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Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution Newsletter

January, 2021

Volume III, Issue I

Comic art contest nowopen for submissions.

Enrichment Club isaccepting applications.

AIC COVID Vaccinationsfor the medically vulner-able begin January 16th.

Inside this Issue:

Letter from the Editor 2

Going Up From Here! 3

3-Gallon Honey Harvest 4

(Clock) Class Winds Down 5

Roots Class Rooted 5

Experience That Counts 6

Just The Facts (Q&A) 8

Financial Peace 10

The Oatmeal Diet 11

It’s Easy Being Green 12

In The Groove 13

Writing on Purpose 14

Textures and Shadows 15

The Funny Pages 16

The Enrichment Club 18

Now Hiring 19

Tax Returns in 2021 20

COVID Update 21

Pneumonia Vaccine 21

ODOC Rule Changes 22

As you may know, the Oregon Departmentof Corrections (DOC) has receive someCOVID-19 vaccine doses, and staff havestarted to get vaccinated at our institu-tions and at community clinics. TheOregon Health Authority (OHA) includedcorrectional staff in the 1A category andhas placed AICs in the 1B category. We donot have a timeline for 1B category vac-cine distribution at this time.

Vaccinations at DOC began December 28with staff in close contact with COVID-19positive individuals and infectious materi-als. DOC expects to receive more vaccinedoses in the next few weeks. Once we do,the following groups will be offered avaccination next:

Additional DOC employees.

AICs whose work assignments involvecleaning and disinfecting in COVID-19positive units and the medically vul-nerable (beginning 1/16/21 in multi).

DOC will need to wait for more instruc-tions from OHA (and more shipments ofthe vaccine) before we can give doses toall AICs who want the vaccine. Pleaseknow we will provide this protection to youas soon as we possibly can.

We know you all miss seeing your friendsand family, and vaccines will make it pos-sible for DOC to reopen visiting and returnto regular operations. Safe and effectivevaccinations are the key to slowly butsurely erasing COVID-19 from our institu-tions. Numbers are still climbing at thefacilities you live in and statewide. Pleasecontinue wearing masks, washing yourhands well and often, maintaining socialdistancing, and sanitizing your living area.

An educational video about the COVID-19vaccine is currently airing on your institu-tion channel (channel 53). We want you tobe well informed so you can make thebest decision for yourself and thosearound you. Thank you for your patienceas we work through this process.

EOCI Tier Status

EOCI is currently on Tier 2 with 3 unitson quarantine status. There are 3 unitson quarantine status, (A1, E4 and F2) inaddition to C1, the medical isolation unit.

As of today, EOCI has 74 staff memberswho have tested positive with 72 returnedto work or have a return to work date.456 AICs have tested positive with 451AICs recovered and 610 negative results.

There are currently 9 AICs housed on C1 -7 positive and 2 negative (unit orderlies).

AICs identified for the first round of vacci-nations have been notified. When morevaccines are provided to EOCI, you will benotified and a vaccine sign up form will bemade available to you.

Vaccinations Reach EOCIProvided by the Agency Operations Center

The Echo

Points of Interest:

Article Vocabulary

1. Malarkey: Nonsense or

double-speak.

2. Optimistic: Hopeful; A

positive outlook.

Family and friends can text

the word “corrections” to

22828 to receive a free

email subscription to the

institution newsletter.

If you are unable to obtain a

newsletter on your unit,

send a communication form

to IWP and we will mail

one back to you.

Important Note

Hello readers and welcome to the new andimproved 2021 edition of The Echo! Inaddition to a new layout, you may havenoticed this version is slightly longer thanprevious ones. We have reduced the num-ber of copies issued per unit, which hasallowed us to increase the page count perissue without adding to the total amount ofpages printed. We ask that you please keepin mind the limited number of copies.

As a reminder, we also produce a videonewsletter each month, which airs threetimes per day on Channel 53 and containsall of the relevant content from thismonth’s printed version. For friends andfamily that would like access to The Echo,they may simply text the word “Corrections”to 22828. They will be placed on mailinglist and receive an email each month withthe newsletter. Additionally, if you wouldlike a copy of the month’s newsletter andare unable to obtain one on your unit youmay send a communication form to IWPand we will mail a copy to you.

This year was challenging for a number ofreasons. A majority of the articles we wrotewere fairly negative as result of the eventsof 2020. I personally do not enjoy writingarticles about viruses, floods, wildfires orquarantines. I especially don’t enjoy pub-lishing obituaries.

I think ‘negative’ articles are sometimesnecessary because they are informative,but they have to be counterbalanced withpositive articles. Otherwise, who wouldread a newsletter that is constantly givingbad news? All the malarkey¹ surrounding

clubs, fundraisers, and video games didn’thelp - and that could have been a realbright spot during 2020. The challenge ofthe year was finding the counterbalancesand we did not have much to work with.

For this reason, I have to thank some of thecontributors to the newsletter: WarrenDoescher, Owen Youngblood, and Kenneth

Moore. Not to mention Patrick Gazeley-Romney for fulfilling the role of staff writerand being my right-hand man all year.These guys were essential in creating somebalance to 2020.

Of course, I also have to thank Mr. Miles,Captain Stewart, Ms. Emory, Mr. Ogle, andthe many others who allowed me to pesterthem with questions all year long. Staffinvolvement really makes the newslettermuch more informative and I greatly appre-ciate all of their time and effort. And therewouldn't be a newsletter without the tire-less advocacy and patience of Mr. Peters,whom I am sure I have annoyed more thana time or two. There were times this yearwhen it would have been much easier notto write a newsletter and the many folks—staff and AIC alike– who contributed helpedkeep it going despite the challenges.

We have some good leads to follow for2021 and we are optimistic² that they willturn into some exciting stories. My hope isthat this year we will be able to write arti-cles about all the wonderful work our fund-raising club is doing, about vaccinationsand not viruses, and about reunions withloved ones and the return of visitation.

Thanks for reading and, as always, we arehappy to hear from any of you. Feel free tosend a kyte to IWP if you have ideas on arti-cles or with thoughts you may have. As areminder, we do not publish personalstories or religious content.

Letter from the EditorThe 2021 Edition of The Echo

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ImportantNotices

Phillip Luna,

Editor, The Echo

EOCI’s bakery did anincredible job in December,

baking more than 700cherry pies. If this item was

sold as a fundraiser at aprice of $6 per pie, it

could have raised up to$2,100 for charity.

Final Thought

Written by Phillip Luna

2020 was tumultuous¹ and the New Year

rang in not with cheers, but with a collectivesigh of relief. Through the efforts of someexceptional staff members the year culmi-nated on a high note (with a sugary coma-tose of $3 cherry pies, giant bags of varietycandy, and delicious holiday treats from thekitchen). Although sold at-cost, the cherrypies and Child’s Play candy served as a sig-nificant step towards restoring fundraisersin the institution as it demonstrated EOCI’sability to safely distribute fundraiser-likeitems. In addition, COVID does appear to betrending downward at EOCI and vaccina-tions are on the horizon, all indicating apositive outlook for 2021.

In related news, the East Oregonian re-cently published an article lauding² the TwoRivers Correctional Institution (TRCI) fortheir fundraisers and contributions to thestruggling Hermiston community during2020. TRCI’s fundraiser club, “ParadigmShift Club”, which serves the same functionas EOCI’s yet-to-begin “Enrichment Club”,

raised tens of thousands of dollars last yearthrough multiple fundraisers. In the article,staff members from TRCI emphasize theclubs affect on AIC self-esteem and arehopeful it will improve society’s opinion ofthe incarcerated. Summarizing this view,TRCI’s recreation specialist was quoted say-ing, “Let’s change how people see [AICs]…there’s qualities to these guys. They’re notrefuse³ to be thrown out.”

When asked about the topic of fundraisersat EOCI some AICs express optimism.“When I read the article in the East Orego-nian”, stated one AIC, “I think I see it as achallenge more than anything else. Giventhe opportunity I think we can beat TRCIwith funds raised in 2021. Let’s make it acompetition.” TRCI’s club started in Decem-ber of 2019.

