Brian Tranmer
02683-017
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 5000
Pekin, IL 61555

December 10, 2000

Louv Carl,

        As you can see, from the envelope, I've made it here to Pekin.  It was all due to you and Senator Harkin's help.  Prior to the Senator's office contacting them, the Bureau of Prisons bureaucrats were giving me their usual spin.  First, they told me that I would be eligible after 18 months of clear conduct.  Then, after that, their story was that due to them trying to raise the population of the institution (of course, that was a lie because you would see their select people getting transfers regularly) they weren't giving any transfers.  Also, after they were contacted, the case manager called me into the unit team and commenced screaming at me, saying, "Stop all this political stuff, we have put in your transfer!!"  She was shaking so much and screaming so loud that the counselor asked her, "What?  One little letter (referring to the Senator's letter) and you're scared?"  Her reply was, "Scared?  He is opening the flood gates!!"  For the most part the Bureau of Prisons employees are the biggest concentration of incompetence you'll ever see.  They're usually more concerned with making your life more miserable than to help you in any way.  Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, but few and far between.  There is this black lady here who is me and my father's case manager.  She arranged for me to be put in the same unit with my father.  She seems to genuinely do her best to help people.  There's only so much she can do with the opposing spirits of the rest of the unit team.  Anyway, me and my pops are no in the same unit and are pretty much able to socialize for most of the day.  We hope to eventually get a two man room (there are two-man rooms and very cramped three-men rooms where I now live.  There's a chain of seniority governing the two-man cells) together.  It all depends how much our counselor wants to assist us, and he doesn't really have a good record of helping people. L
        To give you a little laugh, on my flight here (as you know the U.S. Marshals handle all the air transit for the Bureau of Prisons, they have a few old 727s), on the last leg, after a few stops, a flap on the wing flew off and tore a hole in the fuselage.  Well, my friend, much Louv.  Thanks for your help.  Brian

    Brian Tranmer
    02683-017
    Federal Correctional Institution
    P.O. Box 5000
    Pekin, IL 61555