Fuck David Kleinfeld

I went to the "Bing" today. Officially titled the Central Punitive Segregation Unit, or CPSU, it is the "jail-within-the-jail" on Rikers Island. It is where the worst inmates in New York City are located.

I could call them savages and I'd be right.

I could tell you I felt sorry for them but I'd be lying.

I will say that watching these monsters in their 23-hour a day lockdown cells, stripped of all perks, all reading materials, all snacks, all things that inmates take for granted was an experience.

I'll also say that the best part of not being free is knowing how many things you take for granted. I realized this on Astoria Blvd, an ugly thoroughfare near La Guardia airport: I realized I could look and see things as far as the eye could see. I could see colors and shades; I could hear people shouting, buses screeching and jackhammers pounding; I could feel the breeze and taste it. In jail, you can't do any of these things. By being locked down, you're essentially told what to see.

It's a concept that made me realize Astoria Blvd is beautiful.