With the many benefits highlighted throughTRCI’s experience it appears clear thatEOCI will follow suit. And the Great SugarRush of December has shown that not onlydoes EOCI have capable staff memberswilling to support the sale of fundraiser-likeitems, but also that distribution of theseitems is possible while practicing appropri-ate social distancing.

Most importantly, there is no shortage ofAICs that are willing to participate in fund-raisers. The one constant among all EOCIresidents is an interest in aiding local com-munities - specifically those affected byCOVID-19 and the Oregon wildfires of lastyear. Like TRCI, the residents of EOCI arealso eager to demonstrate that, “they’re notrefuse to be thrown out” and that they cancontribute to the outside community.

Obviously, there is an aspect of fundraisersthat benefits the individual - and there aresome who are more interested in the itemsthey will purchase than the charities theywill benefit. But after a year of perpetual disappointment and anxiety is it wrong towant to focus on something other thanfloods, wildfires, viruses, and protests?

Going Up From Here!An Optimistic Outlook on Fundraisers in 2021

TRCI’s fundraising club,“Paradigm Shift”, raised

approximately $15,000 fornon-profits including Agape

House, a food bank, andMartha’s House, a

transitional family shelter.

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Article Note

1. Tumultuous: Chaotic,confusing and agitated.

2. Lauding: Praising,speaking highly of.

3. Refuse: Garbage orwaste.

4. Perpetual: Constant andwithout end.

Article Vocabulary

Article Vocabulary

1. Apiary: Where bees and

beehives are kept.

The Echo

For many of us, 2020 was a year of incredi-ble challenges. To name a few, Kobe, theBlack Panther, and the Notorious RBG allleft us, murder hornets are apparently athing, and the northwest was ravaged bymassive wildfires. And we added words likesocial distancing and social justice to ourvocabularies. Overall, 2020 was like look-ing both ways before crossing the streetand then getting hit by an airplane.

But here’s a fun fact: a honey bee doesn’tcare about any of that (well, they care alittle about the murder hornets). They justcontinue living their bee lives and makingsweet honey. There is a welcome simplicityto apiary¹ work that is appealing during a

time when nothing in life is quite so simple.

Although the EOCI Beekeeping Programwas unable to have regular classes thisyear, the bee’s themselves continued tothrive. Nearly three gallons of honey was

harvested on December 18th, 2020, mark-ing the first honey harvest for the programto date. Beekeeper Gazeley-Romney esti-mates next year’s harvest might reacharound 25 pounds of honey. For reference,a honey bee must tap about two millionflowers to make one pound of honey. Ifexpectations are met, that’s nearly 50 mil-lion flowers tapped this year!

EOCI’s beekeeping students will remain inthe class for 2021, as they were unable tocomplete the majority of necessary tasksduring this year. This unfortunately meansthere are no class openings at this time.


3-Gallon Honey HarvestHoney Bee’s Defy Odds, Produce Honey Despite Pandemic

EOCI’s beekeeping program

takes approximately 1 year

to receive certification.

Currently, there are no

openings in the program.

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Important Note

1. Resurgence: A sweep-ing return or surgingback again.

"Time waits for no man"

- The Rolling Stones

The Echo

Roots of Success is a tenmodule course teaching

environmental literacy andessential work skills. Itis estimated that eachmodule will take three

to four weeks each.

Eight students graduated the Clock Makingand Repair Class on December 28th,2020. Graduates are: Buford Harper, Chris-topher Allen Vasey, Matthew Lupinacci,Naythan Olney, Rodney Maguire, DenisSteffen, Seth Mathews, and Stan Brittain.

The goal of the class is to give AICs achance to learn marketable skills that canbe used after release and the ability to usevarious watchmaker’s tools, measuringinstruments, and bench machines.

The Clock Making and Repair Programbegan in 2007 with the much publicizedrepair of the 100-year-old Petaluma, Cali-fornia clock tower mechanism. This clockwas shipped to EOCI, dismantled, repaired,returned to Petaluma and to be reinstalledas good as new.

Applications for next year’s Clock Makingand Repair Class are not currently beingaccepted. When classes return a noticewill be posted in The Echo.

Roots Stays RootedNo Sprouts yet for the Roots of Success Class


Class Winds DownClock Class Able to Graduate in 2020

After units A1, F2, and F4 returned toquarantine, the start of traditional classeshas been further delayed. While the inten-tion was to start at the beginning of thisyear, a small resurgence¹ of COVID has

delayed the start date.

One student was able to start with individ-ual instruction (one facilitator and one stu-dent). This was made possible becausethis particular student was within a fewweeks of release. The rapid instructiontook place over the course of a few days.

IWP is currently in the process of identify-ing more students that are within a fewweeks of release and have been selectedfor the class. However, it is preferable tocomplete the course with a group of stu-dents as much of the class centers aroundgroup activities and discussion. Pleasehave patience; classes will fully begin assoon as it is possible.

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Quote

Important Note

Article Vocabulary

EOCI bakers start out at 5

PRAS points with the oppor-

tunity to work up to 17 PRAS

points over time, for certain

positions. There are only nine

bakery positions.

Important Note

Food Services is currently

hiring for kitchen positions.

Anyone interested in working

in the bakery must first start

out in the kitchen.

Turn to page 19 for more

information on kitchen work

assignment openings.

Important Note

Article Vocabulary

1. Posits: To present as

a fact or assumption;

Postulate.

The EOCI bakery is one of the few ODOCbakeries that supply all of the bread prod-ucts and desserts served at the institution.Each day the bakery makes fresh breadproducts and desserts for roughly 1,600AICs, requiring much teamwork and impec-cable timing.

As well as keeping up with the constantinstitutional carbohydrate requirement, thebakers do a few special events from time totime. In years past, they have baked cakesfor weddings in the community and des-serts for AIC family events and graduations.

On December 16th, 2020 the bakers werebusy in the early morning - scaling and roll-ing out dough for pie shells, adding cherryfilling and streusel topping and finallybaking the pies for the most recent institu-tion occasion. The pies were distributed byexecutive team volunteers in the afternoonso that AICs could enjoy the product while itwas fresh.

James Havens became a baker seven yearsago - two years into his sentence. Like mostpeople in the EOCI workforce, he followed

an occupational pathway and graduallyworked his way into a lead baker position.Havens worked as a unit orderly for his firsttwo years until he found an opening in thekitchen, working and networking there for ashort time until he could interview for abakery position. Havens credits his ad-vancement to his ability to "work hard everyday and maintain a positive attitude."

With the experience he's gained working inthe EOCI bakery over the years, Havensposits¹ he could open his own bakery some-

day. Following and creating recipes, trainingcrew members and overseeing projects,maintaining ingredient inventories and run-ning cost/profit analyses are skills he haspicked up along the way. When asked whatthe most difficult thing he has encounteredis Havens says, "troubleshooting ingredientproportions when experimenting with newrecipes."

(continued on following page…)

Experience that CountsExploring the Career Pathways of the Culinary Field

Written by Patrick Gazeley-Romney

The Echo

Lead Baker Havens preparing cherry pies.

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If you have questions orconcerns related to

donating DVD’s, pleasecontact Ms. Halbert,

Correctional Rehab, viaAIC communication form.

Those interested in this industry upon re-lease, EOCI food services is a great avenuefor learning industry-standard skills thatcan make you a standout candidate for ajob opening. If you work your way throughthe food service occupational pathway atEOCI you can expect to receive training intool control, food preparation and storagetechniques, specialized equipment opera-tion, sanitation practices and basic mathe-matics.

An entry-level baker starts at 5 PRASpoints. An AICs time in the position andachievement in skill tests through thekitchen dictates incremental PRAS raises to11, 14, 16 and 17 points for lead bakers.

Work hours for bakers are Sunday throughThursday, 3 am-11 am. In most cases, foodservice workers start out in the kitchen toprove their worth before moving into a bak-ery position. Bakers use most of the skillsacquired in the kitchen including knifeskills, sautéing, broiling, mathematics andtiming of recipe components.

