Inmate 1577

26

August 6, 1959

“Leavenworth’s known as the ‘Big Top,’” the US Marshal said as he led MacNally up to the administration building’s double doors. “It’s also been referred to as the ‘Big L.’ We’ll be calling it your new home. But you’ll be calling it the biggest mistake of your life.”

A heavy steel rolling gate stood there ominously, MacNally’s first indication that this place was seriously committed to keeping its inmates contained on the other side of freedom.

The gate slid aside with the speed of molasses, agonizingly pointing out that once MacNally stepped across the threshold, his life was going to change forever. MacNally craned his neck upward to get a last glimpse of the sky as a free man, but the overhang of the building’s façade impeded his view.

MacNally tripped on the leg irons and stumbled through the gate into a lobby. To his left, a series of similar steel-barred barriers blocked the hall. To the right, a short corridor led to a couple of rooms.

The marshal grabbed hold of his left arm. “Wait here for the R &D officer.” He must have noticed MacNally’s confusion, because he clarified, “Receiving and Discharge.”

A man with the build and expression of a lumberjack walked up.

He pointed at MacNally. “Face the wall to your right.”

MacNally squinted. “What?”

“Face. The. Wall,” he said, as if MacNally was incapable of comprehending English. “Eyes front.”

MacNally did as ordered.

The marshal handed over a document. “Commitment order.”

The R &D officer took the paperwork and began to read it, then noticed MacNally was stealing a look at the text. “What the fuck you looking at? I said eyes front!”

MacNally swung his head back toward the grimy wall.

“Thanks, Deputy,” the officer said. “I’ve got custody. Be back in a few with the iron.”

The man grabbed hold of MacNally’s arm. “Let’s go.”

Ahead of him, barely visible through two more gates that boasted inch-thick steel bars, was an oddly out of place, intricately designed rotunda. An officer’s desk sat squarely in its center, with dark lines along the floor radiating outward toward the walls. Columns rose in pairs all around him, with hallways leading off the main hub.

The first gate’s bars slid apart and the two men walked through. They waited as it slammed shut behind them. The third one then opened slowly, and as they stepped forward into the rotunda, this door also struck metal with a violent echo as it banged closed.

Above him, a hundred, maybe a hundred fifty feet off the ground, rose a dome. Just like his design work on the exterior, the architect honed close to the US Capitol’s schema for the interior, as well.

The officer escorted MacNally through the rotunda and down a stairwell to their right that led to Receiving and Discharge. The arm and leg irons were removed and the officer left to return them to the marshal.

MacNally was stripped naked in front of the processing personnel and then searched for contraband and weapons-including his rectum and beneath his scrotum. An intake screening followed: a counselor interviewed him, asking about his work history, his education level, religion, and other such details. A physician’s assistant then asked him about his health to determine if he had any special needs. He had none.

He was then given his supplies-a printed manual that outlined Leavenworth rules and procedures; his clothing and bedroll; a towel, toothbrush and Dr. Finks tooth powder.

MacNally looked quizzically at the name on the latter product.

“That’s specially formulated stuff,” said the man issuing his kit. “After one good brushing, you won’t be able to keep your mouth shut.”

He said it with a straight face, but MacNally figured it had to be a joke. But he didn’t feel much like laughing.

A correctional officer approached, dressed in a tie and jacket, with a stern face and graying temples. His badge read, Voorhees.

“Take him to A &O,” the man said to Voorhees.

Voorhees frowned. “This way.” He led MacNally back through the rotunda. “Big L has four cellhouses, all joined right here. Centerhall. See those gates?”

MacNally saw them all right.

“Each cellhouse has only one door. Leads right here. Guards need to, they can seal off a cellhouse by slamming ’em shut.”

“Why would they need to do that?” MacNally asked.

Voorhees eyed him. “You ever been in prison before, boy?”

MacNally lifted a shoulder. “County, while I waited for my trial.”

The officer made no attempt to stifle his laugh. “Really. Well you in for one hell of a fucking rude awakening. Keep your eyes and ears open. Listen. Learn. This is the big time, boy. You’re in for a heap a trouble.”

