Hoe Squad not Mandatory?

[Bearyspecial]

I heard today that hoe squad is no longer mandatory. That the only reason inmates would chose to take it is because you have to complete it in order to earn your class 1 & get another job later in prison. Does anybody know it that's true? And does that mean that if your inmate is in the middle of hoe squad & has been approved for parole & his home plan is ok, then can they be released before hoe squad is over? Any answers would help!

[jmanning]

Yes it is mandatory for 90 days. The only way you can get out of it is if you are deemed medically unfit for it. I just asked my husband about this.

[Bearyspecial]

90 days? I've only heard that it's for 60? Even people at ADC say that it's a 60-day initial assignment. Ugh I hate this. Always hearing different things, never being able to know what's right, what's not, what is but doesn't apply to you. It's seriosly enough to drive you insane lol! I guess there isn't any point in worrying about it until he goes to prison.

[jmanning]

Very true, I understand getting different answers. I am getting this straight from my husband. He was on the hoe squad for 90 days and now he is field utility.
One thing about the hoe squad. If you do not do the work you get put in the hole and loss classification. My husband seen 4 quit on the very first day.

[Bearyspecial]

Dang! My husband is deff going to do it because he wants nothing more than to come home asap! Do you have to get another job after hoe squad is dont? Or can you just kinda relax and lay low until you get out? My husband should get out as soon as hoe squad is over. And he wants to do whatever he can to not get in any fights & have to stay longer.

[jmanning]

No you continue to work. Just different jobs. And then it also depends on the prison. At Calico rock they work you to death to make you not want to come back. My husband uses a sling blade to cut grass in a chain gang. And a hoe to break rocks. Now he goes on the bus and goes to different towns to clean.

[jmanning]

Have you signed up at vinelink yet?

[Bearyspecial]

Ugh god. That sounds like absolute torture! If every prison did that I'm pretty sure the return rate would drop lol. My hubby said that he's most likely going to Varner or Grimes & that he will be on chain gang for 60 days & either be cutting grass or doing something in the dirt. Ugh thank you for helping, I just wish they didn't have to be so secretive & were more informative about their own operation. Cuz I mean how much damage could telling a concerned wife some info about their husband really do :/

[Bearyspecial]

Yes I have my email & phone set up. I check my email every morning when I wake up regardless because I'm always afraid that somehow it won't notify me. Can you tell me a little about it? Like how soon it tells you & what exactly it is that it says?

[jmanning]

They are pretty quick on calling. It will come over your phone as a unknown number. It will tell you that the offender is getting transferred and when. Also it will call you when there is a parole date. It will ask you to put in your password. It will also call you back if you dont answer. I knew each time my husband was transferred and his parole hearing date too.

[imwaiting]

Vinelink will let you kno when they transfer, when they get approved for parole and when they are on furlos..I kno that when he's out on furlo it takes bout an hour after he's out to notify and the same when he returns.

[jmanning]

Originally Posted by Bearyspecial

Ugh god. That sounds like absolute torture! If every prison did that I'm pretty sure the return rate would drop lol. My hubby said that he's most likely going to Varner or Grimes & that he will be on chain gang for 60 days & either be cutting grass or doing something in the dirt. Ugh thank you for helping, I just wish they didn't have to be so secretive & were more informative about their own operation. Cuz I mean how much damage could telling a concerned wife some info about their husband really do :/

When he cuts grass it will be with a sling blade. And in the dirt, yeah cutting and loading sod and breaking rocks and hauling them. I dont know why the are so secretive..maybe cause the work the sh** out of ya

[Bearyspecial]

That's great that it tells you when they're approved for parole. Will it also tell you when their release date is? Would it leave a message on your voicemail if you don't answer? And as far as how hard they work them, I know they have a reason for it but gosh. It's not supposed to be capital punishment lol. I think my husband would rather have to deal with other stuff than sunburns & blistered hands lol. But oh well, it's a lesson learned.

[jmanning]

No message on your voice mail. They will just call back, well actually its a recording. I do not know about the release date. Have not had that phone call yet.

Yes my husband has had many blisters. He seen one guy have a seizure. But the next day they made that guy go back and work.

[Bearyspecial]

What?! They seriously made him go back after he could have died! If I was that man's family, I would have sued them up & down.

[jmanning]

Yes seriously. Either he went back or go to the hole and lose classification. It is crazy I know.

[chstigergyrl05]

Originally Posted by Bearyspecial

What?! They seriously made him go back after he could have died! If I was that man's family, I would have sued them up & down.

If you aren't on the lay-in list for that day, you have no choice but to go out there. Apparently, the nurses in the infirmary didn't think he was sick enough to hold him from his job.

[Bearyspecial]

Sometimes I think those nurses should go out there for a day & see how they like it.

[bell1234]

Originally Posted by Bearyspecial

That's great that it tells you when they're approved for parole. Will it also tell you when their release date is? Would it leave a message on your voicemail if you don't answer? And as far as how hard they work them, I know they have a reason for it but gosh. It's not supposed to be capital punishment lol. I think my husband would rather have to deal with other stuff than sunburns & blistered hands lol. But oh well, it's a lesson learned.

no vine will not give you a release date.

[Bearyspecial]

Will you know about the release date before it comes, or will your man just call you out of the blue to have you come get him?

[lizzybell1979]

Some of this information is correct and some not! You will know when they are about to be released. They call u the night before and let u know what time to be there and what to bring for them to wear. It takes 60 days to get ur class 1,so unless medical deems u unhealthy u have to go out on field. Its really not that bad! One day when I was there we did over 10,000 beats because ppl kept screwing up and we would have to start over. Once u get class 1 u get better jobs. We had females that passed out on the line and unless medical gave them lay in then they had to report. It is a major dr if u don't report

[Bearyspecial]

Thanks for correcting! Can they do hoe squad during the day & then take a class at night? My hubby wants to be able to take anger management while doing hoe squad. And once you're done with hoe squad and earn your class 1 do you have to get another job or can you just kinda chill if you're due to be released soon after?

[lizzybell1979]

If his mental health coordinator refers him to any programs when the class is available he will be given a lay in for meetings. So say he takes anger mgmt it is 1 day a week for 4weeks he would report to class on his assigned day! Now say his class isn't til late afternoon he would turn out for morning field duty. Hope this helps

[jmanning]

Its really not that bad!

My husband has been in it since the beginning. And I have seen the blisters, swollen wrists and bee stings. Even after he got stung and was swatting the bees away he got yelled at and was told to stand still. And maybe it depends on the prison. But everyday someone has went down from exhaustion or just not wanting to do it.

[Bearyspecial]

He got told he would have to take it in orientation at Malvern. Does he still have to contact the mental health coordinator at his assigned unit he's at now? I thought anger management was 2 months long?