According to the State of Oregon Employ-ment Department, bakers may earn be-tween $12.25 and $17.34 as employees ofa private bakery. In 2019, Oregon hadroughly 2,814 bakers employed. Annuallythere is an average of 474 job openings forbakers in Oregon. Generally, there are noeducation requirements to become a bakerso lack of education is not a barrier manypeople in the field face. Pioneer Pacific Col-lege (Portland and Salem), Central OregonCommunity College (Bend), Klamath Com-munity College (Klamath), Linn-BentonCommunity College (Albany), SouthwesternOregon Community College (Coos Bay) andJob Corps (Portland, Astoria, Troutdale) alloffer training programs for those who wishto learn skills relevant to working as abaker, however, for most training is doneon the job.

Experience that Counts (...continued from previous page)

“It is difficult at first to

wake up at 3 am, but once

you get used to it it’s actu-

ally pretty nice. Being done

with your day by 11 am

feels great and you never

miss an afternoon yard.”

- EOCI Baker,

when asked about early

morning work hours

Donating DVD’s:

1. Send a communication form to Multiwith the title, year, and movie rating.

2. Staff determines if the movie is on theSWANK-approved list and whether it isalready in the institution.

3. If it is SWANK-approved and not in thelibrary, it is sent to the Operations Cap-tain for approval.

4. Multi will send notification of approvalor denial to you.

5. You may order the approved DVD(s)through an approved vendor.

Important:

Do not order the movie until you arenotified of approval.

All DVDs must come from an approvedvendor (Amazon, Wal-Mart, etc...).

All donated movies become the prop-erty of ODOC and not the AIC.

Donated movies must be new and sentfrom an approved vendor to:

Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution

Correctional Rehabilitation

2500 Westgate

Pendleton, OR 97801

Provided by Ms. Halbert,

Correctional Rehabilitation

Donating a DVDHow to Donate a DVD to the Institution

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Worker Quote

Important Note

The Echo

Question: When I reach the minimum $500in my Transitional Savings Account, what isthe process for continuing to add 5% to thisaccount for all eligible deposits?

Answer: Once you reach $500 in your tran-sitional savings account, and if you haveeither met or do not have COFO obligations,you may elect to continue adding 5% toyour account from all eligible deposits. Youcan do this by sending an AIC Communica-tion Form to Central Trust indicating yourintention.

Ms. VanEpps,Business Services

Question: Will Telmate continue to be avail-able for online deposits to trust accounts?

Answer: Friends and family can use: Cen-turylink, JPay, Telmate, AccessCorrections,or send a cashier’s check/money orderdirectly to Salem Central Trust, P.O. Box14400, Salem, OR 97309-5077.

Ms. VanEpps,Business Services

Question: Are EIP stimulus checks beingheld for any reason? Why have some AICsreceived their checks and others have not?

Answer: The DOC has no way of trackingthe EIP’s nor do we have the authority to doso. A trusted friend/family member may beable to check on the status of your EIPthrough the IRS directly. All EIP checks re-ceived are being processed just like anyother deposits according to OAR 291-158once received. Deposits occur within 2-4business days once received. Regardingthe new stimulus EIP check, DOC has re-ceived no information about this paymentfrom the IRS and cannot advise as to howor when this payment will occur.

Mr. Ogle,Financial Services, Salem

Question: What is Loco Moco? I've seen thison the menu, but where does it come from?

Answer: You may have noticed a new dishon the fall-winter 2020-21 menu cycle:Loco Moco. Loco Moco is a dish featured incontemporary Hawaiian cuisine. There aremany variations, but the traditional LocoMoco consists of white rice topped with ahamburger, a fried egg, and brown gravy.Variations may include bacon, ham, Spam,tofu, teriyaki beef, teriyaki chicken, mahi-mahi, shrimp, oysters, or other meats.

This dish is being offered to enhance thevariety in the menus and to feature foodsfrom different cultures around the world.Ideas for new menu items come from AICFood Service surveys or Food Service staffmembers. New items or recipes are usedon menus if they can be produced withavailable food products at an acceptableprice-point.

Ms. Guevara RD, LD,ODOC Dietician

Question: There is a rumor that new, highquality headphones will be added to thecanteen list soon. Any truth to this?

Answer: We have received a few Noise Can-celling Yamaha headphones ($85 each)and they have been sold. Due to vendorissues, we do not know when we will begetting more in.

Mr.Flanagan,Commissary

Question: The rumor is that the EnrichmentClub has been approved and now acceptingapplications, is this true?

Answer: This is true! See page 19 for moreinformation. There is no application dead-line and you may apply at anytime.

(continued on following page…)

Just the FactsHonest Questions, Straight Answers

Just the Facts is a reoccur-ring article. Each month a

list of questions is compiled,which are based on rumorsheard from around the insti-tution. These questions willbe addressed to the appro-priate staff and the answers

will be written here.

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Article Info

The Echo

Question: Recently the facilities in theWestern part of Oregon have been allowingfriends and family to send care packagesthrough an outside vendor. Are there plansto include the other ODOC facilities in thefuture? Can you explain why this is beingoffered in only some places?

Answer: The “care packages” that wereavailable to the institutions on the Westernside of the state were allowed because theholiday spending for those locations wascut 50% this year while the Eastern sidewas allowed the normal holiday spendingamount. There are currently no plans forcare packages to continue.

Mr. Miles,Public Information Officer

Question: OSP has begun selling XBOX-1gaming systems to their population. Canyou explain why most other institutionshave video game systems available andEOCI does not? Recently you stated “EOCIcontinues to work with IT and security.”Would it be possible to borrow the processthat’s in place at other facilities for use atEOCI? Additionally, if AICs from other insti-tutions are transferred to EOCI will they beallowed to keep their game systems?

Answer: EOCI continues to work through theprocess of getting access to video gamesystems that meet all of the criteria forapproval by Security and Security IT. Wecannot comment on what other institutionsare offering or if they adhered to the sameguidelines or procedures that EOCI is fol-lowing. The goal is to ultimately develop aprogram that meets all of the requirements,is accessible, and sustainable over time.


Question: Will canteen orders eventually beplaced over the phone?

Answer: Yes, eventually you will have theability to place canteen orders over thephone. This feature is not currently active

and will need to be evaluated to determinethe most efficient process for doing such.

We are aware of the number of phones perunit in ratio to the number of residents.The goal is not to make the process morecomplicated, but rather to utilize all of thefeatures offered by the new service pro-vider in order to be as efficient as possible.That may mean a combination of paper andphone orders, or that only certain items areordered over the phone. This is still beingdetermined and activation of this feature isnot imminent.


Question: This is not so much a rumor as it

is a generally question - I’ve heard from

people this month claiming that their PRAS

Awards are short. Anything changed here?

Answer: There have not been any changes.

Review a calendar and count the days you

actually worked during the month. Was

there a holiday or two? Did you receive a

misconduct report? If you can’t determine

what caused the shortage, send a kyte to

IWP. I appreciate the ‘please check my

award’ approach as opposed to ‘my award

is wrong and you need to fix it’ approach,

but I respond to both versions with an ex-

planation. Sometimes mistakes are made,

and it is certainly worth your time to track

your points and check your award on your

own. What you should not do is send a kyte

asking me to manually figure out your

award prior to the award day. I don’t have

time to do that for everyone; I will just re-

spond with the date your award will be

posted and directions to contact me if there

is a disparity. Likewise, don’t ask me how

many days you worked – you have access

to a calendar too.

Mr. Peters,

Institution Work Programs Coordinator

Just the Facts (...continued from previous page)

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ImportantNotices

Have you heard a rumor

recently and are wondering

if it is true? Send a commu-

nication form to IWP and

let us know. We will track

down the right information

and run it in next

month’s newsletter.

Important Note

Dividend stocks can be agreat way to invest, but

keep in mind thatcompanies are not

required to pay out adividend. They may cancelthe dividend at anytime.

Investing in the stock market can seemoverwhelming and with good reason. Thereis a lot to learn if you want to be a success-ful investor. Despite the challenges, thestock market is appealing to many incarcer-ated individuals. This is primarily becausethe one quality that investing thrives on ispatience and most AICs have time to allowtheir investments to grow.

