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Leisure Time

Interview with Shawn, Tom, Linda, Margaret and Laura

JM: What types of facilities were available to help pass the time?
Shawn: Card games, chess, recreation time, handball, work out, tv time
Tom: When you got to general population, during leisure time you could have pretty mucht he run of the place when it came to the main park area of the facility. Football, baseball, or just sitting back under a tree and reading. There was a smaller area for the new inmates in section M which was enclosed.
Linda: We got to go outside once a week or twice a month for an hour and we had access to tweezers and nail clippers. We could play hand ball or jump rope if we wanted to. Basically Iwould just walk around the small area to get excersize while I could.
Margaret: NONE TO MY KNOWLEDGE. BASICALLY IT WAS UP TO THE INMATE AND THEIR IMAGINATION AND FINANCES ON WAYS TO PASS TIME. MOSTLY PEOPLE READ, TALKED, WROTE LETTERS, PLAYED CARDS, CALLED HOME AND EXERCISED AS MUCH AS WAS ALLOWED. MOST OF THE TIME WAS SPENT IN A CELL JUST YOU AND YOUR CELLIE.
Laura: T.V.,outside recreation,cards( if an inmatepurchased them outof their own pocket on commisary)library books, church services, showers,its jail and it isnt supposed to be fun. Talking to the other inmates and sleeping were the top past times. You could buysnacks off of commisary and eating what you want when you want is a leisure in jail.

JM: Did you have regular access to the entertainment or was competition fierce? Give details.
Shawn: nNo everybody basically watched the same types of tv shows reality tv and sports
Tom: From what I understood it was an angreement with all the different races that the TV would alternate daily on to who got to use the television for their type of programming. There was a lot of board games and decks of cards to go around so there was never really conflict with that.
Linda: There was not really competition for entertainment because there was no entertainment. We got to watch television sometimes but Inever really watched it. I would use my time out of my.cell to take a shower and to walk around as much asi could. I also used the time out to use the phone.
Margaret: WHAT ENTERTAINMENT. THE ENTERTAINMENT THAT WE GOT WE CREATED. SO NO THERE WASNT REALLY ANY COMPETITION BETWEEN INMATES FOR THAT. IT WAS MORE LIKE A COMPETITION TO GET THE CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS TO GIVE US FREE TIME THAT WOULD ALLOW US OUT OF OUR CELLS TO SOCIALIZE WITHT OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR UNIT.
Laura: as far as the T.V. was concerned there were ways tha twere chosen who chose what was watched and for how lomg. For instance the inmates who cleaned up got to choose what was watched on TV and when the program was over whoever was nest got to choose. Its usuallu pretty fair.

JM: Did you have a hard time staying in shape while in jail?
Shawn: No
Tom: Yes. The food was completely starchy and when one guy screwed up we wouldnt get our outside leisure time. We could only get the small area.
Linda: Yes. It was hard because the 2 man cell was so small. There was no room at all to walk in the cell. I gained a lot of weight in2 months.
Margaret: NO. THE FOOD SUCKS SO I DIDNT EAT AS MUCH AS I WOULD NORMALLY FOR ONE, AND FOR TWO, YOU FIND WAYS TO EXERCISE A LITTLE IN THERE.
Laura: not really, alot of women work out but only eating healthy 3 times a day is good for you, and I am not a person who would buy snacks and such on commisary for that reason.

JM: How often did you get to go outside? What did you do outside if you were allowed to? If you were not allowed to go outside what could you do for exercise?
Shawn: 2-3 times a week
Tom: If everything was good, on average we got to go out into the main park area 1-2 times a week. We had leisure time daily in the small area.
Linda: We got outside.a couple times a month. There was nothing to do outside but walk around. That was the best time to get in some excersizing.
Margaret: OUTSIDE? NO I DOUBT IT. MAYBE OUTSIDE OF YOUR CELL INTO THE UNIT BUT THAT WAS IT. FOR EXERCISE WE WOULD DO SIT UPS, LAPS AROUND THE UNIT, LEG LIFTS, ETC.
Laura: I think outside recreation was 3 times a week. I did not like to go outside because its hot, and when youre outside youre stuck out therefor the whole time until the outside rec is over. I am a TV person and you have a good chance of watching what you want on TV if most of the inmates are not there.

JM: Did the jail offer church services? If so, what were they like and when were they held?
Shawn: Yes, the catholic chaplain would come once a week and hold a sevice. They were held in the dayroom
Tom: Im kind of vague on this one but if I remember right , church services were held on television in a separate room.
Linda: Yes they offered church services every Sunday for an hour. They would have someone from the outside come in and preach for an hour and give out small bibles to whoever wanted one.
Margaret: IM NOT SURE IF THEY DID, IF SO, I NEVER WENT TO ONE SO I DONT KNOW WHAT THEY WERE LIKE.
Laura: yes, they did. THey were held weekly, I dont know whata they were like because Idont go to church when Im not in jail so I wasnt going to pretend to be all into God just because I was in jail. (and the TV selection was partly the reason I didnt go)

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