער יעצט א אינטערוויו אויף קול מבשר מיט איינעם האלענדער

דאס איז הב' חיים האלענדער, גרינדער פון "לאסורים", אליין געזיצן אין תפיסה נעבעך א שיינע פאר יאר צוליב די סאמעט פרשה (ר' מרדכי יצחק).

[א איד]

די אינטערוויו איז מיט זיין ברודער

[gehlungen]

Can they get letters by E-mail?

[שמואל הלוי]

די אינטערוויו איז מיט זיין ברודער

גערעכט.

[zamel]

Can they get letters by E-mail?

אין פעדעראלע תפיסה'ס קענען רוב מענטשן האבן אימעיל אבער דער תושב דארף דיך אינווייטן

[שמעקעדיג]

אט איז א הארצרייסענדער בריוו וואס איז נארוואס פארעפנטליכט געווארן, פון די "פארט דיקס" תפיסה, דורך מרדכי יצחק סאמעט:


BS"D 11 Tammuz 5772 (July 1, 2012)

What Can A Few Words Do?
by: Yaakov Alter ben Shifra Tsharna

I wish to share with everyone the greatness which can result from a few words. As we all know, being in jail is a terrible thing - every day and hour - especially on days like these. It is exceedingly hot and humid out - and there is no airconditioning here. So we all suffer unimaginably.

But what I wish to discuss here is when a person is in the SHU. Being in the SHU is 1000 times worse than being in prison on a regular day. An animal in the zoo is treated better than inmates who are in the SHU.

Unfortunately, there were a few Yidden in the SHU for a while recently. B'chasdei Hashem, one of the 3 was released right before this past Shabbes. When someone comes out of the SHU, they are so happy that it's as if he were free.

So I write to everyone now, to let everyone know what they can do to help someone here, especially when he is in the SHU. If you write this person a few words of encouragement, any good words of chizuk - when a person gets these few words from outside, it brings him a measure of joy. The same would go with any jokes or greeting cards that someone could send.

Friends, don't think for one second "what can my letter or words do?". Just to get a piece of mail through the bottom of the door brings light into the darkness. And when he opens the envelope and sees that someone is thinking of him, it's a great joy. And he thinks about this over and over again - as there is nothing else to do in the SHU for weeks and months at a time. The Yid who just exited the SHU this past Erev Shabbes was able to attest to this.

So everyone, please write and encourage other people to write to people in the SHU. Send whatever you can - any divrei chizuk, greeting cards, comics, jokes, etc.

Here are the names of the 2 Yidden who presently remain in the SHU, if you wish to write them (English is preferable):

Jacob Mertz #14695-067 Paul Jeremias #26093-058
FCI Ft. Dix - West FCI Ft. Dix - West
P.O. Box 2000 P.O. Box 2000
Ft. Dix, NJ 08640 Ft. Dix, NJ 08640

By doing this, you mekayem the greatest mitzvah of Pidyon Shvuyim. I'm sure that whoever would know the greatness of this mitzvah, they wouldn't miss the opportunity. Please do yourself, and encourage others to do.

Besiros tovos, and thank you for reading this. And when you send a letter to one of them, I'm sure it'll also be a merit for myself and the entire community here.

--

[זר זהב]

A federal judge today sentenced Mordchai Fish, an Orthodox rabbi from Brooklyn who was a key money-laundering figure swept up in the FBI’s 2009 “Bid Rig III” sting, to nearly four years in prison.

[[NAMELESS]]

אט איז א הארצרייסענדער בריוו וואס איז נארוואס פארעפנטליכט געווארן, פון די "פארט דיקס" תפיסה, דורך מרדכי יצחק סאמעט:


BS"D 11 Tammuz 5772 (July 1, 2012)

What Can A Few Words Do?
by: Yaakov Alter ben Shifra Tsharna
--

ער הייסט מרדכי יצחק אדער יעקב אלטער??

[שמעקעדיג]

געשריבן דורך יעקב אלתר, אבער באקומען דורך מ"י סאמעט.

קענט איר גלייבן אין די ביטערע היצן אז עס איז נישטא קיין עירקאנדישאן פאר די אינמעיטס? די יסורי הנפש והגוף איז דאך נורא ואיום!

