The Woman Who Saved Me: From Prison

By Francis Murscoe

I hadn't worked for twenty years, and when I got convicted, for work release, I got a job in the automobile business. Follow along the journey through the ups and downs of my career, work release, and my favorite bar I hung out at and where I met the woman who saved my life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 31, 2022
• ISBN: 9781662483721

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The Woman Who Saved Me

Francis Murscoe

Copyright © 2022 Francis Murscoe

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2022

Cover inspired by Sami Thurman

ISBN 978-1-6624-8369-1 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-6624-8372-1 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Preface

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Thursday, September 19

Friday, September 20

Saturday, September 21

Sunday, September 22

Monday, September 23

Tuesday, September 24

Wednesday, September 25

Thursday, September 26

Friday, September 27

Saturday, September 28

Sunday, September 29

Monday, September 30

Tuesday, October 1

Wednesday, October 2

Thursday, October 3

Friday, October 4

Saturday, October 5

Sunday, October 6

Monday, October 7

Tuesday, October 8

Wednesday, October 9

Thursday, October 10

Friday, October 11

Saturday, October 12

Sunday, October 13

Tuesday, October 14

Tuesday, October 15

Wednesday, October 16

Thursday, October 17

Friday, October 18

Saturday, October 19

Sunday, October 20

Monday, October 21

Tuesday, October 22

Wednesday, October 23

Thursday, October 24

Friday, October 25

Saturday, October 26

Sunday, October 27

Monday, October 28

Tuesday, October 29

Wednesday, October 30

Thursday, October 31, Halloween

Friday, November 1

Saturday, November 2

Sunday, November 3

Monday, November 4

Tuesday, November 5

Wednesday, November 6

Thursday, November 7

Friday, November 8

Saturday, November 9

Sunday, November 10

Monday, November 11

Tuesday, November 12

Wednesday, November 13

Thursday, November 14

Friday, November 15

Saturday, November 16

Sunday, November 17

Monday, November 18

Tuesday, November 19

Wednesday, November 20

Thursday, November 21

Friday, November 22

Saturday, November 23

Sunday, November 24

Monday, November 25

Tuesday, November 26

Thursday, November 28

Friday, November 29

Saturday, November 30

Sunday, December 1

Monday, December 2

Tuesday, December 3

Wednesday, December 4

Thursday, December 5

Friday, December 6

Saturday, December 7

Sunday, December 8

Monday, December 9

Tuesday, December 10

Wednesday, December 11

Thursday, December 12

Friday, December 13

Saturday, December 14

Sunday, December 15

Monday, December 16

Tuesday, December 17

Wednesday, December 18

Thursday, December 19

Friday, December 20

Saturday, December 21

Sunday, December 22

Monday, December 23

Tuesday, December 24

Wednesday, December 25

Thursday, December 26

Friday, December 27

Saturday, December 28

Sunday, December 29

Monday, December 30

Tuesday, December 31

Wednesday, January 1

Thursday, January 2

Friday, January 3

Saturday, January 4

Saturday, January 5

Monday, January 6

Tuesday, January 7

Wednesday, January 8

Thursday, January 9

Friday, January 10

Saturday, January 11

Sunday, January, 12

Monday, January 13

Tuesday, January 14

Wednesday, January 15

Thursday, January 16

Friday, January 17

Saturday, January 18

Sunday, January 19

Monday, January 20

Tuesday, January 21

Wednesday, January 22

Thursday, January 23

Friday, January 24

Sunday, January 26

Monday, January 27

Tuesday, January 28

Wednesday, January 29

Thursday, January 30

Friday, January 31

Saturday, February 1

Sunday, February 2

Monday, February 3

Tuesday, February 4

Wednesday, February 5

Thursday, February 6

Friday, February 7

Saturday, February 8

Saturday, February 9

Sunday, February 10

Tuesday, February 11

Wednesday, February 12

Thursday, February 13

Friday, February 14

Saturday, February 15

Sunday, February, 16

Monday, February 17

Tuesday, February 18

Wednesday, February 19

Thursday, February 20

Friday, February 21

Saturday, February 22

Sunday, February 23

Monday, February 24

Tuesday, February 25

Wednesday, February 26

Thursday, February 27

Friday, February 28

Saturday, February 29

Sunday, March 1

Monday, March 2

Tuesday, March 3

Wednesday, March 4

Thursday, March 5

Friday, March 6

Saturday, March 7

Sunday, March 8

Monday, March 9

Tuesday, March 10

Wednesday, March 11

Thursday, March 12

Friday, March 13

Saturday, March 14

Sunday, March 15

Monday, March 16

Tuesday, March 17

Wednesday, March 18

Tuesday, March 19

Friday, March 20

Saturday, March 21

Sunday, March 22

Monday, March 23

Tuesday, March 24

Wednesday, March 25

Thursday, March 26

Friday, March 27

Saturday, March 28

Sunday, March 29

Monday, March 30

Tuesday, March 31

Wednesday, April 1

Thursday, April 2

Friday, April 3

Saturday, April 4

Sunday, April 5

Monday, April 6

Tuesday, April 7

Wednesday, April 8

Thursday, April 9

Friday, April 10

Saturday, April 11

Sunday, April 12

Monday, April 13

Tuesday, April 14

Wednesday, April 15

Thursday, April 16

Friday, April 17

Saturday, April 18

Sunday, April 19

