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Authors: Herman Martin
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(PRC) recommended I be moved to the general population and enrolled in school. After being transfer to four different units, I ended up in Unit 2, Cell 35–a single cell on the east wing.
In September 1991, about the time Dahmer arrived at Columbia for the first time, I started school at Adult Basic Education, which provided high school education, and a computer class in Principles of the Adult Literacy System (PALS). I also learned to work on Apple computers. In addition to the three academic and computer programs I enrolled in, Columbia also offered vocational training programs where prisoners can earn a diploma from Milwaukee Area Technical College. Some of those programs include a Building Services Program, a Custodial Services Program, and a Graphics/Painting program. The theory is that, with an education and vocational training, a life on the outside is more viable.
Columbia had a library with approximately 10,000 books, including a large reference collection, Spanish language, current fiction, and many popular Western novels.
The library also had nearly thirty-five newspapers and magazines. There was a law section with current books for inmates working on their court cases.
Being in prison didn’t mean you were completely cut off from society. For me, it was easy to keep up with the outside world just by reading the daily newspapers and watching TV.
During the weeks after Dahmer left for his trial, I spent much of my time reading my Bible and attending chapel services. The Wisconsin prison system provides religious services for many different religions. At our facility, there were seven services: Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Jehovah’s Witness, Wiccan, and Native American Sweat Lodge.
That last one, the Native American Sweat Lodge, was interesting. Prison officials put up a tent outside for the Native Americans, built a fire under rocks, then poured water over the hot rocks to make the tent fill with steam; hence the name “Sweat Lodge.” I never did witness the service myself, but I had some Native American acquaintances in prison who told me about it.
In addition to religious services, the prison provided weekly Bible studies held by volunteers who came to the institution from various local churches.
There were also programs and support groups, just like those you could participate in on the outside, designed to help prisoners work through some of their issues. I attended Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Others groups included a child-molester group for those who committed sexual assault on a child, a social skills group, the Process Therapy Group for inmates suffering some sort of distress such as depression or anxiety, and an Anger Management group. The men in these groups had be an active participant. If you don’t earnestly participate once you get in, the instructors don’t let you come back.
In addition to those weekly meetings and other activities, some inmates had work assignments. Badger State Industries offered printing jobs for some of the men, but mostly jobs were institution work assignments including recreation or canteen assistance, maintenance, school clerk, teacher’s aide, custodian, library clerk, chaplain clerk, laundry, food service, and living unit service. In the ‘90s, these jobs paid between eight cents and forty-seven cents an hour, depending on how the administrative staff rated the job. Usually the inmates doing these jobshad life sentences or were trustees.
Columbia offered an arts and crafts room for leisure-time activities. Many inmates went there to draw, work with leather or beads, or learn knitting or crocheting. A music room provided various instruments for those interested in playing music. Inmates could have their own instruments in the music room. There was also a gymnasium for indoor exercise or inmates went outside from May through September to run, or play tennis, horseshoes, basketball, baseball, or use the outside free weights. On
In September 1991, about the time Dahmer arrived at Columbia for the first time, I started school at Adult Basic Education, which provided high school education, and a computer class in Principles of the Adult Literacy System (PALS). I also learned to work on Apple computers. In addition to the three academic and computer programs I enrolled in, Columbia also offered vocational training programs where prisoners can earn a diploma from Milwaukee Area Technical College. Some of those programs include a Building Services Program, a Custodial Services Program, and a Graphics/Painting program. The theory is that, with an education and vocational training, a life on the outside is more viable.
Columbia had a library with approximately 10,000 books, including a large reference collection, Spanish language, current fiction, and many popular Western novels.
The library also had nearly thirty-five newspapers and magazines. There was a law section with current books for inmates working on their court cases.
Being in prison didn’t mean you were completely cut off from society. For me, it was easy to keep up with the outside world just by reading the daily newspapers and watching TV.
During the weeks after Dahmer left for his trial, I spent much of my time reading my Bible and attending chapel services. The Wisconsin prison system provides religious services for many different religions. At our facility, there were seven services: Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Jehovah’s Witness, Wiccan, and Native American Sweat Lodge.
That last one, the Native American Sweat Lodge, was interesting. Prison officials put up a tent outside for the Native Americans, built a fire under rocks, then poured water over the hot rocks to make the tent fill with steam; hence the name “Sweat Lodge.” I never did witness the service myself, but I had some Native American acquaintances in prison who told me about it.
In addition to religious services, the prison provided weekly Bible studies held by volunteers who came to the institution from various local churches.
There were also programs and support groups, just like those you could participate in on the outside, designed to help prisoners work through some of their issues. I attended Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Others groups included a child-molester group for those who committed sexual assault on a child, a social skills group, the Process Therapy Group for inmates suffering some sort of distress such as depression or anxiety, and an Anger Management group. The men in these groups had be an active participant. If you don’t earnestly participate once you get in, the instructors don’t let you come back.
In addition to those weekly meetings and other activities, some inmates had work assignments. Badger State Industries offered printing jobs for some of the men, but mostly jobs were institution work assignments including recreation or canteen assistance, maintenance, school clerk, teacher’s aide, custodian, library clerk, chaplain clerk, laundry, food service, and living unit service. In the ‘90s, these jobs paid between eight cents and forty-seven cents an hour, depending on how the administrative staff rated the job. Usually the inmates doing these jobshad life sentences or were trustees.
Columbia offered an arts and crafts room for leisure-time activities. Many inmates went there to draw, work with leather or beads, or learn knitting or crocheting. A music room provided various instruments for those interested in playing music. Inmates could have their own instruments in the music room. There was also a gymnasium for indoor exercise or inmates went outside from May through September to run, or play tennis, horseshoes, basketball, baseball, or use the outside free weights. On
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