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Leisure Time

Interview with Collin, Robbie, Michelle and Lorrie

JM: What types of facilities were available to help pass the time?
Collin: They had cards or you could just bullshit with each other. There was basketball once a week. For working out guys could do chin ups. Once they tried to make a bag full of water to do curls but they got busted for that.
Robbie: they had a "yard" i guess you could say. all it was, was a big concrete room with a window twenty feet up and a basket ball goal and a basketball that was flat so you could hardly bounce it. we werent allowed outside to see grass or trees or get fresh air.
Michelle: They just started GED and the SAP Program in 2011 in the county / city jail but in prison yes you can take classes or you can even go to a Technical College that is only for inmates and is connected to the prison. They also have church services you can attend that passes time.
Lorrie: Tv or you could order books from the commissary but that was really expensive after Bible study you got a Bible you could keep that and read it. You could also sit around and play cards if you had any but at times that could start a fight with some inmates

JM: Did you have regular access to the entertainment or was competition fierce? Give details.
Collin: Wasn't much to fight over so there was no competition.
Robbie: there was one tv for 150 men. So if you wanted to watch something you had to watch what everybody else was watching. otherwise risk getting in a fight with the other inmates if they didnt want to watch what you were watching. it was very fierce if you wanted to change the channel.
Michelle: We had access to a T.V. but now, starting in 2011 all T.V.'s are set to the same channel and you can't change, probably because of fights, and you could only go to the wreck yard at 5 am, and most inmates would be asleep and wouldn't get to go. That part was only allowed on monday, wednesday, and friday.
Lorrie: competition was fierce you would have to sign up for tv time a month in advance most of the time so you would have to wake up early just to sing the sheet and then you still might not get to watch your shows when you wanted to it was hard

JM: Did you have a hard time staying in shape while in jail?
Collin: I didn't even bother.
Robbie: no you have plenty of time to work out if thats something you wanted to do.. There were no weights or anything like that so if you wanted to work out you had to figure out ways to do so.
Michelle: Yes, because they feed you so much starches and breads and all you do is sit in the dorm. They would only allow wreck at 5 am so nooone would go and all you would do is sit and watch T.V. and eat everyday.
Lorrie: yes cause all you can do is walk around your block you couldnt walk up and down the stairs ever

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?
Collin: We never went outside.
Robbie: There was no option for going outside so if you wanted to exercise you would have to walk around the cell block or do pushups and or situps. whatever you felt like doing.
Michelle: You could only go to the wreck yard on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 5 am. Everyone was always sleeping at that time so noone would go. That was the only access to being outside there was and it was a fenced in roof over a semi-big room.
Lorrie: never yo werent allowed to go outside but you could go to the gym as they called it once a moth and it was hot in there and they only thing to do was to walk around

JM: Did the jail offer church services? If so, what were they like and when were they held?
Collin: They had a guy come by with bibles every once and awhile but no church service.
Robbie: yes they offered church on sundays. they had a preist or preacher that would come in and talk if you wanted to listen you could go with the group of people in the cell block and listen.
Michelle: Yes, they were offered on Tuesday and Saturday nights. From 6:30 or 7 pm until 8:30 or 9:00 pm. It was held in the middle of the pod where the T.V. is.
Lorrie: yes Bible Study it was nice and it was every Thursday evening it was like a little piece of Heaven evry week

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