Text by Snow Baby, Copyright 2022
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Prison Life and Then Release
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It was hard in the beginning being sentenced to Riverside Correctional Facility, but at the end I was grounded in – as they would say. While serving my time, a corrections officer was harassing me. She was in charge of locking me in every night. One day she came into my cell and I fought her when she tried to have me put into 23/1 for indefinite time. I beat my case due to the fact that I called prison society. It turns out a corrections officer is not allowed to enter a cell without a white shirt or a person above in the chain of command. Fortunately, I only did 30 days in the hole (23/1) where you only shower once every few days and are locked in a cell for 23 hours with nothing but a blanket, a cup, and hopefully toilet paper. You also do not get commissary and if you do you are to only order shower items and writing pads . Yes this is real!
I went to the hole a few times because you have to defend yourself in a place like that, its only you! I also got my Ged and spent days in the law library studying the law and learning different things. At first, I didn’t want to study for Ged because I could not learn by looking at a screen or listen to somebody talk. The program made me wait, because they didn’t think I had it in me to succeed. Then one day I complained to the warden. I told her that I passed all my tests and only missed by one point on the math. She said if I don’t pass the Ged test I owed her because she pushed it through so I could take it. I passed every test without studying. Instead, I was studying on how to beat my own legal case working everyday in the law library when I was supposed to study for the Ged. Certain c/os believed in me. Teachers knew I was smart and when I passed I made it known who made it happen. My teacher started calling everyday (get her this ged test asap ) warden called for the tester. I eventually fired my attorney and went pro se on my case because he said he couldn’t do any better then 3-6 years upstate. I went in there and said what I said and got 23 flat .
When I came home after doing 2 years I tried finding employment but nothing was good enough to be able to make enough money to be approved for apartments; due to the fact I am now an ex felon and have little to no chance even with ex felon friendly companies. So I began going out with friends to after hours places that go from 12-5 and needless to say are all in some area of the hood no matter which one you go to its always in dangerous places. One night I was working and had just bought my car. Somebody broke into my car by busting a window. Now these places barely had security and people would be in there touching you for no money. Customers don’t have to tip. They just pay to get in and pay for drinks so its basically a house party. Hopefully people bring ones. After the night my car got broken into I decided to stop putting myself out there for less and brought myself to Cheerleader’s Gentlemen’s Club in Philly. I heard a lot of people talk about it and I took it as an opportunity. Since then I haven’t been to an after hour or another club.
Since being at Cheerleader’s I’ve gotten an apartment and needless to say that within the first month working there I make a good amount of money. I work every day from 3 to 2 am by choice. I never had stability so I’m excited to be able to finally have it and will make sure I keep it ! Couch room is 20$ a dance. Vip is (30 min) $170 to $650 (1 hour). The customers are high end mostly gentleman who are kind. Some get crazy but alcohol does that.
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About The Author: Snow Baby is an exotic dancer at Cheerleader’s Gentlemen’s Club in Philadelphia. This is her first contribution to Tony Ward Studio.