Before investing it is important to educateyourself. In terms of education, the bestsources are watching CNBC (channel 10)Monday through Friday during the earlymorning and daytime hours, buying a book(or two or three) on investing, or finding aknowledgeable AIC who is willing to sharewhat they have learned from experience.But to get you started here are some keypoints to know.

What is a stock?

A stock (also known as an equity) is a secu-rity that represents the ownership of a frac-tion of a corporation. Units of stock aresometimes called shares. A Corporationissues (sells) stock to raise funds to oper-ate their business. There are two types ofstocks: common and preferred, which havesome differences, but will not be covered inthis section.

A holder of stock (a shareholder) has nowbought a piece of the corporation. However,stock holders do not own corporations, theyown shares issued by corporations. Owningstock gives you the right to vote in share-holder meetings, receive dividends if theyare distributed, and sell your shares shouldyou choose to do so.

If you buy 10 shares of a stock at $10 pershare it will cost you $100. If the price ofthat stock goes up, to say $15 per share,your investment is now worth $150. Theopposite is also true - if the stock falls theinvestment is worth less.

What is a dividend?

Some companies may choose to give theirshareholders dividends. A dividend is aquarterly payment to the shareholder fromthe profits of the company. Some compa-nies do not offer dividends and insteadchoose to reinvest profits into itself. This iscommon with growing companies. Forstocks that do pay dividends, you wouldpurchase not for the growth potential of thecompany, but for income generated fromthe dividend.

A dividend is quoted as an annual dollaramount (or percentage yield) but is paid ona quarterly basis. Dividends are a percent-age of the stock value. If the dividend of astock is 4% and the stock is valued at $10,the dividend per share is $0.40. If you ownten shares then your dividend yield is $4. Ifa stock pays a dividend of $4, you will re-ceive $1, four times a year.

What is a broker?

When you’re ready to dive in and start in-vesting in stocks, you first have to choose abroker. The broker’s role is to serve as thevehicle through which you buy and sellstocks. These are companies like CharlesSchwab, TD Ameritrade, and E*TRADE.Nowadays every average Joe with internetaccess can invest through places like RobinHood (www.robinhood.com), which is themost user friendly way to invest. Some bro-ker’s charge fees and/or take a portion ofyour earnings for their services.

What do I need to start investing?

You need a bank account with an outsidebank, a trusted family member or friendwith internet access, and at least a fewhundred dollars saved up. There is no onesize fits all to investing - and, more specifi-cally, while incarcerated you may need tocomplete some research to figure out whatworks best for you.

Financial PeaceAn Introduction to the Stock Market

The Echo


Recommended readingof the month:

Forbes Guide to theMarkets: Becoming a

Savvy Investor

By Marc M. Groz.

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Recommendation

Important Note

Some of these recipes arehealthy and others are alittle less so. Remember,

moderation is the keyhere. Don’t make recipes

with caramels orchocolate in them aneveryday occurrence.

Here at The Echo, we are

seeking contributing

columnist who are willing

to write on the subject offitness or health (similar

to the article on this

page). If you would like to

contribute and share your

expertise, send a

communication form to

IWP and let us know!

Mocha Muscle contains35-45 grams of protein,

depending on what proteinpowder is used.

A recent yearlong study concluded thatmen who ate oatmeal daily weighed an av-erage of 5 lbs less than those who ateother breakfast foods. In part, this is likelydue to the amount of fiber contained in oat-meal, which is lacking in most Americandiets. One cup of cooked oatmeal containsfour grams of fiber and only 166 calories.Fiber promotes heart and gut health andhelps improve blood-sugar levels. In addi-tion, oatmeal leaves a person feeling fulland reduces the amount they eat later inthe day.

Of course, steel-cut oats are the best typeof oatmeal. Since we don’t have access tosteel-cut, the one pound bag of plain oat-meal from food services is the best optionavailable. Instant oatmeal, as seen in thecereal section of the commissary list, isvery high in sugar and lower in fiber thanregular oatmeal. It’s best to avoid thosealtogether if being healthy is your concern.

One cup of cooked oatmeal is about 1/2 ofa tumbler full, or eight ounces. Since oat-meal can get pretty boring, especially if youare planning on eating it every day for ayear, here are some tweaks you can makeusing commissary items or food receivedfrom the dining hall. All ingredients listedare portioned to pair with one cup ofcooked oatmeal.

The Classic Oats: Add 1/4 cup of raisins,1/4 cup of almonds, and cinnamon.

Apple Pie: Cut up an apple and roll it in cin-namon. Add 1/2 scoop of protein powderand the apple to oats before cooking. Topwith honey.

The Other Classic: Add 1 cut up bananaand 2 tbsp of peanut butter.

Big Honey Fig: Add 1 tsp honey, 1/4 cup ofhoney roasted peanuts, and 1/4 cup ofchopped up figs.

PB&J Oatmeal: Add your breakfast jam and2 tbsp of peanut butter.

The Dark Night-Oats: Add 1 oz dark choco-late (broken in to pieces), 1 tsp of cinna-mon, 1/4 cup of cashews, and 1/4 cup ofraisins.

The Hound Dog: 1 mashed ripe banana, 2tbsp of peanut butter, 1/2 tsp of cinnamon,and 3 strips of bacon. Yep, that soundscrazy - but it’s pretty darn good.

Raisin Bran-ish: 1/4 cup of raisins and 1tsp of cinnamon. Break up the plain brancereal from the dining room and sprinkle iton top after cooking.

Mocha Muscle: 1 scoop of protein powder,1 tsp of instant coffee, 1 oz of dark choco-late, 1/4 cup of raisins, 1/4 cup of al-monds, 1/4 cup of cashews.

Breakfast Oats: Can’t figure out what to dowith a Sunday breakfast? Add three stripsof bacon to oats, a dash of honey and topwith two over easy eggs.

There are endless variations of oatmealtoppings you can make. Some of the oneslisted here are pretty standard and someare strange, but worth a try. The mostimportant thing is to keep everything inmoderation. Dark chocolate, for example, isbetter for you than milk chocolate becauseof its antioxidant properties. But adding anentire dark chocolate candy bar to your oat-meal would be an unhealthy choice. It’s stilla candy bar and a modest 1 oz of chocolatecan go a long way. Honey, peanut butter,and nuts are very calorie dense so youwant to be careful there, and some of theitems here can get expensive.

Being able to take food back from the din-ing hall has allowed for some unique oat-meal pairings. The most important thing isto get more fiber in your diet; studies on thehealth benefits of fiber are numerous.So get creative!

The Oatmeal DietLose 5 lbs in just one year!

The Echo


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Article Info

Important Note

Important Note

Patrick Gazeley-Romney,Staff Writer, The Echo

PGR is a Staff Writer for

The Echo and a facilitator

for the Seed to Supper,

Roots of Success, and

Beekeeping programs.

“The majority of the world’s

population won’t be able to

adapt. That is being ignored

to a degree that is pathetic.”

- Greta Thunberg,

on climate morality

Quote

Article Vocabulary

1. Marginalized: Barelywithin the lower standardor limit of quality.

2. Affluent: Wealthy or

abundant.

3. Burgeoning: Growing andrapidly increasing.

4. Proliferate: To increaseand spread rapidly.

Global temperature averages have onlybeen specifically recorded since just beforethe turn of the century in 1880. Since then,the mean annual land-ocean temperatureindex has logged a one Celsius degree risein global temperature contributing to thebeginning of massive changes in regionalclimate across the globe.

Climate change describes change in thelong-term weather patterns in a specificgeographic region over time. The impacts ofclimate change are already being felt inmany communities across the country.More intense and frequent extremeweather events and changes in averageregional climate conditions are expected tocontinue to impact ecosystems, social sys-tems and infrastructure that are integral tothe function of many communities.

In order to address the conditions that con-tribute to climate change, environmentalscientists, politicians, and environmentaljustice advocates created legislation to pro-vide millions of dollars to support activitiesthat are less harmful to the planet and hu-man health, called "the Green New Deal".The legislation was inspired by the "NewDeal" legislation put in place by PresidentRoosevelt during the Great Depression ofthe 1930s. The focus of Roosevelt's pro-gram was to put millions of people to workupgrading public infrastructure.