חוץ תפלה און שרייבן בריוו קענען מיר גארנישט טון, אלזא לאמיר כאטש טון דאס ביסעלע וואס מיר קענען!

[שמעלקא]

וויל איך שרייבן אביסל וויאזוי שיקט מען עס?

[ניו יארק]

וויל איך שרייבן אביסל וויאזוי שיקט מען עס?

Jacob Mertz #14695-067
FCI Ft. Dix - West
P.O. Box 2000
Ft. Dix, NJ 08640

Paul Jeremias #26093-058
FCI Ft. Dix - West
P.O. Box 2000
Ft. Dix, NJ 08640

[שמעקעדיג]

MITZVAH OPPORTUNITY

One of the members of our community just had a birthday recently, on the 13th of Av. By sending a card, it would be a great mitzvah and chizuk. If you would like to send a card, the following is the information.

Joseph Shereshevsky #35857-054
FCI Ft. Dix - West
P.O. Box 2000
Ft. Dix, NJ 08640

Please take a moment, and fulfill this great mitzvah. Thank you.

--
Please forward to whomever you can and whomever you know. And if you have any suggestions, send the comments.

Thank You,
The Jewish Community of Fort Dix

[berlbalaguleh]

די אינטערוויו איז מיט זיין ברודער

גערעכט.

אבער חיים אליין האט זיך אויך א סאך געלערנט אויף די אייגענע הויט, נעבעך. אזוי ווי ס'איז געווען באשריבן אין שפאקטיוו רח"ל.

[שמעקעדיג]

BS"D 17 Elul 5772; 9/4/12

Hello Rabbis and friends,

As you know, baruch Hashem, the BOP granted that we can purchase MP3 players. But the MP3s only have songs right now. MP3s can be a great help for Jewish inmates. But right now, there is no usage for us, and unfortunately it's the opposite - they don't have religious Jewish songs. So everyone would basically agree, it's better not to listen to this at all for us. So we are here to encourage those people who can work on this, to achieve that we should have the following:

1) Orthodox/Chassidic, religious, Jewish songs/chazanus/niggunim/High Holy Days/Nusach HaTefillos
2) Torah lessons - Shas/Chumash Rashi/Sifrei Mussar/Speeches, etc.

I believe #1 is an easy thing to achieve, as songs are songs - they have millions of goyishe music, and non-religious music. So we simply need an askan to push it.

#2 is also important. By adding #2, it'll make things easier with time being here. We can listen to Torah lessons. And by helping to achieve this, it's an achievement for all the BOP - as any Yid in the BOP can benefit from this.

Please take this seriously and do what you can. Every day is a double loss - one, people listen, you cannot tell them not to, as they're in jail. Number 2, every Yid will be more than happy to listen to Yiddishe niggunim/music. And everyone will be happy to listen to Torah lessons, mussar, etc. It's a great mitzvah, Pidyon Shvuyim d'Rabbim. We ask and encourage everyone who can do, to do. Thank you with all blessings, and a kesiva v'chasima tova.

--
Please forward to whomever you can and whomever you know. And if you have any suggestions, send the comments.

Thank You,
The Jewish Community of Fort Dix

[שמעקעדיג]

[left]From: Jewish Community Fort Dix <jewishcommunityfd@gmail.com>
Date: October 12, 2012 11:32:06 AM EDT
To: undisclosed-recipients
Subject: Bar Mitzvah
BS"D 25 Tishrei 5773 -Great Yohrtzeit of the Holy Berditshever, Levi Yitzhak ben Sara Sosha, zy"a

We all know, just reminding of the great name of Levi Yitzhak ben Sara Sosha is a great merit for salvations, refios un yeshios

So I am here now to offer all of you a great mitzvah. And perhaps we shall all do this in the merit of Levi Yitzhak ben Sara Sosha, and then it'll be a real vessel to gain the refios un yeshios. As everyone, wherever they are, are looking for refios un yeshios - each person in his matzav/situation

Here, a member of our community is making the Bar Mitzvah of his first son. Unfortunately, no one can understand how difficult it is for them not to be together. One thing we can do to relieve the situation is to send him a card, and wish him mazel tov

The Bar Mitzvah will be this coming Sunday. And the name of the Bar Mitzvah bochur is Jack (Yaakov ben Avrohom HaKohen Alkhabbaz)