Monday, April 20

Tuesday, April 21

Wednesday, April 22

Thursday, April 23

Friday, April 24

Saturday, April 25

Monday, April 26

Tuesday, April 28

Monday, May 4

Tuesday, May 5

Wednesday, May 6

Thursday, May 7

Friday, May 8

Sunday, May 10

Monday, May 11

Tuesday, May 12

Monday, May 13

August 2021

February 22, 2021

About the Author

To Deborah Lynn Gooch, who inspired me every day

To Sami Thurman, who is still my favorite bartender at my favorite place and typed up four composition books for me

To Bobbie Sheehan, who helped me with unemployment issues and getting this book published

Love you, guys!

Preface

I am not sure how this book came about. I just decided to jot down things that were going on every day, and I thought it would be an interesting story.

This is a story of a sixty-four-year-old man who had never been incarcerated and hadn't worked a real job besides being a golf pro in eighteen years.

It's about what it took to survive both in work release and the job I took in the people I was associated with for the time I worked in work release.

The purpose of the book is to inspire people that anything is possible if you have a positive attitude and never give up.

My name is Francis Murscoe, and everything in this book is 100 percent true. You couldn't make this stuff up!

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Day 1

I appeared before Judge Powell at 8:00 a.m. to take a plea deal that was offered: eighteen months' work release out in twelve months for good behavior. After twelve months, I have to make restitution for 375 per month. I have never done work release before. Knowing that was going to be my sentence, I got a job selling cars two days earlier. I am sixty-four years old and hadn't worked a real job in sixteen years.

They sat me in a dayroom while they processed my paperwork. You have to lock your phone up because no electric devices are allowed in sleeping quarters. There are five pods with eight twin beds in each. They have vending machines, no TVs. You bring your own linens and towels and clothes. You must have a mesh bag. You are stripped and searched before entering. I had almost everything I needed, except a mesh bag. There were six people in my pod. I wanted to be back to work that day, but I had to take a drug test at exactly 9:00 p.m. Another guy went with me and he couldn't pee. I passed, which meant I could go to work in the morning.

Thursday, September 19

Day 2

I slept decent night before. I didn't take a shower because I didn't have a towel. You sign out at 8:00 a.m. and have a half hour to get to the job. My schedule is 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. I make $7.50 an hour, and you must sign back in by 6:30 p.m. If you are late five minutes, you can't work the following day.

Everyone is constantly scamming for money. I gave the preacher across from me $5 to watch my stuff when I was not there. He was considered a job hunter, and they went out at 8:30 a.m. and returned at 2:00 p.m. These people had no rights. They had thirty days to find a job or they went back to county jail or prison. You don't want to be in county jail. I was one of a few that had his own transportation. Since I was working, I didn't pay for meals. Job hunters after seven days with no job had to pay $2 per meal. None of them had any money, so they tried to scam other work-release people who had jobs. I felt sorry for them, but I can't help everyone.

Friday, September 20

Day 3

I went to work, and they gave me a check for eight and a half hours at $7.50 an hour. I only worked one day since Wednesday. I stopped, got food, and got to work release at 6:20 p.m. You got twenty minutes to get in the dayroom. You lock up your phone and return to regular quarters. There hadn't been any trouble so far mainly because no one wanted to go back to county jail. You give your check to them, and they take out $25 for a drug test. They also take out 25 percent of every check. This was a moneymaking machine.

And as I stated earlier, job hunters have no privileges because they are not feeding the kitty. I bought an extra half hour because the dealership closed at 5:30 p.m. That gave me time to get my food to eat. You don't want to eat DC food no matter what. I only ate it on the first night and gave most of it to the preacher.

Saturday, September 21

Day 4

I got to the dealership at 8:15 a.m. Normally, we start cars every day, but it was me and the owner. He was from Las Vegas. We didn't start cars, and all the other staff was riding in trail of TEARS. We ended up watching Alabama and Southern Mississippi play at 11:00 a.m. Alabama won 49–7.

The dealership closed at 2:00 p.m., so I had four and a half hours to do what I wanted. I went to my favorite watering hole and started watching games. A friend of mine and I won a football square for $125. She was working an estate sale and had been very supportive of me from the beginning. I also looked forward to seeing her and more so now. I was not drinking alcohol, so I will probably lose at least forty pounds in the coming year.

I got a meatball to go, went back to work release, and ate in the dayroom. No one was allowed out on Sunday, so it will be thirty-six hours until I went back to work on Monday.

