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Tuesday, August 01, 2006
And All Women are Sisters
I visited Bonnie (the 75 year old) in jail a couple of days ago, and today I visited Drew. Before this, I had never been in a jail. The people at the desk are really nice - nicer than most store and airport workers. I think, though, that the deeper into the bowels you go, the smaller the chance of seeing friendly employees.
To visit an inmate, you have to give up your driver's license at the desk. They confirm your address and ask for your phone number. I wonder why they need a phone number. Then, when your visitee's name is called, you get to walk down all of these long, white, linoleumed, barren, big brother-cameraed corridors, until you get to the dead end that has the little visitation booths. You know how when you stand at the edge of a cliff, you sometimes feel worried that you just might jump? Well, with all of these cameras poised in my direction, I have this drive to just.... pick my nose or scratch my butt or something. But I control myself.
The visitation booth is chicken wire embedded glass separating the visitor from the visitee. On each side of the glass is a little desk-like counter with a phone and a bolted down stool. The only way you can hear what the other person is saying is via the phone. NO sound gets through those walls or windows. So when your time to talk with your friend or relative is up, the phone cuts off, and that is it. No warning, no goodbye. Dead. Except you can do mime hugs and kisses from your side of the window for a moment before your visitee has to go back to their luxurious hotel room (cost: $10/day).
Drew is fasting, so he said that he is not counting the hours until he gets out, he's counting the meals. One meal (tonight's dinner) left to miss. Yeah, he's getting out tonight at 12:02 a.m. (what the heck?). They only kept him seven days of his ten-day sentence. I plan on interviewing him soon, then writing about his experiences. I will try to explain the reason for the shortened sentence then. Basically, it doesn't make a lot of sense.
Carolyn and Ellen will be out on Friday morning. For some reason, they get to stay for most of their ten-day sentence and will get out around 9 a.m. - an hour that is more conducive to diurnal animals like me.
One of Drew's favorite quotes:
"All wars are civil wars, because all men are brothers." - Francois Fenelon
Thanks, TJ!
To visit an inmate, you have to give up your driver's license at the desk. They confirm your address and ask for your phone number. I wonder why they need a phone number. Then, when your visitee's name is called, you get to walk down all of these long, white, linoleumed, barren, big brother-cameraed corridors, until you get to the dead end that has the little visitation booths. You know how when you stand at the edge of a cliff, you sometimes feel worried that you just might jump? Well, with all of these cameras poised in my direction, I have this drive to just.... pick my nose or scratch my butt or something. But I control myself.
The visitation booth is chicken wire embedded glass separating the visitor from the visitee. On each side of the glass is a little desk-like counter with a phone and a bolted down stool. The only way you can hear what the other person is saying is via the phone. NO sound gets through those walls or windows. So when your time to talk with your friend or relative is up, the phone cuts off, and that is it. No warning, no goodbye. Dead. Except you can do mime hugs and kisses from your side of the window for a moment before your visitee has to go back to their luxurious hotel room (cost: $10/day).
Drew is fasting, so he said that he is not counting the hours until he gets out, he's counting the meals. One meal (tonight's dinner) left to miss. Yeah, he's getting out tonight at 12:02 a.m. (what the heck?). They only kept him seven days of his ten-day sentence. I plan on interviewing him soon, then writing about his experiences. I will try to explain the reason for the shortened sentence then. Basically, it doesn't make a lot of sense.
Carolyn and Ellen will be out on Friday morning. For some reason, they get to stay for most of their ten-day sentence and will get out around 9 a.m. - an hour that is more conducive to diurnal animals like me.
One of Drew's favorite quotes:
"All wars are civil wars, because all men are brothers." - Francois Fenelon
Thanks, TJ!
posted by Carol at 8:07 PM
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