September 5, 2002

Hi there. Rob just called me. After much chaos, Rob is now in Devens camp. He is receiving letters, so keep 'um coming. He has been in "the hole" which he said is a gray jail cell like you see in the movies. One hour per day he was given the opportunity to go to “rec” --a cage like outdoor area, which he said was more depressing than the cell. He was not allowed to use any of the facilities as we had hoped. He could not even have a pencil and paper. He had two inmates in line in front of him for the camp, but only one bed was ready. Fortunately, the second guy in front of him had a medical condition which prevented him from taking the room. --So Rob got a bed in the camp this afternoon.

His new room: He described it like a large office building with cubicles. Each cubical has a bunk bed and two lockers. He is on the top bunk. There are bathrooms with individual stalls and showers. There are washers and dryers. There is an ice machine and there are fans that come on when it is warm. Each inmate is responsible for doing their own laundry. Anything he needs has to be purchased at the commissary.

Rob is still not able to have visitors except immediate family. I was planning to visit him tomorrow morning, but just realized that the visiting hours at the camp are different than the hours at the other part, and don't start until noon! (I have to be at work at noon on Fridays :( I don't know if I will be able to get there around my work schedule tomorrow after all, but I will try. (Rob will be waiting--I feel terrible! --maybe he will figure it out) I will write again after I do visit, whenever that may be. He says the visitors can stay as long as they want to during visiting hours.

Rob says all of the other inmates in the camp were really nice and helpful. People were offering him stamps and envelopes, shoes, clothes, etc.

He is allowed to use 300 minutes per month for phone calls. Each call can last up to 15 minutes. Calls are paid for in "credits" which will come out of an account that he will have. All items he needs or wants will have to be purchased at the commissary there.

That is all for now...