FLOODING

Drove up close the the Iowa/Wisconsin border Monday. I needed to do an evaluation up in that neck of the woods on Tuesday.

The flooding is unimaginable. The rivers are flowing violently, churning, almost volcanic in their churning. It's going to take months, if not years, just to clean up the destruction. The rivers are full of sofas, mattresses, cars, hot water heaters, farm equipment, bloated rotting corpses of wild animals, domestic animals, and livestock. The larger items get caught on the pillars holding up bridges and then other items get caught on the caught items. While there is no barge traffic, the river is so full of dead animals and destroyed household and farm property that it reminds me of when the barges are gridlocked. To make it even worse there are thousands, if not millions, of acres of fertile farm land--some already planted in multi-thousands of dollars worth of crops that are lost. I don't think I'll ever complain again about the acres and acres of corn and soybeans again.

The water is supposed to get to St. Louis on Monday. Because some of the northern levees overtopped or were breeched it has probably lessened the flooding that we will see. It's already bad enough here and to the south of here. Nevertheless, I am greatly saddened by the price our northern neighbors have paid.

I'm scheduled to return to the Gothic prison some time next week. Hopefully, I'll go before the water reaches them. Place is bad enough as it is without having to park the car miles up the bluff, hike down to the water and take a boat to the prison. It would be a terrible inconvenience for me although nothing compared to what the men who must live in that rotting hole every day and the men and women who must staff it around the clock go through. The prison must be staffed 24-7-365 so when the floods come, some of the staff just live there until the water recedes.

The trip up Monday was stressful. It's always a difficult drive. Five hours of driving is very uncomfortable and I'm always so stiff I can barely get out of the car and walk when I finally arrive at the hotel. The wind farm helps because I always pull over and just allow their meditative swoosh, swoosh, swoosh to soothe my soul.

Then, when I got to the hotel, I quickly pulled on my swimsuit and submerged myself for about a half hour in their wonderful clean, very hot whirlpool and just let the pounding hot soothe some of my cramped muscles.

The prison up there is a nice one--old, but well maintained--clean, with friendly, competent, helpful staff. It's the prison for special needs prisoners--either very medically ill or severely psychiatrically impaired inmates.

The inmate I interviewed presents as problematic. He's a relatively young man (mid 50's), but he is so very ill medically that I question if he should be referred. I have to score his interview and actuarials today. He certainly has been plagued with deviant sexual urges and behaviors for most of his adult life. There is no doubt that he carries a diagnosis of Pedophilia, Female Children Non Exclusive, Exhibitionism, and Frotteurism. Five years ago he had to have two major surgeries and had large sections of his bowel removed. Currently, he is on the waiting list to be sent to the closest university hospital (a very good one) because he has bowel incontinence and each evacuation is filled with dark black red blood. He has a history of colon cancer in his family. He clearly is in significant pain and had to leave the interview room about every 10 to 15 minutes to empty his bowels.

This is problematic because the law was not written to be used as extended punishment. These men and women have already served their time. The law was written to allow these men and women to get the treatment they so desperately need so they can learn and apply the skills to not offend in the future and to protect the community against further sexual offenses. Public monies pay for all the court hearings, trials, and treatment. If this man is going to die before we can even get through the trial, it is a terrible waste of public monies to take him to trial. These trials are unbelievably expensive. The tax payers could pay for a road or a bridge for what one of these trials costs. So, I need to stall my decision until I can get the results from his tests at the university hospital. Very problematic case because his probable cause hearing must be done by mid-August.