"My partner disappeared due to disciplinary action...?" Prisoner Diary 10

It has been one week since I became a sanitation worker.

An incident has already occurred.

By the way, most incidents that happen with sanitation workers involve interactions with people detained in the detention center, such as receiving snacks from people in the rooms.

Doing something like that would result in immediate disciplinary action, but it seems some sanitation workers, who are prisoners themselves and cannot buy snacks, end up receiving them from people who are not yet prisoners and can afford to buy them. (Do they really want snacks that badly...?)

Back to the main topic.

Sanitation workers are basically assigned to one floor in pairs.

My partner was about a dozen years older than me, and I had been learning various things from him every day since I was assigned.

After spending a week like that, suddenly, and right before noon while we were working, my partner disappeared...

At first, I wondered if he had suddenly taken ill, but in the end, he never returned, and no explanation was given to me...

There were still many things I hadn't been taught, and even with two people, we were busy until the very end of the day, so now I am the only sanitation worker left.

I managed to finish the day's work, and when I asked people in the rooms, it seemed my partner had been placed under "investigation."

An "investigation" is a period set when a prisoner breaks a rule, and it is through this "investigation" that it is decided whether or not they will face disciplinary action.

The investigation takes about two weeks, and if my partner is innocent, he will return soon, but if he is guilty, I will have to continue working alone for a while.

I don't know the details of what he did, but it is suspected that someone in his room was doing something bad and he might have been dragged into it...? If he was an accomplice, he's out.

If an "investigation" leads to "disciplinary action," it affects parole.

Also, one's class level and the like will be lowered. Once under investigation, you are moved to a room without a TV, and your meal portions are reduced.

The biggest problem is that it is an act of betrayal toward those waiting for you on the outside, as it delays parole and lowers your class level, which reduces the number of visits and letters you can have.

To put it bluntly, being able to experience this firsthand nearby has served as a good cautionary tale.

Since my partner disappeared, I have to do the work whether I like it or not, and I can no longer say that I haven't been taught how to do things.

However, except for the first day, the staff members have been helping me quite a bit and even offer words of encouragement, saying things like, “You’re doing a great job on your own.”

I didn't do anything wrong, but I’ve been dragged into this situation. Still, looking at the big picture, it’s leading to my own personal growth, and just by working diligently, my evaluation from the staff goes up, so it’s a plus.

I will see this through, believing that my partner didn't get disciplined and will return.

However... between the unfamiliar tasks, the constant movement, and the posture required during color matching, the accumulation of various types of fatigue is making my lower back feel like it’s about to explode.

Will my partner return safely? Will my lower back be okay? Stay tuned for the next diary entry.