On the Inside
After finishing his sentence — three months in county jail and 90 days at Crossroads drug rehab program — Inmate X went back to work and has stayed off drugs and alcohol since. It’s been easy, he says, because he made a vow to his daughter never to abandon her again.
But like Eric Harmon and William Clark, he’s had logistical barriers to overcome. “I had to get somebody to drive my tools to the job site, and I had to take the bus with my bike … in the rain,” he says. “Maybe I could have gotten away with driving. But it would just take that one time, one time getting caught and my life would be over.”
Guys who take that chance, he says, are just born to lose.
Brenda Godsey leads the way back out of the jail, through the maze of automatically unlocking doors and echoey, windowless hallways. This can be disorienting, she says. In the winter months, she gets to work before sunrise and leaves after sunset. She’s always in the dark. It’s hard to get used to, she says, but it’s part of the job and she likes her job, though she admits it’s not for everyone.
We get to the last door and she lets me out. The sun is blinding, cars roar by; it feels almost foreign. Godsey turns and walks back inside.
Helen Sanderson also took the photos for this story.
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on the cover
Railroad!
Proposed lines ‘set rich blood a-tingling’ in early 1900s
Some Other Proposed North Coast Railroads
Choo-choo Fantasies
Exposing this east-west rail nonsense
seven-o-heaven
Undeterred Will
Will chides Andrew for lack of attention to detail and makes plans for his inevitable victory.
Recent on the cover
May 17
Ring of Fire
Sun and moon will perform a rare pas de deux in Humboldt skies on Sunday
May 10
District Soup
Racing for the top county seat in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd districts
May 3
A Place in the Woods
As park closure deadline nears, a scramble to save what we can
Today
44th Annual Kinetic Grand Championship Race
STAFF PICK / events, art, outdoors, sports, for kids, free / 9 a.m.-6 p.m. A 3-day, 42-mile kinetic sculpture race over land, sand, mud and water! LeMans start at the Noon Whistle on the Arcata Plaza. Follow the race through Manila, Eureka and into Ferndale on Memorial Day for the Glorious Finish. kineticgrandchampionship.com. 889-3024.
Flow 2012 Fashion Show
STAFF PICK / events / 8 p.m. Arcata Theatre Lounge, 1036 G St. Student designed and produced clothing. Fundraiser for Arcata Arts Institute. $35/$25 students. artsinstitute.net. 822-1220.
Woodside Preschool's Rummage/Bake Sale
events / 8 a.m.-noon. Woodside Preschool, 900 Hodgson St, Eureka. www.woodsidepreschool.com. 445-9132.
Lanphere Dunes Restoration
STAFF PICK / outdoors / 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Meet at Pacific Union School. Help remove non-native invasives at the Lanphere Dunes Unit of the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Tools and gloves provided, wear work clothes and bring water. Carpool to the protected site. 444-1397.
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ONE Comments
Comment / By Jahnee / Jan. 27, 5:51 p.m.
Nice story !!!! Very well written