Get out alive.

My very, very, short term goal is just that, to get out alive. April 1,2008 we lost another officer at the prison.

"Tim Healy," husband, father, correction officer.

Tim called in sick for the midnight shift, said he must have the flu. He also said he had a doctors appointment for 9:00 am. He never made it, Tim died of a stroke at 4:00am. He was 51 years young.

So yesterday my friend Ken and I made a long drive to Shinglehouse Pa. to go to yet another wake for one of our own. Tim made that same long drive to get to work everyday, because he loved his country home and Shinglehouse is a good place to raise his children. He would come to work, do a double shift, stay over in a room close to the jail, do a second double shift , then make the 65 mile drive home to his family for four days. He talked about retiring in 5 years, and he would show pictures of his kids and family at a drop of a hat.

Tim had a very troubled first marriage that took a toll on his sanity and health. He lived through a very dark period and got out of it. He would dwell on his lose of identity as a devote Catholic as he worried about his fate and excommunication. For a fee the church was going to make it all better for Tim. That was ten years ago.........

After major depression and more drugs then any ten men should have to take, Tim functioned, but not as well as the very sharp college grad I knew in 1988. Well as luck would have it he got a second shot at true happiness. He met a lady, fell in love and he and his young son were once again in a happy family.

Tim never got over the church, nor the drugs he had to take. Between the two, in my opinion it killed him.

The three people that have died at my jail in the last three months were all 51 years old.