Lecumberri the Black Palace

Lecumberri was a Mexican Prison. Opened in 1900 and as I am a witness closed August 26, 1976. I arrived on August 24, 1972 around noon. We Americans as well everyone, find ourselves in a world of payoffs, mordidas, bribes, daily handouts, rent on cells, fees for using the shower, a hotplate, a raffle, or other cheap, overt ways to milk money from a captive audience. You have no choice. Most Mexicans hate the place because they, a family member, friend, read something or know someone imprisoned in the Most Expensive Hotel. Many Americans are in Lecumberri. Bastards of the "e;War on Drugs."e; Small time drug smugglers. Most are simply mules (People so broke they decided to risk their tomorrow, and smuggle some Cocaine today.) That inefficient "e;War on Drugs,"e; that imprisoned mostly nobody's for years, while big time evolving drug cartels were in the process of flooding the USA markets with cheaper and cheaper powder. A select few are becoming billionaires. No billionaire Americans in Lecumberri. Most to the disappointment of prison rulers were broke. Broke doesn't cover it. Destitute, beggars for long term funding with virtually no way to make money to cushion the dilemma in another country as well another world. To me, many times it was easier to look the prison as a spaceship, going nowhere fast with spring driven robots for visits Most of the time it's just prisoners and staff, in a world that Satan, Lucifer, the Devil, Dark Knight and most commonly known as the "e;Asshole that runs the Place,"e; runs this place. Then again, with all my contact with prisons and prisoners, no one I can remember has said, "e;Dog, what a great warden we have."e; Stranded Americans, who sorta rebel, sorta have a hunger strike and sorta cry 24 hours a day. Most only know 4 words. Where is my mommie ? I know I wanted my mommie, Uncle Grap, Tia Gordita, President of the Losers Are Losers Fellowship,or anyone out there who wants to, take me home. I can speak for the group when I say, "e;None of us had a clue as to what getting caught with cocaine in Mexico would involve, the kind of life we would have to live, what surviving the experience would mean and put your poor about to be warped PSYCHE through. The best and most brief way to sum up us foreigners as well all "e;presos"e; in Lecumberri, would be draw a line in the dirt and ask the winners to cross it. Fools Watching Losers Watching Fools. That's funny, but not that funny. Lecumberri is a world of betrayal, snitches, and sorry SOB's, with lots of stabbings, beatings, murders, drug dealing, making alcohol and extortion. Chico, will be the tour guide. Another LOSER but a reluctant one at that. Trying to get some good out of the experience that was Lecumberri, the Black Palace, and to many the "e;Most Expensive Hotel."e; Most did agree it could be called HELL. After all, JAILS were not set up to resemble HEAVEN. I call it EVERYTHING and I call it Nothing. I'd love to visit it as a tourist and I wish they would have completely torn it down. Lane Ryan