To send a card to the father of the Bar Mitzvah bochur, the following is the name/address

Albir Alkhabbaz #57010-054 (Avraham ben Nasan HaKohen)
FCI Ft. Dix - West
P.O. Box 2000
Ft. Dix, NJ 08640

Please take the opportunity and do this wonderful mitzvah. Put a card in the mail. And you have no idea the greatness of the deed. Please do not miss this opportunity
_________________________________________________________________
MITZVAH GORERUS MITZVAH

We would still like to remind you at this moment, there are two members of our community who have birthdays in this month of Tishrei. Please send a card or note for them as well. It would be another great mitzvah to bring chizuk and simcha to our brothers who are presently in this double choshech of galus b'galus

Charles Schwartz #62504-050 (Kaddish ben Avrohom HaLevi)
FCI Ft. Dix - West
P.O. Box 2000
Ft. Dix, NJ 08640

Mehdi Gabayzadeh #68419-053 (Meir ben Eliyahu)
FCI Ft. Dix - West
P.O. Box 2000
Ft. Dix, NJ 08640

--
Please forward to whomever you can and whomever you know. And if you have any suggestions, send the comments

Thank You
The Jewish Community of Fort Dix[/left]

[sunbar]

וויפיל יאר זיצט שוין ר' מרדכי יצחק, און וויפיל יאר וועט ער נאך דארפן זיצן?

[שמואל הלוי]

זיצט שוין 11 א האלב, פארבליבן 15 א האלב ה"י.

[sunbar]

עס קען אראפקומען א פאר יאר, אדער ער מוז זיצן דעם פולן טערמין?

[שמעקעדיג]

[left]---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mordechai Samet <mordchasamet@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Jan 27, 2013 at 10:24 AM
Subject: Motzoei Shabbos, u'Bnei Yisroel yotzim b'yad ramah
To:


BS"D Motzoei Shabbos Kodesh, l'seder "u'Bnei Yisroel yotzim b'yad ramah", Tu B'Shvat 5773

A gitte voch, a yeshiadige voch, a hatzlochodige voch, a voch mit refios un yeshios, a voch mit hatzlocho, un a voch mit gitte besiros, un a sach gelt!!!

Just now, I begin this note with a gitte besira, that Friday, Erev Shabbos Kodesh, with great surprise, they kicked me out of the SHU!!! Free, without any charge! Hashem should help that I be able to always give you gitte besiros. Hashem should help that we see the full yeshia very soon, me and all other Yidden, and the ultimate yeshia fin Klal Yisroel.

Right now, I don't have the ability to write a long message. But I will share with you shortly, be"H, the following things:

- What is the meaning of the SHU? How does it look, what does it mean to be there?
- What was my purpose being in the SHU?

Again, I wish everyone a gitte voch. And gitte besiros.

P.S. At this time, with the great news, I'm taking the opportunity to thank everyone for the tefillos which they made and all hishtadlus. I believe that each tefilla of every Yid is so important and helps so much. I humbly ask everyone to keep praying for a full yeshia. And the merit of the tefillos in themselves should lead that no one should need to come to have this experience. I always say that my experience being here should fulfill for all Klal Yisroel that no other Yid should ever have to go through this experience.

Again, thank you, and a gitte voch with all blessings.[/left]

[שמעקעדיג]

[left]---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mordechai Samet <mordchasamet@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Jan 29, 2013 at 3:42 AM
Subject: What Was My Purpose Being in SHU?
To:


BS"D Yom Alef l'Seder Kabalas HaTorah, Parshas Yisro, 16 Shvat 5773, Jan. 27, 2013

What Was My Purpose Being In The SHU?

Hashem has many reasons why He put me in the SHU, and I'm sure I don't understand all of the reasons. But one of the things that I do understand and which I saw, I would like to write you about. The reason I write this one before the other subject is because I have a message for you regarding this topic.

When they put me in the SHU, I knew I had something to do there, but I asked Hashem to please help me to fulfill my shlichus over there. There happened to be another Yid in the SHU as well, whose name is Moshe Levy. When he was notified that I was in the SHU, he sent a message to me that I should try to get into the same room as him, and he even tried to make these arrangements by speaking with officers and lieutenants. When they offered me to move in with him, for many reasons I said I didn't want to go. A few reasons were because if I had to be with him, and he doesn't eat kosher, or if he does something improper on Shabbos, I don't want to sit and see these things with my eyes. And from the other side, I can't tell him not to eat non-kosher, as the kosher food they give there is very little and terrible. So in such a difficult time, it's so hard to say something to someone. And as I said, I have other reasons which I don't want to mention here.

