Charred Cell

Every day I have to pass the charred and blackened cell which Mr. Rodriquez lived in until he torched it. And I still cannot believe that someone I have known for so long a time had become so depressed that he decided to set his cell ablaze and possibly end his life...

No doubt it was a cry for help, but an obviously foolish way to get it. Now Mr. Rodriquez is confined to the prison's Special Housing Unit, more commonly known by both staff and inmates as, "The Box." The Box is a stark, isolated place of punishment for those who commit one or more serious infractions of the rules. Arson being one of them.

Yet, for reasons not known to me, prison officials have been slow in getting the cell repaired and repainted, and ready for its next occupant. Usually, when a cell is damaged like this, it is quickly fixed up and made ready for reoccupancy. Prison officials do not like having vacant cells in their respective facilities, when from their viewpoint, such cells could be occupied with criminal offenders. To them, an empty cell is wasted space.

In any case, I cannot help but wonder what will become of Mr. Rodriquez? It has been two weeks since the fire, and everyone is still abuzz with talk about it, all of us trying to figure out why Mr. Rodriquez did it. But I doubt we will ever know.

D. B.

NOTE: The story about the fire can be found
in my journal entries for December 30 and 31, 2011.