Our first stop was into the giant courtyard, or exercise area. Walking in, I immediately felt the eyes of all the inmates upon us. It was nerve-wracking to know that the ratio of guards to prisoners was very significant. I was, initially, paranoid and felt intimidated but had to remind myself not to make eye contact and that we were safe in our group. There was a lot going on in the courtyard. There were several inmates making their way up to the education center, some playing basketball, and others just lounging around in the sun or under the shade. I noticed their attire at this point. They were dressed in white from head to toe but had different pieces on. Some were wearing pants and a short-sleeved shirt while others had on athletic shorts and shirts with no sleeves. I expected them to be completely uniform but that was not the case. According to the warden, the inmates were allowed to buy clothing from commissary. The whole environment outside looked very laid-back and had minimum-security detail. The correction officers that accompanied us throughout our tour seemed to be on guard but relaxed in a way. They had no gun, which was probably for the best. Having guns I a place like a prison would be very unsafe. An inmate may attempt to take it and put the lives of everyone in danger. I felt safer knowing …show more content…
However, after touring the prison and interacting with the inmates, I realized the people were generally sociable. Leaving the facility left me with a feeling of astonishment. The public has a perception of prisons that make them seem to hostile even though this is true in only a few cases. If the public had more awareness of prison life, then there could potentially be more outreach and rehabilitation. Visiting the death chamber had been the only difficult part for me during this entire experience. It was hard to be in the room where countless people have been executed, despite the crimes they had committed. All in all, it was a memorable trip that will never be