It happened to be that I was with a goy and he was already in the SHU for 17 months. This man was about to go home in 3-4 months. They didn't want to let him back out on the compound before he left. And they also didn't want to transfer him to another prison as his time was short. Therefore they were keeping him in the SHU here. He was with me, and I offered him that he should try to ask what's the reason they don't let him out. He'd only be here for a short time on the compound. So by encouraging him to try, he didn't have anything to lose by trying to ask, as a person never knows what will happen. Therefore when the executive officials come each week, as you shall read later in another email, then people have a chance to ask any question of the executives. So the first week I was there, he asked why he should remain in the SHU? They should give him a chance to be out for the little time left after being so much time in the SHU. The answer was an outright "NO!". The following week he tried asking again. At that time, it was a not as big "No.". And they said they'd think about it. The third week, the answer was that it's a good chance. The fourth week, as the executives were making their "tour" of the SHU, they told him that he'd leave that very day! He didn't believe it, but in fact he left that day and went out from the SHU, and then I was alone in the cell.

The reason I mention this issue is 2 reasons:
1) A man has to know to never give up, and always try.
2) Maybe the reason they let him out was this would automatically lead to the next step that would occur, as you shall read further, be"H.

So after this, when I was alone in the cell, they came again to ask me if I want to be with the other Yid mentioned previously. I was thinking over what to do, maybe I have to go, but after thinking, I said no again.

Two days later, on Friday, they came to tell me, giving me an order that I had to move. So if they gave an order, there's anyways nothing to challenge. And if this is what Hashem wants, this is what I have to do, and accept it with love. When I get an order, I have no doubts as this is what Hashem wants.

As I came to the room, he welcomed me so warmly. And I saw his happiness. You cannot imagine how happy and excited he became. And this made me feel I was wrong in my previous decision not to go with him. Furthermore, from his own will, he decided to eat kosher and be observant. And I didn't even have to tell him. And after when I realized he was so happy, I had much regret and pain why I didn't do this before. I was thinking to myself, to have this merit to make a Yid happy in the SHU to such a great degree, there's no greater mitzvah. And I was thinking, maybe my whole reason to be in the SHU could have been for this. Further, I'm thinking, after being in the SHU so long, I still hadn't seen the DHO (a committee to hear the charges and have a ruling on the charges), and usually a person sees them after maybe 2-3 weeks at the most. So maybe it's all due to this. As the reason to be in SHU was to make a Yid happy.

So the time they brought me there was Erev Shabbos Kodesh, and we made a fine Shabbos, according to the circumstances. Although there's nothing that we have inside. But we say, yismichu b'Malchus'cha Shomrei Shabbos (rejoice in Your Kingship shall those who observe the Shabbos). I heard this from my father many times, he said in the name of the Holy Rizhiner, zy"a. The Holy Rizhiner was in jail - he said, what does this phrase of yismichu mean? We're happy Shabbos having all good things - good food, nice clothes, we don't work. There's lots of things happening Shabbos to be happy about. What's the yismichu b'Malchus'cha (rejoice in Your Kingship) mean - that I'm happy only with "b'Malchus'cha" (in Your Kingship)? So he said, in jail we have nothing else to be happy with, only with the Kingship of Hashem. So we tried to be happy the whole Shabbos and study. We're Yidden and we need to fulfill the Shabbos as Hashem instructed us.

By the way, all week we davened 3 times/day together. After davening, we danced. He was so excited with everything. So every day I was thinking that I was wrong with my former decision, and I had regret that I didn't come before.

So in concluding, being together with a Yid, I was happy every moment making a Yid happy there. There's no question it's a merit and mitzvah which no one else can do. This mitzvah to make happy a Yid in SHU, it's not easy, and not everyone can do - a person has to be in the SHU to fulfill this mitzvah.

So after Shabbos I was thinking, ok, I'm here and now I've fulfilled my mission. But no, it wasn't enough. It was Friday morning, a full week later, that I was called to the DHO. After seeing DHO, they dismissed all charges. Some of the charges they didn't even bring to the DHO (they were thrown out earlier).

