Nothing in the Federal Prison System is Easy

My husband is the guy who needs to wear his glasses to bed so he can see what he is dreaming about, so needless to say, his glasses are the first thing he puts on in the morning and the last thing he takes off.  He planned, and took care of many things in anticipation of his incarceration, but he could not find the time or money to get new glasses.  He wears the typical coke bottle lenses, so, for years we paid extra for the new technology which offered thinner lenses, had the edges rounded, and any coatings which would all make them look better and yet still allow him to see.

Unfortunately, now those old glasses are becoming scratched and difficult to see through.  He did manage to get an eye exam and an updated prescription.  Of course over three years his prescription has changed.  As an inmate, they are not allowed to have anything valued over $100.  They can wear their wedding ring as long as it has no stones in it and his eye wear can not exceed the $100 value either. 

Since he can not function without his glasses, my husband put in a request for the special, prison glasses while he waited for me to find him some new glasses on the outside.  Well, the prison glasses are the old heavy plastic frames and are made by other inmates.  He thought they were making him sick because it was a new prescription but now he is not sure if they were even made correctly.  One of the other inmates has to use his glasses upside down and backwards in order to see anything. 

I did manage to get him a new pair of frames and lenses for $99 with a copy of his new prescription that he sent to me, but the problem now is trying to get the glasses to him.  He has to put a request form through so that when the glasses are sent in, there is an authorization on file for him to receive them.  It originates in one office and then is forwarded to the medical office, and then from there it is sent back to him so he can then forward it on to me where I then send it back with the glasses and a receipt showing the purchase price.  The problem is, the form has an expiration date and everything needs to be done before it expires. 

I was able to get his glasses on Aug. 26 and it was at that time that he started the internal process to get his form approved.  Here it is a whole month later and he has not had the form returned to him yet and it will expire on Oct. 1st.  He has checked with the medical department and was told they would try to find it, but as of today, he has not received anything.  If he does get it today, it will take 2 to 3 days for me to receive it via snail mail, so I might get the form by the 28th or 29th.  Anyone who does business with the US Post office knows that there is no way he will have those glasses by Oct. 1, and anyone who has sent something to a federal prison knows that you really have no other options for shipping anything.  It is not like I could send it UPS. 

I am not trying to send him money, or what they would call contraband.  I am trying to send him glasses so he can function and see what he is doing and where he is going.  He had glasses when he came in, he has a signed prescription from their doctor, and I have met all the cost requirements so why can't I just get him his glasses. 

People talk of the luxury prisoners sit back with enjoying life on the taxpayers dime, with their cable TV, and all the amenities but I can assure you that this is not the case in every facility.  The biggest guy gets to decide what to watch on TV,a mattress that is only 4 inches thick, and living and sleeping in a room with 10 others guys is not what I would call living in the lap of luxury. 

For those of you that think this is easy, I would gladly offer you my shoes.  The things we take for granted, like being able to put on a pair of glasses to read the paper are things we have to fight for and spend way too much energy on.  Reading his letters, I really appreciate my fresh apples and bananas and on Sunday morning, my over easy eggs taste extra special, unless I choose to have waffles instead...but I can and so can you.