With decreased access to social and politi-cal capital, marginalized¹ communities ex-

perience the negative effects of climatechange to a greater degree than those wholive in affluent² communities. By putting inplace smart legislation that invests in thesuccess of low-income communities, theUnited States may once again become aworld economic and social justice cham-pion. The Green New Deal is important as ittakes advantage of the burgeoning³ greensector of the US economy, the fastest grow-ing sector of the economy to date.

The Green New Deal legislation should beof particular interest to anyone who be-longs to a marginalized population includ-ing people recently released from prison. Asthe Green economy continues to grow andmore venture capital money is pumped intoclean tech, opportunities for blue-collarworkers will continue to increase. The en-ergy sector in the US employs many work-ers. As fossil fuel-based industries phaseout and the world turns toward clean en-ergy alternatives, opportunities for workersin industrial jobs will proliferate. As public infrastructure is modernized, the nation willneed more electrical workers, plumbers,energy capture technicians, and builders.

Industry trades are an excellent career op-tion for felons as most related fields do notuse discriminatory hiring practices basedon criminal records and they do not requirea college degree to enter the field. Mosttrades provide on the job training in theform of a paid apprenticeship, starting atapproximately $20 per hour. Trade jobsoffer great benefits as well, especially if theposition is unionized. One can expect toreceive great health and dental insurance ifa member of a union, as well as job secu-rity as the economy continues to change inthe future. If a career in industry trades in-terests you, contact your local communitycollege to make a plan to enter the industryupon release. Most community collegesoffer certificate programs and act as fun-nels for union positions across the state.

It’s Easy Being GreenEntering the Green Economy

The Echo

Written by Patrick Gazeley-Romney

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Top 5 (8)Recommended Listening:

(Available via tablet)

1. Cross Road Blues,Robert Johnson

2. Something’s Got aHold on Me,Etta James

3. Blues in A,Eric Clapton

4. The Thrill is Gone,B.B. King

5. I Gotsta Get Paid,Z.Z. Top

6. Blues Blues,Bo Diddley

7. I Asked for Water,Howlin’ Wolf

8. Colour and Shape,Joe Bonamassa

To say the least, 2020 was disappointing -you could say it had us singing the blues.The meaning of the blues seems to haveroots from a 1600’s British phrase referringto alcohol withdrawal, called the “blue dev-ils.” Ultimately making its way across theAtlantic Ocean to the US around 1800, theblues have become widely known to meanthat someone is agitated or depressed.

One of the first written accounts of theblues occurred in 1862 when CharlotteForten wrote in her journal that she “camehome with the blues” because she feltlonesome and pitied herself. Later shewould write about the music she heard,saying it “can’t be sung without a full heartand a troubled spirit.” Although she didn’tknow it at the time, the music she was de-scribing would become known as the blues.

This music was born out of extreme turmoiland oppression experienced by the earlyAfrican American slaves. While working inthe fields the slaves were not permitted tospeak to each other. They were allowed tosing because this supposedly increasedproductivity. They would sing back and forthto each other in a call and answer format.This was the foundation of what would laterbe called 12-bar blues with AAB phrasing.

12-bar blues doesn’t mean that someonewent to 12 bars and the bartender wouldn'tserve them a drink - even though you couldwrite a blues song about this. 12-bar bluesrefers to the organization of 12 bars - ormeasures of music - and a specific progres-sion of chords generally using the majorfirst, fourth and fifth of a key. AAB is a musi-cal term for a line sung (or riff played) overfour bars, repeated on the next four, andfinally sung with a different phrase or end-ing over the last four. This is a variation ofcall and answer.

In AAB format, phrase “A” is known as thecall and “B” is the response. You can hearthis in “AAB” format in blues icon, RobertJohnson’s “Cross Road Blues”. In the 2ndverse of the famous song, Johnson sang:

Verse A:

“Standin’ at the cross road, I tried to flaga ride.”

Verse A (again):

“Standin’ at the crossroad, I tried to flaga ride.”

Verse B:

“Ain’t nobody seemed to know me, every-body passed me by.”

You can also almost feel the frustration inthese words and this is why they call thismusic the blues. Most blues music speaksof the struggles found in everyday life.

The traditional blues AAB verbiage is evenechoed in the songs of the late music influ-encer B.B. King. King’s music has helpedbring the blues to genres like jazz, gospel,rock, and R&B. Even though these afore-mentioned genres aren't typically associ-ated with blues, if you listen carefully youcan hear blues music at their core. But if itwas not for the early African American slavesongs, the music that we know today mayhave never existed.

The Echo

Written by Randall Fox

In The GrooveThe Historic 12-Bar Blues

Randall Fox,Contributing Writer, The Echo

Fox is an avid musician

and regular contributing

columnist. He plays

the bass, ukulele, guitar

and the keyboard.

Above is an example of 12-bar blues in the Key

of E; each box represents one bar.

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4.

4.

4.

5.

Recommendation

1. Enthralls: To holdspellbound, to captivate.

2. Banality: Lacking origi-nality or freshness.

3. Infer: To conclude fromcertain premises orconsequences.

4. Blather: Nonsense ortedious speech.

Article Vocabulary

Recommended purchase:

The Writing Life: Writers onHow They Think and Work

By Marie Arana

This book features storiesfrom over fifty writers, eachof whom provides insightsinto the craft of writing and

the creative process.

Recommendation

Phillip LunaEditor, The Echo

Writing on Purpose a reoccur-ring column that focuses oncreative writing techniquesand skill development.

In fiction writing, dialogue can be one of themost challenging - and most important -aspects of crafting a good story. There is areason we can quote our favorite lines frommovies and books - vibrant and unforgetta-ble dialogue grabs us, captivates and doesnot let go. Every aspiring writer wants tocraft dynamic and interesting dialogue thatenthralls¹ the reader. Whether you write

simply for the therapeutic value of doing soor with the intention of self-publishing abook, dialogue is key in any good story. Fol-lowing are some of the common pitfallswriters make when crafting dialogue.

Giving Away Too Much/Over Explaining:

Good dialogue can help the reader ascer-tain many details without a complete de-scription. Jan Yager, author of How to SelfPublish Your Book, states, “one of the mostcommon mistakes new writers make isdescribing too much and not allowingdialogue to work for you.” This mistake isfrequent in poorly designed sci-fi novels,but never in quality literary fiction. By takingconsideration for the arrangement of dia-logue and emphasis of certain words, theauthor can paint a vivid picture while avoid-ing banality².

Take the following sample dialogue:

“Come here now,” he said.

- versus -

“Come here,” he said. “Now.”

The placement of “now” in the second setof dialogue creates a pause and empha-sizes the last word. There is tension andthe authority of the speaker is clear. Thedialogue doesn’t tell the reader the speakeris angry, that they are the one in charge, orthat there is some type of conflict, but fromfive words the reader can infer³ all of this.To take it one step further we could try:

“Come here,” he barked. “Now.”

Inauthentic Sounding Speech:

Ninety-nine percent of the things we thinkabout are never said. Good dialogue shouldreflect this and the internal thoughts ofyour characters generally won’t comeacross as strong dialogue. Author VirgilSuarez states, “I prefer to always split thenarrative into what the character is sayingand what the character is thinking. Frag-mented dialogue sounds real, timely, andurgent.” It’s not necessary for the characterstate every thought they have.

Dialogue That Goes Nowhere:

Much of everyday speech is just blather. In fiction, every piece of dialogue should beimportant - revealing character traits, mov-ing the story forward, providing comic relief,or perhaps all of the above. When editingyour own writing you should ask yourself,“why does this dialogue matter?” and,“does the story change if I remove it?”Reading everyday speech is tedious andwill bore your reader. Imagine writing outevery conversation you have throughout theday - it probably wouldn’t be very interest-ing. Sometimes in writing, less is more.

In Practice:

One common exercise for writers is tochoose a personal experience and turn itinto a short story. Choose something sim-ple, like a trip to the dentist, a short conver-sation with a friend, or an interaction atcanteen. Describe the setting; write out thedialogue and your inner thoughts during theinteraction just as if you were writing ashort story. Notice how much from the in-teraction is said and unsaid.