Sunday, September 22

Day 5

I slept longer than I had ever before in my life past twelve o'clock. Since there were no TVs or radios, there was no way to know what was going on with football games. This will be the first Sunday in my life without watching football. I asked a friend of mine to text me the final score of all DET game. I was in a league where you picked one team each week. You can never pick them D6Pin, and at the end of the year, the person with the best record wins $1,000. It costs $25 to enter. This buddy of mine will text me the final score, and I'll see it Monday morning when I left for work.

I only ate once on the first day and didn't have breakfast or lunch. I decided to do dinner, and it was an emu country fried sandwich. I took one bite and gave it to the preacher. After thirty days, if you did everything you were supposed to do, you will go to the good side. There were TVs, refrigerators, and microwaves. Only about ten people there and cold back. You started with two hours furlough on Sunday. That was where you want to be. I hoped I got in early.

Monday, September 23

Day 6

I signed out at 8:00 a.m., went to the dayroom, unlocked my locker, and grabbed my phone—completely dead. It was the first time I didn't charge my phone for thirty-six hours. So much for finding out who won the Phillies game.

I went to work and immediately put my phone on the charger. The Phillies lost, but I was glad to get back to work. I got a prospect that I had to deliver tomorrow morning, run some errands, and bring back razor blades and a sudoku book for a couple of guys in here. Remember that hardly anyone had money and I didn't charge them for the stuff.

I left the dealership at 5:15 p.m., giving me about an hour before check in. I got a glass of water and ordered a salad to go. Meanwhile, my friend stopped by. I got to spend twenty minutes with her, which made my day.

I got back to work, and five guys were getting busted for something. I don't get frisked anymore. A guy who ran it at night liked me.

Tuesday, September 24

Day 7

The preacher was gone. His bond was originally $185. The judge released him on ROR to go back home. He was homeless, like most of these people, and he would rather sleep on the streets than be in here. I had to pay $5 to church to watch my stuff. He worked at Texas Roadhouse at night as a cook.

I sold a 2005 Chevy Colorado P/U today. I was having trouble getting person approved. Auto business was very different seventeen years ago. I stopped at my watering hole, had some water with lemon, and ordered a house salad to go.

I arrived at work release at 6:20 p.m., and five people from in there were standing near the tower. I signed in and went to dayroom to have my salad. I put my phone and money clip in the locker. I turned my phone off now. It remained fully charged for work the next day. I went inside the general quarters and was told those five guys were busted for drugs and would be sent back to prison. What a waste! These people cannot stay out of trouble.

Wednesday, September 25

Day 8

It was the best night of sleep so far. I was getting more and more comfortable every day. The goal was to sell cars and get to the good side. Last night at nine, two guys from my pod had to take a drug test. Josh was the guy who couldn't pee the first night. I took my test. Angel had been here for three days. It was unusual to retake in such a short period. Josh couldn't pee, and Angel failed both and was sent back to county jail. Both had just started working that day. What the hell were they thinking?

Only three people were left in my pod. I had a good day at work. I had to take one hour for lunch every day, so I was making it at 4:30 p.m., which gave me an hour and a half to get back to work release. I had been promoted to get here by 6:30 p.m., so I showed up around 6:20 p.m. every day so far.

I stopped by my bar to drink some water and hoped I'd see my friend. She and I got to hang out for forty-five minutes and got caught up on what we had been doing. She said something that made sense.

After seven days, job hunters had to pay $2 a meal. In jail, it was free: three hots and a cot.

Thursday, September 26

Day 9

I found out last night that Josh, who couldn't pee, was sent to jail and then appeared before the judge at the courthouse. They made him pee, and he did. He passed, was brought back to work release, and had to pee again at 9:00 a.m., so if he passed, he will have to pay another $100 for the initial fee and another $25 for the piss test.

This place was owned by three judges. Another guy today tried to smuggle drugs in here up his butthole. He went into the bathroom, and Thomas, who ran this place at night, saw him taking it out of his ass and busted him. He was sent to jail for at least one month. He then got sent back to work release and started process over. If you were going to smuggle drugs in here, why not pull them out under your covers? Dumb and dumber. Most of these people were mentally unstable. I guess when you were doing that much drugs, you had no idea what you were doing. I hoped I can get to the other side soon. Thomas was a very big Black man—6'6", 280 pounds—but very nice to me. He had this job for ten years. And you will not put anything over on him.

Meanwhile, Josh passed piss test. Since he was sent to jail, he had to start the whole process over like he was never here: $100 for the initiation fee and $25 for the drug test. It was all about making money for these judges.

When I got here the first day, a guy named Davie came up to me in the dayroom. I was the only one with a phone because job hunters can't use their phones in there. He asked if I had minutes and if he could use it to get his food stamp card. I let him use it and put in on speaker as he talked to those people. They were to send him his card for $578 due in seven business days. Once I helped him, others had respect