After coming back from DHO, I didn't know if I'd be out right away, or maybe it'll take a day or 2 or more. So when I came back, I gave the news to Moshe Levy. And I told him that I'd be happy to stay for Shabbos with him. To help you understand, it's very difficult to leave the SHU right before Shabbos. A person has nothing prepared, all of his property is in disarray, etc. So I told him, I hoped I'd be Shabbos with him. But as I was talking with him, the AW stopped by, and we had a big discussion, and at the end of the discussion it was clear I'd be there another week (or at least a few days). So I told Moshe that we'd start to prepare for the Shabbos, clean the room, and have the full plan for Shabbos.

We cleaned the room, says l'kuvod Shabbos Kodesh. We had a tiny table which we covered. In the middle of the cleaning, they came to me and told me "pack your stuff", and they kicked me out. I couldn't stay for Shabbos. Obviously, I was very excited and happy, but from the other side, it wasn't easy for this other Yid

So I thought to myself what I can do. I ask you all to please help me in this. You can write him a letter. By writing him a letter, you cannot imagine how big and important it is. I'm sure every one of you, if I could display a video to you, how every day we wait for mail, and how happy we are to see we get a letter... We read it and study it. Every person would write at minimum one letter. So I'm here to let you know you have the opportunity to help a Yid in this situation. And it's even better to be a short letter - 1 page or even just a little note. By sending him a letter, it would make me feel better, as I left him alone. By sending him a letter, you shine a light into the deep darkness.

I shall give you Moshe Levy's information. He's 46 years old. You have to write him only in English. And to be fair, only a one page letter. The following is his information to write

Michael Levy #63749-053
FCI Ft. Dix - West
P.O. Box 2000
Ft. Dix, NJ 08640

Please, if you tell me you sent him a letter, you'll make me happy too. And you can encourage other people to write too. So if you send him a letter, please send me an email letting me know that you did. You can also write him regards from me. You can write him that I encouraged you. Whatever you feel to write is good. You don't have to put what I recommend. A half page, or whatever you do is good - in English[/left]

[משכיל]

received in an e-mail.

Please Read until the end its painful

And Pray for "Mordche Yitzchock Ben Sureh" who is over 2 months already in the SHU RACHMUNEH LITZLON

BS"D 26 Sh'vat 5773 (Feb. 6, 2013)

What Is The Meaning Of The SHU? How Does It Look? What Does It Mean To Be There?

This is a continuation, as I wrote before, of what the SHU is, and what it means to be there. It is difficult to
even explain to people who haven't been in jail what jail means. The fact has proven itself that people who
have never been to jail can never truly imagine what they will face when they actually do, ch"v, come to jail.
And that is speaking of jail in itself. But the SHU is an even greater challenge than jail itself. Nevertheless,
I shall try to explain to you the best I can, be"H.

The definition of SHU is "Special Housing Unit". The prison is divided into separate buildings (called Units).
And the SHU is a separate building from these, on the Compound, yet with greatly increased security
measures surrounding it and within it. When you look at the SHU building from afar, you can't necessarily see
any major differences. But from within, it is a totally different world and experience.

The same guards who work in the SHU also work in the other Units on the Compound. But in the SHU, the way
the guards and other people act is totally different in all aspects, as shall be explained, be"H. In the SHU, the
inmates wear totally different clothes. All clothes are reddish-orange. The t-shirts, pants, socks, boxers,
slip-on shoes, even towels and sheets and blankets are reddish-orange.

While in the SHU, an inmate cannot move around anywhere except within his tiny room. Any time an inmate
is taken outside his room (to the shower or visit or doctor or lawyer, etc.), an inmate is constantly handcuffed
behind his back. The guards will not open your cell door without first handcuffing you through a small slot in
the door.

The size of the room is tiny. There is a bunk-bed (made of a metal frame with a plastic, hard mattress with
no pillow), a tiny table with barely enough room for one person with a swing-out "chair" which is attached to the
table and which is exceedingly uncomfortable, a toilet/sink which are attached to each other in the other corner,
and the door. There's a tinted window through which a person can't see out, nor can people see in from outside.
The floor-space in the room is about enough for 2 people to lie down. The floor is made of concrete, and so is
the ceiling. Besides the inhumane living conditions of the cells as they are presently used, in fact the cells were
originally designed to only have one occupant.