This exercise can help aspiring authorsdevelop a better understand of what realis-tic dialogue looks and feels like. Innerspeech is just as important as the stateddialogue and can help the reader feel moreimmersed in the story.

The Echo


Writing on PurposeCrafting Dynamic Dialogue

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Here at The Echo, we areseeking contributing columnistwho are willing to write on the

subject of art and specificartistic techniques (similar to

the article on this page). If youare an interested artist, send a

communication form to IWPand let us know!

The third line, furthest right,doesn’t have a highlight

because it is too far awayfrom the light source.

1. Rendered: Cause to be;portray.

2. Contour: The outline orshape of something,usually an object.

Understanding properties of light sourcesin art may seem obvious, but it is one ofthe more difficult areas to master. How-ever, once mastered, using light properlycan add depth, shape, and texture to art,leaving a realistic effect.

Generally, areas facing a light source arehit head-on, which means they will havethe brightest spots. Areas opposite of thesource receive no light and fall into shad-ows. Areas of light and shadow can bebroken into five groups.

Highlight (1): This is the lightest valueseen on a form. You’ll find this mostly onshiny surfaces or places of direct light. Inthe image above the light source is in thetop left corner. Highlights are the white ofyour paper.

Halftone (2): This is the gradual spacebetween the core of the shadow and thehighlight. It gradually darkens with dis-tance from the light source.

Reflected Light (3): This is the mostimportant element. The reflected light islight that bounces back into the shadowfrom other objects. It plays a big role inmaking artwork look three-dimensional.Make sure the reflected light is not lighterthan the highlight.

Core of the Shadow (4): This is the darkestvalue on the object, generally appearing be-tween the halftone and the reflected light.The core shadow must be rendered¹ in the

shape of the object, as this will help the ob-ject appear to have the correct contours².On a sphere it is a simple rounded curve,but on an irregular shape, such as a treebranch, the core shadow must be drawnalong the contours of the form.

Cast Shadow (5): The cast shadow is thedarkness left from the object blocking lightto that area. Generally, cast shadows aredarkest at the point of origin and graduallylighten as they move outward, away from theobject. Notice that directly below the sphereit is almost completely black, nearly blend-ing together the ground and the object.

Light sources can also be used to createrecessed areas and indentions. In the imagebelow, notice how the white highlights givethe lines the appearance of being indented.The first two lines show great contrast withthe highlight being directly next to the coreshadow (there are no halftones in between).This creates the illusion of a dramaticchange in shape, which is much differentfrom the sphere. In general, the more areayou dedicate to halftones, the softer,smoother, and more rounded the form willappear. Fewer halftones mean sharper andmore dramatic changes.

Images courtesy of Drawing Realistic Texturesin Pencil, by J.D. Hillberry

The Echo


Textures and ShadowsSeeing the Light

1

2

3

4

5

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The Echo

Most people don’t know this, but 2020 wasactually a secret recipe. Don’t believe me?See for yourself. Start with 3 cups of can-cellations - sports, schooling, and othersanctioned activities. Next, gently combinewith an unpredictable rotation of quaran-tine statuses. Carefully pour in the newsfrom outside the fence. The wildfires shouldbe enough, but not too much, such as any-thing political as that will make the productbitter. Run it in the microwave for 5 min-utes and it’s done. What we made is abatch of IRFANY! (I’m ready for a new year).

Speaking of recipes, how about we give aCDC guideline approved, hands-washed, sixfeet apart, air fist bump to the guys in thebakery! The end of the year brings extrawork to the bread makers and they alwayscome through. There was a morale boost inthe form of a cherry pie - delicious. Thenthey delivered on some fudge and chewycookies (those were appreciated). I seewhat they can do and I’m left wonderingwhy aren’t we getting something on moreholidays? We could look into HalloweenEve, Labor Day Eve, and Flag Day Eve!

Usually with a New Year, we head into itwith confidence. For the most part, weknow what we can and cannot control - butnot this year. There is the potential thatsome of the changes around here may bepermanent. We may see new changes aswell, it’s hard to tell. My time has taught meI may not choose what changes are goingto happen, but I can choose how I react tothem. Maybe we’ll see new things that arebeneficial? Bring back the book club - buildon the enjoyment of reading. Start clubs tohelp educate us. I’d try a Spanish languageor a math club.

So remember, we’re in this together andwe’ll get through this together. Besides, Ineed people in a good mood when theyread my articles. A good mood makes mesound smarter and funnier! You know whatI’m sayin!

Doescher’s Bold Predictions for 2021:

A baby born this year will be given theunfortunate first and middle name of‘Unprecedented Tymes’.

The Fast and Furious movies will an-nounce yet another movie, this time seton the moon. “Fast and the Furious 32:Total Eclipse”, coming soon to AmazonPlus, Netflix Plus, Disney Plus, Discov-ery Plus, plus much more!

The Dallas Cowboys hire the first fe-male professional football player. Afeminist outcry spreads across thecountry and the cowboys are forced tochange their team name. They are nowknown as The Jerry Jones FootballTeam.

Adam Sandler has a mid-life crisis, re-evaluates every choice he has evermade, and issues a formal apology forthe last ten years of movies.

Toppings: Sardines, Banana Slices,

Pineapple and Eggs

Warren Doescher,Contributing Writer, The Echo

Doescher is a regular

contributing columnist,

WFD Worker, and clearly

a terrible chef.

Written by Warren Doescher

Pearls of WisdomA Recipe from 2020

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ImportantNotices

Do you draw comics?We accept comicsubmissions for

The Echo! If you areinterested, stapleyour comic to a

communication formand send it to IWP.

Content must be appropriate,non-derogatory, and contain noprofanity. Not all submissionswill be published.

The Echo

Here at The Echo, we would like to ramp upour “funny pages” this year with a few handdrawn, home-made comics. We are awarethere are a lot of artist out there, but in or-der to generate interest we will be holding acomic art contest. The winner of the contestwill receive a 12 oz jar (a honey bear) ofnatural honey harvested from the EOCI api-ary this 2020 season.

Here’s the deal - after all submissions arereceived, we will vote on the funniest comicsubmission. The winning submission will befeatured in The Echo that month and thewinner will receive their prize.

Criteria for Submission:

All AICs are welcome to participate.

Comics must not be derogatory, containprofanity, and must be appropriate.

No copyrighted characters please.

Even if you don’t win a jar of honey, anycomic submitted may be featured in a fu-ture newsletter. Remember, those outsideof EOCI can access The Echo by texting theword “corrections” to 22828. Getting some-thing published in the newsletter is a funthing to show off to family or friends.

Our goal is to build up a database of comicwhich we can use each month to fill out thecontent in the newsletter.

To Submit:

Staple your comic to a communication formand send it to IWP.

The comic will be photographed and re-turned to sender after the contest.

The winner will be notified.

Submissions are due by Feb. 5th, 2021.

Comic ContestFirst Place Awards a Jar of Honey

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Article InfoWritten by Phillip Luna

The Echo

The Enrichment Club is now acceptingapplications for membership. If you are in-terested in applying send a communicationform to IWP. Please include your workschedule, any other regular call outs youhave, and your release date. This club isrestricted to incentive level 3’s only.Attached to your communication form, in-clude a one-page essay explaining how theEnrichment Club would benefit from yourmembership. Submissions can be typed orhand written. Essays can be written in Eng-lish or Spanish, whichever is preferred bythe applicant.

AICs will be selected based off of a prefer-ence for exemplary writing skills, the abilityto work well with many different groups ofpeople, strong community ties, those whocan demonstrate a high level of integrity,and experience volunteering in fundraisersor other events at EOCI.

What is the Enrichment Club?

This club will consist of 15 AICs who willmeet regularly with the goal of improvingthe quality of life inside and outside of EOCIby way of institution events, fundraisers,and charitable donations.

Are these paid positions?

No, club membership is not a work assign-ment and does not award any PRAS points.

How is the club structured?

The club has a five member executivecouncil, Club President, Vice President,Secretary, Ambassador, and Treasurer.Each council position has responsibilitiesthat are essential to the function of theclub. However, all members of the club areexpected to participate.

