Prison MP3

   Since I was found «competent» by the court it means that I’m gonna be stuck here on death row for at least a couple of more years while the attorneys continue to appeal process (still working amicably against my personal wishes). So I decided to invest in a small but immensely gratifying piece of modern technology; I bought an 8 MB MP3 player with a built in FM radio.

   The only player that prisoners here are allowed to buy is the one sold by the prison commissary. It is a SanDisk sansa clip+, factory modified (i.e. custom firmware) for prisons. Most of its features have been disabled, but apparently that doesn’t mean we pay any less for it. The player cost me $69.20 (USD), plus an additional $2.60 for a protective rubber cover, which is a must have. Even the instruction manual that comes with it is written specifically for the prisoner model, with obvious input from prison officials (e.g. the line that reads: «Keep the volume at a moderate level, so that you are better able to hear outside sound and are considerate of the people around you.»)

   The player must be «validated» by connecting it to one of the «law library» computers that prisoners have access to. These computers are also where we can buy songs (for about $1.55 each). So that means I had to actually leave my cell voluntarily for once. I just got the player with my commissary order yesterday and then went to «recreation» in the upstairs rec room, which has a computer in it. I was able to find eleven songs that I liked within the 15 minutes time limit that is imposed on the «music store» application. But then only six songs were loaded and a message appeared on the computer screen telling me the rest were «currently unavailable», and to come back tomorrow to finish.

   So, I went back today by making a special request to the guards to use the «law library» computer. They took me to the same room, and as soon as I logged in and connected the MP3 player the remaining five songs automatically loaded. Then I found thirteen more songs, but when I tried to download them once more five were “unavailable» and so I have to go back again tomorrow.

   I’m listening to the music I bought as I write this (currently, «C’mon N’ Ride It» by Quad City DJ’s --- I like a good dance beat). I was careful not to buy any songs that would be too nostalgic (like «Carry On My Wayward Son», by Kansas, which I listened to a lot during my «rampage» (murder/rape crime spree), and «The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades», By Timbuk 3, which was my defacto college theme song while I lived in Fargo; so I can’t bear the thought of listening to it in this prison cell. I don’t get depressed easily, but songs like these would put me in my shit in a real hurry). Instead I only bought songs that make me feel good (currently, «Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)» by US3). It’s bad enough that I have to put up with being reminded of where I am by letting the guards cuff me up and escort me to the rec room; I’m definitely not going to make it worse by loading depressing songs on my new pleasure toy! It’s all about avoiding the unpleasant reminders. Unfortunately, the MP3 player must be revalidated every two weeks in order to keep working. So I guess that’ll be one little reminded I’ll have to put up with.