Don't think you are alone in the cell. There are always 2 people in each cell (with, as mentioned, a table for only
one person). And recently the SHU has been over-filled, so there are actually 3 people per cell, with one person
laying on a plastic mattress on the floor. And, as mentioned, whenever they open the cell, even for just one
person, every person in the cell has to be handcuffed first. Even if in the middle of the night, if one person has
to leave the cell for any reason, all others are woken up and handcuffed first.

Every cell door, when it's opened, must immediately be locked again. Even between every few cell doors, there
are more gates which must be unlocked and locked again immediately to get through.

MEDICATION

If someone is sick, ch"v, it is very terrible - especially if it's a serious issue. A huge number of people in the
prison take medicine each day for depression. And, to an even greater extent, most people in the SHU take
anti-depressant medication as well.

But besides this, medical services in prison in general and the SHU specifically are terrible. The doctors and
physicians' assistants who work in prison usually could not get a job outside on the street. In order to get
medical help here, you usually need to go every day to the Medical Department and beg and beg. If you have a
cold or flu, they may see you in a few weeks, after the problem is already gone. If you need any serious help, it
can take months or years before they get it for you. People with kidney stones often have to wait 6-9 months
between each visit to the hospital outside to get some of the stones broken up. (They only break up some of
the stones each time). And for anything more serious, you often have to get your congressmen involved or
other outside pressure. Even to get a pair of prescription glasses usually takes a year!

But in the SHU, there is an extra problem. Because the cell doors are constantly locked, if there is an
emergency all of a sudden, the only way to get the attention of an officer is to pound on the door as hard as you
can. Sometimes the officers come right away, and sometimes they ignore the banging on the door. So it's very
difficult. A person could literally have a heart attack and die on the floor, waiting for a long long time before
anyone would come around to know about it. Hashem should keep any Yid from getting sick in prison!

SHOWER

A person receives a shower only 3 times per week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). Again, as you are led to the
shower, you are handcuffed. As you exit the room while handcuffed (any time you are led out of the room, at the
minimum 1 officer guides you by grabbing onto your shirt and leading you (like by a dog-collar and leash), and if
you have to stop walking at any moment, you must face the wall. When you step out of the room for any reason,
you walk out backwards and face the wall.), you are patted down, and your room is searched for any "contraband"
(any extra sheet, towel or food item left from your tray), and anything the guards wish to take away, they do.
You have nothing in the first place, and they take away even that nothing. The soap and shampoo from the
shower (which is really the same thing, as it's a soap/shampoo in one) is truly junky. Once you wash yourself off,
you don't even feel the benefit. When you're brought to the shower, it is another cage, and your handcuffs are
removed once you step in, through the bars of the cage. Once you go through the process, it's really no comfort.

CLOTHES

Each time you take a shower (thrice per week), they give you a "new" set of boxers, shirt and socks. These have
been laundered by the people in the SHU, but really it's just switching clothes between inmates. You are not
allowed a single article of your own clothing. Once a week you are allowed a "new" set of uniform pants.

FOOD

The only food you have is what they provide you. The food is very limited in general, and when you have to eat
kosher, it's even worse. Out on the Compound you can buy various food items from Commissary (the "store").
But while in the SHU, there are no Commissary food items. And when they give you your food in the SHU, what
they do is open a little slot in the metal door and toss in the tray which you have to quickly grab before it falls to
the ground.

COMMISSARY

Commissary is exceedingly limited in the SHU. There is no food, as mentioned before. You can only get one box
of Oreo Cookies OR Unsalted Crackers per week. You can also get a book of stamps, 2 batteries (for a radio),
pen, paper. And that's it.

CORRESPONDENCE

For correspondence, you can only make one telephone call, once a month. And if you are on "restriction" (if you
are being "punished" for some so-called "misdeed", then you can't even get that one telephone call per month).
But you can write letters. But the mail is very slow - maybe you'll get your mail in a few weeks (actually the mail
system in the whole prison is quite bad). So basically, we are waiting all day, every day urgently, hoping and
hoping for a letter from someone. It's pretty much our only contact with the outside world.