Do club members attend all meetings?

Club members have to attend at least 50%of meetings within a three month period tobe considered “in good standing” with the

club. Only club members in good standingare eligible for election into executive coun-cil positions.

All club members are expected to volunteerfor at least half of the fundraising andpro-social events throughout the year.

What does the club do?

1. Review and discuss fundraiser ideas anddraft proposals for fundraisers and othercommunity enriching pro-social events.

2. Submit fundraiser proposals to the activi-ties committee.

3. Participate in fundraising events or insti-tution activities.

Can members leave the club at anytime?

Yes, members can leave the club if theychoose. After the initial 15 members areselected, the remaining qualified applicantswill be placed on a waitlist. When a spot inthe club becomes available, the applicantat the top of the waitlist will be notified.

What if I am not selected to the club?

Any AIC can submit ideas for fundraisers orpro-social events by sending a communica-tion form to IWP. All ideas will be reviewedby the Enrichment Club. Each month, asummary of club meetings and the statusof proposed fundraisers will be published inThe Echo. If you have an idea you wouldlike to submit to the Enrichment Club,please review the monthly article first toavoid duplicating suggestions.

Is there a deadline to apply?

No, this is an open-ended application. Anynew applicants will be added to the waitlistif they meet the necessary criteria. Pleasebe patient, this is an entirely new processfor everyone here - staff and AICs - and itmay take some time before everything isfunctioning efficiently.

The Enrichment Club

President: Open

Vice President: Open

Secretary: Open

Treasurer: Open

Ambassador: Open

Members: Open


The Enrichment ClubNow Accepting Applications!

Now Accepting Applications!

Send a communication

form to IWP with attached

one-page essay.

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Club Members

Important Note

“I like tray crew becauseit’s easy and the work

goes quickly.”

- Tray crew worker,on how he likes his job.

“Working in the kitchencan be very rewarding

when your working withthe right coordinator.”

- Former kitchen worker

The Echo

Food Services is now hiring for positions inthe kitchen. Pay starts at 5 PRAS pointswith the ability to work up to 17 PRASpoints in some instances. Any applicantinterested in working in the bakery mustwork in the kitchen first. Kitchen workershave the opportunity to earn their food han-dlers certification. The following positionsare available: Cook, Cleanup, Part-time PanRoom Cleaner, and Tray Crew.

Main Kitchen Shifts:

A Shift: 3:30 am to 8:30 am

B Shift: 8:30 am to 1:30 pm

C Shift: 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Part-time Pan Room Hours:

A Shift: 5:30 am to 8:30 am

B Shift: 11:00 am to 2:30 pm

C Shift: 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Tray Crew Hours (three times daily):

5:15 am, 10:00 am, and 3:15 am.

Criteria for Applying:

Must be incentive level 2 or higher.

Must not have history of any staffassaults, escapes, or possession ofweapons, arson, employee/AIC relation-ships, or unauthorized departures.

6 months clear conduct.

Working in the kitchen provides experiencethat is relevant to work one might obtainupon release. Qualityinfo.org lists chefs anddiner cooks in Oregon as having an averageamount of annual job openings with payranging between minimum wage and$27.13 per hour, depending on experience.

If you are interested in working in thekitchen, send an AIC Communication Formto the Food Service Department listing theposition(s) you are interested in.

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Worker Quote

Worker Quote

Provided by Food Services

Now HiringFood Services Workers

The Echo

Do I need to file a tax return?

Probably not. However, As an AIC, you aresubject to the same rules for filing an Ore-gon income tax return that apply to peopleon the outside - but only if your gross, be-fore-tax income for the tax year is morethan the filing requirements set by law.Here at EOCI, only for AIC’s who have OCEjobs (call center, garment factory, or laun-dry) is it possible to earn PRAS awards,monetary pay, and bonus pay higher thanthe minimum amount needed to file.

A tax return may be necessary if:

If you were in prison only part of theyear and worked the other part of theyear.

You received income while in prison,such as retirement income, investmentincome, or alimony payments.

What About Taxable Income?

Following are some examples of incomethat could be taxable (IRS Publication 525provides a full list).

Employee compensation, such aswages and salaries.

Miscellaneous compensation, such asbonuses, severance pay, and sick pay.

Business income.

Unemployment benefits.

Alimony received.

Retirement income.

Investment income.

Gambling winnings.

Some Social Security benefits.

Rental property income.

What is Non-Taxable Income?

Again, these are only some examples. For acomplete list, see IRS Publication 525.

Veterans’ benefits, including disabilitypay or pension pay for disabilities paidto veterans or their families; veterans’insurance proceeds and dividends.

Qualified combat pay.

Government benefit payments from apublic welfare fund or entitlement.

Child support payments you received.

Medicare benefits.

Tips For Filing:

Get the appropriate forms and instruc-tions (such as IRS Form 1040 and Ore-gon form OR-40). The institution is un-able to provide these forms.

You may appoint a qualified person asyour power of attorney (POA) and havethem file your tax return for you. Makesure to choose a person you trust to beyour POA.

Don’t disclose your Social Security num-ber (SSN) to others. If fraud occurs, itwill take a lot of work to clean up youraccount once you’re out of prison.

Request your W-2 from your employer.

The awards amount you receive fromthe Oregon Department of Correctionsas an inmate is taxable income. You willreceive Form 1099-MISC if your awardtotals exceed $600.

Be aware that the PRAS award amountyou receive as an AIC doesn’t qualify asearned income when calculating yourEarned Income Tax Credit.

File or request an extension by April15th, 2021.

Provided by Salem,

Business Services

To receive an Oregonincome tax form andinstructions, write to:

Oregon Department ofRevenue

PO Box 14999Salem, OR 97309-0990

To receive federalincome tax forms andinstructions, write to:

Internal Revenue Service5045 East Butter Ave

Fresno, CA 93727

Tax return deadline is April

15th, 2021.

Tax Return TimeFiling Tax Returns While Incarcerated

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Contact Info

Regular flu vaccinationsare still available. The flu ismore prevalent in January

and February. ContactHealth Services if you

would like a vaccination.

The Echo

The bacteria called Streptococcus pneumo-niae (pneumococcus) can cause a widerange of infections including pneumonia(lung infection). Adults 65 years and olderare at increased risk for pneumococcal dis-ease. Some adults ages 19 through 64years old are also at increased risk includ-ing those with chronic illnesses such aschronic heart disease, kidney, liver, or lungdisease, and diabetes. Others with condi-tions such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, or dam-aged/absent spleen or with cochlearimplants or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaksare also at increased risk.

Pneumococcal bacteria spreads from per-son to person through coughing, sneezing,and close contact with respiratory secre-tions like saliva or mucus. People can alsobe carries that carry the bacteria in theirnose and throat without being sick spread-ing the bacteria to others.

With other illnesses circulating that affectthe lungs, being up to date on your pneu-monia vaccine if you meet the require-ments is important and could be lifesavingfor some.

The two kinds of pneumococcal vaccinesavailable in the United States are the Pneu-mococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV13 orPrevnar 13®) and Pneumococcal Polysac-charide Vaccine (PPSV23 or Pneumovax23®).

These vaccines protect against many, butnot all types of pneumococcal bacteria.This means there is still a chance someonecan develop pneumococcal disease aftervaccination, but you can decrease your riskby being vaccinated as well as using goodhand hygiene, covering your mouth andnose when you sneeze or cough, and wear-ing a mask.

The Agency Operations Center (AOC) wouldlike to take a moment to share helpful in-formation to keep you informed regardingthe COVID-19 health crisis.

COVID-19 Test Results - AICs

Positive: 2,856

Recovered: 2,178

Active cases: 583

COVID-19 Test Results - Staff

Positive: 719

Recovered: 538

DOC has had 27 deaths of AICs who testedpositive for COVID-19.

Tier Status

EOCI is currently on Tier 2 with 3 units onquarantine status.

As of today, EOCI has 74 staff memberswho have tested positive with 72 returnedto work or have a return to work date. 456AICs have tested positive (total) with 451AICs recovered and 610 negative results.

