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Leisure Time

Interview with Henry, Bob and Cory

JM: What types of facilities were available to help pass the time?
Henry: There were no recreational facilities but for "Rec-Yards" with over grown grass that ran rampant with red ants, and for a basketball court.
Bob: We had an outdoor recreation area with a ping pong table. The outdoor recreation area was approx 15' wide by 50' long and had an opening about 20' up (fenced). The rec area walls were concrete so you could not see outside at all but the fresh air was a welcome change from the freezing air conditioning inside.
Cory: Nothing. I played chess and read books. If you were good u could work in the commissary/kitchen. But i didnt do that b/c I did not want to interact with anyone at all. I did had a little library to get books, but they were mostly old romance novels or bibles.

JM: Did you have regular access to the entertainment or was competition fierce? Give details.
Henry: Our only entertainment was television. The guards who seem to be relatively enjoying leisure time themselves, were very much reluctant to change the channels. Competition was terrible over the programming viewed and would often lead to fights breaking out. Also, to cause further problems, they would keep the television volume very low.
Bob: We had access to the outdoor rec area on weekends from 1pm to 3:30pm only.
Cory: The tv was on whatever the deps felt like putting it on. Maury or Jerry Springer in the morning and if the cell block was good we could catch a little bit of football and basketball at night. But that was rare because people started finding ways to gamble which lead to more fights.

JM: Did you have a hard time staying in shape while in jail?
Henry: Staying in shape was hard, considering we only had two days of recreational time that lasted a mere 1 hour. In the dorm, all physical activity was frowned upon and officers bent rules to prevent inmates from activity.
Bob: Yes. Besides push-ups and sit-ups exercise is not allowed in the facility.
Cory: No. Working out was something I did to keep me sane and maintain my strength. i worked out by doing a lot of push ups and dips and sit ups

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?
Henry: We got to go outside, when lucky, twice a week for 1 hour each of the two days.
Bob: We had access to the outdoor rec area on weekends from 1pm to 3:30pm only. Otherwise we only got to go outside if we were being taken to "113" for attorney visits or visits from family / friends and then it was only walking down a secured outdoor corridor.
Cory: In the main jail we never went outside. 23 hours of lock down with one hour of free time. It was a dark and gloomy place.

JM: Did the jail offer church services? If so, what were they like and when were they held?
Henry: The jail did offer church services. They were non-denominational and lasted roughly 2 hours in time. Music was played and teaching generally followed.
Bob: Yes. The jail offered regular church services. I attended a bible study once a week for an hour at a time.
Cory: Yes religious services were offered. I did not go to any for personal reasons. I read the bible a little.

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