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Interview with Bruce, Jen, Crystal, Allison and Deanne

JM: How many different blocks were there?
Bruce: Just 2 sides to the ten complex...One for work release and the other for work furlough.
Jen: I'm not sure by what you mean when you say blocks, they dont apply to tent city
Crystal: Not sure. In my area was the work release and work furlough tents. The rest of the tents were for those in stripes and who were not sentenced to work release.
Allison: Blocks no blocks tents I said
Deanne: Not sure about block, although there were two areas in the tents.

JM: Did they have names? If so, what were they?
Bruce: Just Tent City. Work release side and work furlough side.
Jen: MCSO when serving time on the inside has "dorms" and there are several including towers
Crystal: I don't think there were names. The tents were numbered and so were the bunks.
Allison: Well they where numbered tents just like the inmates numbered
Deanne: Work furlough and Non- work furlough, although we called the non-work furlough area/inmates, "stripes" because they had to wear the jail outfits, while the people on work furlough were able to wear their everyday clothes.

JM: Which types of inmates were housed in the different blocks?
Bruce: The inmates who had jobs and who were less of a flight risk had received work release and the ones without jobs or were more of a risk, had received work furlough sentences.
Jen: Inside the dorms they segregated by different classes, felonies,misdemeanors,certain high profile cases were segregated also such as famous persons and murders, also persons considered under illegal immigration laws were housed seperatley
Crystal: Once block was for more serious offenders who could not leave the jail and they were also identified by the fact they had to wear stripes not street clothes. Our area was comprised mostly of DUI offenders and people who did not pay child support.
Allison: All the same kimd of tents buy I noticed people with drug charges all same tent and the same with assalt or what ever ur charges they try to keep it seperated like dui tent
Deanne: The people who were there on work furlough program were mainly there for misdemeanors and first time offenses, while the others were there for more serious crimes such as felonies and repeated offenses.

JM: What do you remember being the nicest and worst parts about the different blocks?
Bruce: The nicest part of the work release side that I was on, was that it was closest to the vending machines and bathrooms. The work furlough side was further away. The worst part of the work release side was that it was closest to the guard room, so there were more guards around.
Jen: The worst part was in the summer in tent city feeling like were literally dying of heat stroke outside and just boiling to death. The lockers that you kept your food in were infected with ants and mice that would eat your overpriced food that you had to buy yourself, there were NO NICE parts inside or out, the entire facility is disgusting, uncomfortable, and NO PRIVACY or quiet anywhere
Crystal: There was nothing nice at all. I suppose the picnic table were the best since the weather was decent and you could sit out there in the sun. The bathrooms were the worst part. The toilets and showers were disgusting and sinks were always getting clogged and overflowing. The bathrooms were just dirty.
Allison: Some where nice n clean some where loud some u could sneek a smok behide . Some where loud and sum even stunk some where empty all day sum tents up dum where down some would get trashed by d os they all where the same most of them thrr tents
Deanne: The best part of the tents was that they were bunkbeds and tv tent. The worst part of the tents was than when i rained, it would leak thru the roof and get us all wet. People on work furlough got to leave everyday for 12 hours, while the others did not.

Read about telephone access in the Tent City Jail

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