VISITS

You can only receive a visit once a week on Thursdays. You have to come early at about 6am because only the
first 10 people who get in line outside are allowed to visit. When they lead an inmate from the SHU, they close
the whole compound, and escort the inmates in handcuffs, being led by officers through the compound. Before
going into a visit, an inmate is patted-down. And on the way out, each inmate is strip-searched (actually that
happens for all inmates, not just in the SHU).

RECREATION

Five days per week, in the early morning, the officers come around while you're in the SHU asking if anyone
wants to go to Recreation. If you do want, you have to be up and at the door to make sure they hear you say
'yes'. Then they come back around later to take out a handful of people at a time. You're placed in a larger
cage for Recreation. There are four cages right next to each other. And the guards put a few inmates in
each cage. You can't really do anything there except walk around in a bit larger of a cage. In the cage, you
look exactly like an animal in the zoo. When they take you there and back, again, you are handcuffed. You
used to be able to see outside and shout at inmates on the Compound, relaying messages. But then the prison
covered-over the windows so people couldn't continue talking to those outside. There's a bit of fresh air that
comes through, however. You get to stay in this larger cage for about an hour per day. The rest of the time
you're locked back in your small cell in the SHU.

LEGAL ACCESS

There is no legal access. You have to make an appointment to go to the Legal Library in the SHU where there
is a computer. Only one person is allowed in there at a time. And you only have one hour. Again, you are
handcuffed on the way there and back.

ENTRY AND RELEASE FROM THE SHU

Besides all of the above, even the process of going into and exiting the SHU is a terrible experience. And
in some aspects, entering and exiting the SHU even over-shadows the other aspects of being in the SHU.

When a person is about to go to the SHU, they are usually quite upset and in dread. They know that they are
about to lose most of their property. As the officers pack up a person's property, everything is rummaged
through. And food items or toiletries that are open are thrown in the garbage. The officers even just leave
items in your locker or in your room for anyone to take. Anything that they deem you should not have, they
take and throw in the garbage.

A person also knows that they are about to have pretty much no contact with the outside world for an indefinite
amount of time. They may have privileges revoked upon returning to the Compound (i.e. visits, telephone,
email, commissary), and possibly loss of "Good Time" (47 days off of each year you serve in prison). A person
knows he will be locked in a small room and it will be terrible living conditions. The person loses his former
room, bed and locker.

As a person is taken to the SHU, often the officers close the Compound. But sometimes they just lead the
inmate in handcuffs across the Compound, shouting at the other inmates to stay far away.

When a person is released from the SHU, they need to carry all of their property that remains across the
Compound to their Unit. It can be very heavy, and some people aren't strong enough to carry it. They may need
to wait outside for some inmate to volunteer to help them. It is a relief to get out. But it's also a difficult thing,
knowing that you have to get "set-up" again (getting established and buying more food and settling into your new
room/bed, etc.).

SUMMARY

It is fair to say that being in the SHU is an inhumane experience. It is like you are an animal in a zoo. You are
treated with disrespect without any rights. In fact, most people are very scared of ever having to go to the SHU
and they dread it.

For a Yid, being in the SHU is even more difficult. Religious rights and opportunities are exceedingly limited.
Kosher food is exceedingly limited. Most people lose a lot of weight when they go to the SHU; even more-so for
an observant Yid.

IN CLOSING

In closing, I would like to bring forth what the Mishna says: "hevei mispallel b'shloimah shel malchus, she'ilmalei
mora'ah, ish es rei'eihu chayim b'la'o" (pray for the peace/well-being of the government, because if not for the
fear of it, each person would consume his fellow). So from the other side of the issue, without the existence of
the SHU and people being scared of it, every day people would be killed and robbed and beaten up, etc. on the
Compound. The only reason this doesn't occur is because people are scared of going to the SHU.

We can see that, although it is so bad, it can be of great benefit. Whoever is in the SHU has a bitter experience.
But we do need its existence. Yet, as shown, for whomever is there, the experience is truly bitter.

May Hashem help that a Yid should never be in the SHU, nor prison altogether. And we should always be able to
give you good news, be"H.

--
Please forward to whomever you can and whomever you know. And if you have any suggestions, send the comments.

Thank You,
The Jewish Community of Fort Dix

[randy_couture]

why is he there?