There are currently 9 AICs housed on C1 –0 pending, 7 positive and 2 negative (unitorderlies).

There are 3 units on quarantine status inaddition to C1 which is the medical isola-tion unit – A1, E4 and F2.

This information is accurate

as of January 14th, 2021.

If you would like moreinformation about pneumo-

nia vaccines, if you meetthe requirements andwould like to receiveone, please send a

communication requestto Health Services.

Provided by Health Services

Pneumonia VaccinationsFor Your Information

Provided by

The Agency Operations Center

COVID UpdateFor Your Information

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The Echo

Sexual abuse and harassment are neverokay. Tell Someone. GET HELP.

Call the Inspector General's Hotline:

1. Pick up a handset

2. Press 9 to leave a message

All PREA Calls are confidential.

Send a letter to the Governor:

Governor's Office, State Capitol, Room 160,900 Court St., Salem, OR 97301

The Oregon Department of Corrections hasa zero tolerance policy for sexual abuseand harassment. Your family can report onyour behalf by contacting the InspectorGeneral's public hotline at: (877) 678-4222.

El Abuso sexual y el acoso sexual nuncason aceptables. Avisele a alguien. CON-SIGA AYUDA.

Llame al Inspector General:

1. Al numero de ayuda:

2. Levante el teléfono

Todas las llamadas a 'PREA' son gratis yconfidenciales.

También puede reportar a la oficina delGobernador por escrito.

Governor's Office, State Capitol, Room 160,900 Court St., Salem, OR 97301

Sus amigos o familiares pueden hacer unreporte llamando a la linea del InspectorGeneral al 877-678-4222.

PREAFor Your Information

From the Administrative Rules Program:

Below is the list of status changes made toDOC administrative rules since 11/24/20.

PERMANENT RULES

291-105 Prohibited Conduct and Rules forProcessing Disciplinary Actions

Amends the rules to implement statu-

tory language changes and to clarifyrule language to provide for easier un-derstanding of the rules and processes.

Effective: 12/15/20

Rulemaking comments must be provided tothe DOC Rules Coordinator in writing at theaddress in the rulemaking notice. Commu-nications submitted should be limited toproviding comments on only one division/topic per communication. Do not includemultiple divisions/topics in one communi-cation, they will be returned. DOC rules areavailable for review and copies in the AIClaw library.

ODOC Rule ChangesContact the Law Library for More Information

PREA Advocate:

You may write the PREAadvocate at:

ODOC PREA Advocate

2575 Center Street NE,

Salem, OR 97301

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Important Note

Bulletin Board at a Glance

is a section that highlights

information contained

on your housing unitbulletin board.

Please see your housing

unit bulletin board for

complete information.

The Echo

Reminder - Holiday Canteen Storage: Effec-tive December 3, 2020 you may store up totwo paper bags (per AIC) of clothing under

your assigned bunk in order to secure yourholiday canteen purchases in your lockeddrawer or foot locker. This exception for

storage ends on January 31, 2021.

Work Assignments:

Kitchen Workers: Food Services is currentlylooking to hire kitchen workers for all threeshifts, part-time pan room, and tray crewworkers. If you are interested in working infood services send a communication formto Ms. Emory, Food Services Manager.

More information is available on page 19.

Deadlines and Due Dates:

Tax Returns: For those who are going to file,tax returns must be filed by April 15th.

COVID Update: COVID Vaccinations beganon December 28th, 2020. You will be noti-fied when vaccinations are available to you.

Information about COVID vaccinations isposted on your housing unit bulletin board.

Comic Contest: Submissions are due byFebruary 5th, 2020. All submissions will bereturned to the sender after the contest.

Enrichment Club Submissions: Applicationsare now being accepted. The deadline forsubmission is open ended. Interested AICsmay apply at anytime.

EIP Stimulus Checks: EIP checks are issuedby the IRS. When DOC receives a depositthey will add it to your trust account within2-4 business days. If you have concernsregarding the status of your EIP check youmay contact the IRS.

There is no timeline for this process. Addi-tionally, The Department of Justice canintercept EIP payments per federal law (forpast due child support, for example).

Bulletin Board at a Glance

CurrentEvents

LocalRumors

FinancialInterests

Health andWellness

GeneralInterest

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ImportantNotices

Contact the IRS

through the mail at:

IRS

Austin, Texas

73301-003

Important Notices:

Flu Vaccines: Flu vaccines are still availablethrough Health Services. For more informa-tion please see newsletters from Decem-ber, November, or October of 2020. Thisinformation is also available on your hous-ing unit bulletin board.

Regular flu vaccinations are still available.The flu is more prevalent in January andFebruary. Contact Health Services if youwould like a vaccination.

Self-Addressed Stamped Envelopes (SASE):Per management in Salem it has been di-rected to all mailrooms in Oregon that SASEenvelopes must have the sender’s informa-tion in the left corner. When filling out aSASE write your name and address in thecenter of the envelope AND in the upperleft corner. Write the address of the senderin the top left corner below your address.

If you have questions send a communica-tion form to the mailroom.

Sentence Commutations: The COVID re-lated commutation criteria was establishedby Governor Brown. Eligible AICs are fromtwo specific groups; the medically vulner-able and those with a projected releasedate within six months (based off of maxi-mum release date).

This information is available on your hous-ing unit bulletin boards.

Contact Info

Article Note

A publication of EasternOregon Correctional Institution,

Pendleton, Oregon.

Direct questions andcomments to EOCI Institution

Work Programs (IWP).

Friends and family can text“CORRECTIONS” to 22828

the receive The Echo ina monthly email.

Produced at IWP

Mr. Peters IWP Coordinator

The Echo Staff

Phillip Luna Editor

Patrick Gazeley-Romney Staff Writer

Juan Sanchez Proofreader

Contributing Writers

Warren Doescher Contributing Writer, Humor

Randy Fox Contributing Writer, Music

Contributing Sources & Subjects

Mr. Miles Public Information Officer

Ms. Guevara RD, LD ODOC Dietician

Ms. VanEpps Financial Services

Mr. Ogle Financial Services

Mr. Flanagan Commissary

Ms. Emory Kitchen Manager

Ms. Stills RN, Health Services

Wikipedia.orgNASA’s Goddard Institute for Space StudiesOregon Careers magazine 2020Men’s Fitness magazine February, 2018How to Self Publish Your Book, by Jan YagerDrawing Realistic Textures in Pencil, by J.D. HillberryCenters for Disease Control (CDC)Blues Bass - The Complete Method, Jon LiebmanWebster’s II New Riverside Dictionary

Important Dates and Events

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Jan 18th

Full Moon Jan 28th

Groundhog Day Feb 2nd

Chinese New Year Feb 12th

Valentine’s Day Feb 14th

President’s Day Feb 15th

Flag Day (Mexico) Feb 23th

Full Moon Feb 27th

Daylight Savings Time Mar 14th

St. Patrick's Day Mar 17th

Spring Begins Mar 20th

Full Moon Mar 28th

PRAS Posting Dates

January 7th

February 4th

March 4th

April 8th

May 6th

June 10th

July 8th

August 5th

September 9th

October 7th

November 4th

December 9th

The Echo - Volume III, Issue I - January, 2021

Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution Newsletter

Book Review: The Witcher Series’ (8 book series)

Many know The Witcher as a popular video game and HBO televisionseries, but long before its mainstream success it was an eight book sagaby Polish Author Andrej Sapkowski.

The saga follows the character Geralt of Riveria, The Witcher. In thisfantasy world, a Witcher is a bounty hunter of sorts. A man whose magicpowers enhanced by long training and mysterious elixirs have turned himinto a formidable fighter and assassin. However, a Witcher won’t assassi-nate just anybody - they target monsters, vampires, wraiths, and otherdemons that intend to harm the innocent (for the right price of course).

It is an excellent series if you enjoy reading swordplay and fantasy - butkeep a dictionary handy. The author quite frequently indulges his expan-sive vocabulary. Sapkowski published the first book of the series in 1992and the eighth book was released in 2018. You can purchase these nov-els from Bargain Books catalogs (Edward Hamilton).

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