Visiting Day at the Prison

Well, today my husband and I went to a prison for the first time to visit a family member. This was a new experience for me. First, we knew that the hours were 12:30-3:30, so we arrived at 12:20 to find a line that was out the door and down the sidwalk. It took an hour to make it up to the desk. I had a little enjoyment with people watching during this time. We were told that if we didn't make it in by 1:30, we would have to go away and wait until 2:30 to come back in. Well, we just barely made it to the sign-in book before they cut off the line two people behind us. After we signed the book, we had to tell them the inmate's number, and they called on the walkie-talkie for him to be brought up. Then we had to remove our shoes, which went through a metal detector, pass through a metal detector ourselves and be individually searched. Women were directed to go into a side room and turn pockets inside-out, pull out my bra and lean forward to show that nothing was hidden in it, and be patted down by a guard. We could only take one key and one ID in with us.

We met our family member in a cafeteria-type room that had tables and chairs with vending machines around the perimeters. We couldn't take anything in with us, but we could check out cards and other games to play (we didn't this time). Inmates don't get lunch on the weekends, but they could eat food purchased for them from the vending machines. By the end of the three hour visitation, the food machines were totally cleaned out. All food had to be consumed in the room and could not be removed by inmates or visitors. I saw a couple of ladies that had cokes and several packs of crackers that they had to throw away upon exiting.

It was hard for me to relax and enjoy the visit. I was so afraid of doing something wrong and being told to leave. I hope that next time I will be more familiar with the routine.

What really struck me as I looked around the visitation room was how many families go through this week after week, and now I am one of those people, too. We are the people that are lost in the system. The inmates get their sentences, the victims get counseling, and the families of the inmates get forgotten. We are victims, too, but of a different sort. Tonight, when you pray, say a prayer for me and other family members of inmates in prisons all over this country.