LA County Jail’s Twin Towers house more prisoners than most Midwest towns.  The Twin Towers dominate the skyline in the area and the energy is heavy.     I flew in to pay a visit to a good friend in for a probation violation.     He is in the building between the Twin Towers, known as Men’s Central Jail.  This is where the county houses the gay population, separated for safety.  

To visit someone in LA County custody, one must make an appointment.   This appointment is like no other appointment you will ever make.    You think getting someone from the IRS on the phone is difficult?  Think again.  I tried for a month daily to get an appointment but there was never one available.   I figured the system was fucked up and if i went there in person I would surely be able to see him. I had already bought the ticket so that was all that I could think to do.

As it turns out, there are rules. Lots of them. First off, you have to be approved as a visitor, with a background check and everything. And you can’t be a felon. You can’t have orange hair, you can’t be left handed, you can’t like Pink Floyd.

Then there are the rules they don’t tell you about. Like this one: You have to make the appointment exactly 7 days in advance. Not 6, not 8, not 14 or 31. 7. It’s the only option. But you don’t know this because they don’t tell you and they won’t answer their phone and they don’t check their email. And they don’t fucking care that you . just flew 2000 fucking miles to get to the fucked up hell hole that is LA only to be told to just go the fuck home.

I am not bitter.

The above is an example of sarcasm.

I was feet from the dude and they didn’t let me see him. They have 15,000 prisoners and only 15 slots per week I’m told. Fuck them. I spent $2000 to come to your shit hole.