This summer, I was transferred from a federal prison in Florida’s panhandle to one located in coastal South Carolina.
You may assume these two locations have a similar climate, being only a few hundred miles apart, but I’ve learned the hard way that this isn’t true. Florida is certainly known for its high humidity, especially during the summer months. But at the Federal Correctional Institution at Marianna’s satellite camp, I experienced a fairly dry (but still scorching) summer heat.
In contrast, coastal South Carolina has been horrifically humid. Here at FCI Estill’s satellite camp, it feels like the heat is reaching down my throat to pull the breath from my body.
Recently, as I was walking to the education department, I found a baby bird with his mouth stretched wide open. I thought to myself, “I feel your pain little fellow.” The heat made breathing a chore instead of a natural instinct. I picked the bird up and carried him to a water fountain, but the water that flowed from the tap was hot, too.
I knew it was hot in Florida when I would get thirsty after two laps around our small track. But here in South Carolina, I got overheated just sitting under a tree in the shade. The Florida summers were more bearable because even when the air conditioning was down, you could still find some relief using fans. At this facility, we cannot purchase the small personal fans we had at Marianna.
Needless to say, I miss the Peninsula heat of Florida, and despise the South Carolina heat that makes it feel like you are drowning in boiling water. Some days, a black flag is hoisted to indicate that it is too hot to allow us outdoors for recreation. When I am released, I will definitely not be remaining in South Carolina. Back to dry sunny Florida it is for me.