MacNally swallowed hard. A font of fear welled up in his throat. Robbing those banks now didn’t seem like the prudent thing to do. But it was too late. He’d done it. He got caught. Now he had to learn how to survive.

“That there hallway,” Voorhees said, pointing ahead, “the one leading off Centerhall. That’s the main corridor. See the floor?” He got a nod from MacNally and continued. “White and red tiles. Walk on the white ones only. Step on the red, a guard’s gonna knock you good, back onto the white.”

“What’s the red for?”

“Staff.” Voorhees gestured into the distance. “Lieutenant’s office is down that hallway. And that’s the rear corridor way down there. The steel grill straight ahead leads to the dining room and the auditorium. The Protestant chapel’s located in the auditorium, Catholic chapel’s behind the stage. Kitchen, if you got that detail, is by the mess hall. Those grill doors on either side of the rear corridor down there lead to the hospital, laundry, and the yards. Commissary’s located on the yard.”

“What can you buy in the commissary?”

“Not much. MoonPies. Snacks, clothing, that sorta shit.”

Voorhees examined MacNally’s face a moment, then said, “Come with me.” He led him into the lieutenant’s office, and then closed the door. “Now listen to me. You trust no one here. Keep your mouth shut and do your own time. You go sticking your nose where it don’t belong, it could get you killed. Guys here, they’re interested in one thing. And that’s them and their own interests.”

MacNally nodded.

“What’d you do?” Voorhees asked. “To get a ticket here?”

“Armed robbery.”

The guard looked him square in the eye. “You do it?”

MacNally bit his bottom lip. “Yeah. But it’s not that cut-and-dry.”

“Everyone in here’s got a story, buddy.”

“My wife was murdered and they thought I did it-which I didn’t-and the jury found me not guilty. It was a big case, big trial. Everyone knew about it. But as I began to learn, ‘not guilty’ isn’t the same as innocent, and I couldn’t land a decent job. Even when I tried to hide it, soon as they found out, they canned me. For years, I tried everything.” He looked squarely at Voorhees. “I’ve got a young son, I had to put food on the table. I didn’t have a choice.”

Voorhees nodded slowly. “Sorry to hear about your wife. And your troubles. But everyone’s got a choice. You remember that. ’Specially here. Guys are gonna talk shit, some may even make you do things. You’re gonna have choices to make, choices that are gonna define your life from this point forward. You did armed robbery and they sent you to Leavenworth. That’s one choice you fucked up royally, I can tell you that right now. This place’ll eat you alive, you let it.”

Voorhees opened the door and they stepped out. A rumble emerged in the distance. The odd acoustics of the prison made it appear as if a stampede was approaching.

“The hell is that?” MacNally said.

“Lunch. The cellhouses are released on a rotation.”

A wave of men flowed into, and consumed, the rotunda as they moved into the hallway that led to the mess hall, sticking to the white tiles. Many eyed MacNally as they passed, one running his tongue across his upper lip. His gaze remained glued to MacNally even as he followed the moving line down the long corridor.

“What’s your name?” Voorhees asked, keeping his face forward, watching the prisoners as they continued on.

“Walt. Walton MacNally.”

“Listen here, MacNally. See those guys?” He gestured toward the flow of prisoners, who had moved out of earshot. “Ain’t no one of them gonna give a shit about you. It’s all about what they can do for themselves.” The last inmate in line turned and snarled at Voorhees.

“Turn around, you fucking scumbag,” Voorhees yelled after him. He shook his head, and then gestured at the corridor ahead of them. “Don’t forget. Walk on the white. Follow the rules and everything’ll be fine. If you don’t…” Voorhees shrugged. “Choices, MacNally. Remember that.” He gave the prisoner a gentle shove from behind. “Let’s go get you to your cell.”

MacNally moved alongside Voorhees. Had he had choices? He guessed he did. But like everything else, it just wasn’t that simple. One thing was certain: it seemed he would have plenty of time to reflect on what he had done. What he could’ve done differently.

For now, he needed to figure out how things worked here. Because of all the unknowns, there was one fact of which there was no doubt: this was now home. And he didn’t care much for the new neighborhood.