I Have a Strange Fascination with the Prison System
I am absolutely enthralled with prisons. Seriously. And yesterday marked the highlight of my week (month?), as I was privy to a tour of the Minnesota supermax prison in Oak Park Heights. I really don't even know how to put this experience into words. It's not just the prison that I am interested in; it's the whole process (government, crime, trial, sentencing, prison, confinement, etc) and moreover, the psychology encompassing institutionalization. So, I was REALLY excited about getting to tour a Level 5 prison. I probably asked 100 questions.
We toured each of the 8 complexes within the prison, each holding 52 to 60 prisoners. Each complex is essentially its own little community, and they are all truly very different. The units range from an educational unit (all prisoners are required to get their GED upon admit, unless they already had it), mental health unit, medical unit, units that allow its inhabitants freedom within the unit, to those that are absolutely locked down--and not just by 1 air-sealed steel door, but 2. The inmates graces with 2 doors were also the ones who were outfitted with foam helmets and spit masks, as they were prone to assaulting the staff.
Taking this all in was a bit of a mind-screw for me. I was thinking the whole time about what I would be doing in while in solitary confinement for just the 2.5 hour duration that I was there.. nevermind for life. That's something that I am completely unable to fathom. I was also focusing less on the fact that these are (probably, hopefully) terrible people, and more on all the attributes of living like a caged animal. In fact, there was not much of a distinction between this place and a zoo.
I don't think that my trying to explain it can do justice to my experience. I'm not even sure exactly what details to write about that I can fully and vividly explain. I've been going over and over all of it in my head, and it continues to be a crazy concept.
If you ever get a chance to tour a prison, do it.
We toured each of the 8 complexes within the prison, each holding 52 to 60 prisoners. Each complex is essentially its own little community, and they are all truly very different. The units range from an educational unit (all prisoners are required to get their GED upon admit, unless they already had it), mental health unit, medical unit, units that allow its inhabitants freedom within the unit, to those that are absolutely locked down--and not just by 1 air-sealed steel door, but 2. The inmates graces with 2 doors were also the ones who were outfitted with foam helmets and spit masks, as they were prone to assaulting the staff.
Taking this all in was a bit of a mind-screw for me. I was thinking the whole time about what I would be doing in while in solitary confinement for just the 2.5 hour duration that I was there.. nevermind for life. That's something that I am completely unable to fathom. I was also focusing less on the fact that these are (probably, hopefully) terrible people, and more on all the attributes of living like a caged animal. In fact, there was not much of a distinction between this place and a zoo.
I don't think that my trying to explain it can do justice to my experience. I'm not even sure exactly what details to write about that I can fully and vividly explain. I've been going over and over all of it in my head, and it continues to be a crazy concept.
If you ever get a chance to tour a prison, do it.
posted by nka at
00:14
1 Comments:
The prison is quite a fascinating place, isnt it? I'm talking from the point of view who has never been on a prison roll. But I read somewhere that one of the ways to judge the civility of a particular society is to take a close look at it's prisoners. Hmm...
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Za., At
October 10, 2007 7:00 AM
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