It was a long drive, but by leaving early in the morning I beat the traffic. I just hoped the ride home would be as quick Pulling up in the old prison main parking lot looking at the front doors of what could have been a castle was the original prison built in 1839. Between the steely skies and the buildings’ dark brick stone exterior I felt I had arrived at the home of Dr. Frankenstein. First impressions are lasting impressions. Again, I ask myself,” what the f…are you trying to accomplish?” All this place needs is a moat and a fire breathing dragon. I shake my head and enter the prison through the main doors. The terrazzo floors are polished I noticed when entering what appears to be a rotunda. It looks like a union station without the train tracks. An officer calls me over to the main counter that resembles a hotel check-in. The song “Hotel California” comes to mind by the Eagles, “you can always check in but you can never leave.” I laugh to myself as the officer at the desk asked me to produce my identification. When I produce my identification he asked me to sign in the book on the counter. I am a little hesitant at first. I asked, “when I leave (reassuring myself) I will also be signing out?” He instructs me to sign in under the visitors column and to remember my number next to my name so I can sign back out when I leave. Good, I felt better knowing he was expecting me to leave at some point in time.
When I finished signing in, the front desk officer pointed me in the direction of an elderly gentleman, and yells out to him, “here’s the guy you’ve been waiting for.” He greets me with a smile, introduces himself, then informs me that the school principal of this prison wants to meet me and take me on a tour. At first I thought, wow, what hospitality, a tour? Then I thought, hell this is a big prison…I could be touring all day and not get accomplished what the warden wanted me to do here. I asked the Instructor if he would be joining us and he said he would. Plus, he felt we could then talk about what the other Horticulture programs are doing in the state and what they are trying to accomplish in the prisons. It felt good to know he would be my contact and mentor. I would have several mentors in my 25 year career with the Department of Corrections. He seemed very knowledgeable and over the years I was not disappointed speaking with him.
We were directed to the gate entrance were we produced our badges and were told to enter. The principal introduced me to the officer manning the gate entrance, and then informed me to empty my pockets once inside the gate. As we were being searched the officer informed the school principal that a custody employee was stabbed on the walk to the school last night and we should stay together They would keep a visual on us as we walked to the school. I didn’t say anything. Once searched we were directed to exit the gate. As we left the administration building and walked out on the walk way to the school the principal asked my mentor if he had “heard of anything on the condition of the officer stabbed?” He shook his head and we proceeded to the school. I wasn’t feeling confident anymore. I knew from past experience, (so little I had with the DOC) that serious incidents were handled with locking a facility down. I felt that this was a bad day to visit. I could be stuck here indefinitely. If they blew the siren for emergency count we would have to man the school. We would not be able to leave the school until directed by custody. Especially if they were looking for weapons. Unfortunately, as I was told by my new mentor, in this case they didn’t have to search for weapons. It was left inside the body of the officer they tried to kill. Custody administration would be reviewing any and all camera videos, even though the cameras were very limited at this time in the DOC. I felt very bad for the officer. Most of the shanks were hidden in the rectum of the assailants. I could only imagine the infection that would be created if that knife was stored there before the assault.
To Be Continued
MJ-Way 