Gregg Judd wrote:

Purpose: Optimize cookie distribution at the unit.

All planning should be carefully reviewed with the Chaplain, Kitchen people, Head Servant, Inside Rector and anyone the Rector designates. They must be informed well in advance, so manpower, timing and order of distribution will be understood and agreed on.

In order to distribute cookies to all units, the optimum structure would be three teams. Two teams would have four each of white and colors, and one team would be two persons, one white and one color. The smaller team would distribute to the dorms, the infirmary, Solitary and Ad Seg. The larger teams would distribute to all other areas until finished, at which point they can be split into smaller teams to help cover Ad Seg and Solitary to the extent they are needed.

The large teams will have two people on each floor of each pod, and distribute cookies on the same floor until the entire pod is covered. This will avoid the need to go up and down stairs as much as possible. It would be helpful if the cookies were broken down into boxes of 48 dozen, the amount that will be needed for each floor of one pod. Two team members, one white and one color, will stay with the cookie cart at all times, to avoid loss of cookies to wandering persons.

Before going into any pod, the inmates should be 'racked up'. This may seem like a harsh procedure, but in reality it will result in the fairest distribution of the cookies, and the least number jacked off the cart.

Never give cookies to an inmate who is not in his house. You will hear all kinds of stories and reasons why you should, but don't do it. Tell them that you have left cookies in each house, and they will find them there.

In all cases, the man in white should hand the cookies to the man in color, who will give them, with a blessing, to those in the house. If at all possible, ensure that a man in gray does not hand out the cookies.

If manpower and/or number of cookies will limit the distribution, the suggested priority of distribution, from highest to lowest, is:

Ad Seg

Solitary

Infirmary

Building 8

Building 7

Building 4

Building 3

Building 19 and 18

This will ensure that inmates least likely to be able to purchase their own cookies, and those with the fewest privileges and visitors, are ministered to first. However, the Warden or Chaplain may want another priority followed for legitimate operational reasons. Try to persuade them to follow this plan, for the reasons stated. In the end, we will allow for their needs.

Cookie distribution should start immediately after lunch. The meal will arrive at the gym about half an hour before it is served. Ahead of time, arrange for the men in color and white, who will be doing the distribution, to eat as soon as the food arrives. This will enable them to get an early start on the distribution. Arrange for men in color to fill in for the stewards who are helping with the distribution. Ask the inside Rector to save plates for those distributing cookies, if they have not returned before dinner.

Instruct everyone that safety is of paramount importance. Never place yourself in physical danger, always stay together. If you are threatened over the cookies, let them go.

Arrange for one of the pastors to bless the carts, and send the men off with a prayer.

Every weekend will be different. Use what you think will be practical in your situation, and improvise.

One more suggestion:

The cookies on hand at the gym should be inventoried every night, and that information given to the outside cookie monster.

Here are some of my suggestions, based on my personal observations:

1. Every team member who has not seen the living areas should be given a short tour prior to an event. This should include 3 or 4 building (a pod and day room, some houses), a craft shop, a commissary (there is one right by 8 gym) and a mess hall. It could probably be done in less than 45 minutes. Seeing these areas will give a better understanding of the state of mind of the candidates. This was my third Kairos, but my first look at the living areas. I was very moved by what I saw.

2. Some of the team members are not very busy at times. This talent could be used by organizing prayer teams of two, who could go into Ad Seg for a few hours. This could be done as the opportunity comes up, in a fairly fluid fashion. The benefit is that more people would be able to see the conditions, as well as minister to some very needy people. The observing Rector could lead/organize that effort??

3. The Kairos van is a wonder of organization, and my hat is off to the people who made that work so well. One simple thing that could be done, is to mark each item (like boxes, cases, coffee items etc., not chairs and such) with the ID of the storage rack it is on. This simple cross reference would save a lot of frustrating time flipping the pages of the book to find the location of each item. The reference could be something like U-6/2, for rack U-6, shelf 2. T, M, B may be better, for top, middle or bottom shelf.

Regards and God Bless,

Greg Judd