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Jail Layout

Interview with Stan, Rich and Claudia

JM: How many different blocks were there?
Stan: ?
Rich: There are many divisions of the jail. There are 11 floors. The jailhouse was originally constructed and opened in the early-to-mid 1950's, and had many different additions and annexes in the subsequent decades. The jail can house up to approximately just short of 1500 inmates, but at present time maintains a capacity of maybe 1100-1200, since the Sheriff suspended minimum security work/education/day jail programs several years ago. There can still be times when the jail becomes [almost] crowded by capacity for various chance occurrences in sentencing and judge's decision.
Claudia: Ive been in almost every unit they have for women except for the trustee statue unit.

JM: Did they have names? If so, what were they?
Stan: Blocks were named by latters of the alphabet.
Rich: There are Booking Area/Court Dayrooms, where someone might remain for a period of time if no other housing options are available, or simply for drunks who might be released after a stint in a 'detox' unit or cell, and some protective custody/maximum security units are housed within the 'day rooms', which usually have newly acquired inmates brought from the local police departments or courts for booking and incarceration, or inmates awaiting being taken to court for a hearing. There are high-observation and mental health units, where there is round-the-clock observation, the 'Towers', where higher classification/security level inmates are housed, and is popularly assumed to be where most of the 'big boys' (unrepentant criminals) are housed. I believe the women's floor is on floor 6 or 7, and maintains no formal maximum security option or clear use of the classification levels in distinguishing where they might be assigned on those floors among other female prisoners. There are 'BamBam' (rubber rooms) cells in detox, and mental health and high-observation, where the inmates are forced to strip down and wear a one-piece skirt-like suit (same suit for both male or females, who would in turn be housed in the same general area of the jail, but of course usually in individual cells), also called popularly the 'Turtle Suit', as a means of preventing suicide with the use of torn articles of clothing or the ability to clearly conceal a potential weapon. Maximum security units are in the bottom 1 or 2 floors of the jail (its oldest part, I believe there are sixteen units of maximum security). There is also the 'Sliders' where extremely violent or high-profile inmates are housed on 23-hour lock-down, which is even more restrictive than the usual use for the maximum security units. There is the 'D Block' which is usually an intermediate holding cell unit area between the time of booking and where the inmate will be taken after being fully classified by the jail office and available long-term housing space is found. These are similar to army barracks, with bunk beds and picnic tables, and sometimes televisions or radios. One can be housed here for a number weeks, sometimes even more than a month, if the jail has crowding issues or there is a paperwork backlog.
Claudia: A-unit, B-unit, C-unit, D-unit, E-unit, F-unit and mental health. each unit housed a certained classification number or numbers

JM: Which types of inmates were housed in the different blocks?
Stan: ?
Rich: The 'Sliders', again, house those inmates determined to be among the most serious rule violators, or who are perceived as a result of their previous convictions or charges to be unusually violent, or in some cases, very high-profile inmates are sent there for their own safety and well-being. Floors 10 and 11 house the higher (high medium and high security level) inmates. D block is an intermediate holding area usually until space and classification is determined for the inmate. Dayroom/C block area has some protective custody/high observation inmates, and the newly received/newly booked, or inmates temporarily using the spaces while awaiting being transported to a court hearing. In some cases these dayrooms can be used in place of 'D' block if the 'D block' is overcrowded also. Maximum Security units have 22 or 23 hour lockdowns for those in protective custody, some violent inmates, rule 'ticket block' violators, and other internal proprietary reasons when the jail staff determines it would be in the interest of the inmate or facility to have him there. There is a medical, and separate mental health wing, which also operate on 22 or 23 hour lock-down if the inmate has been assigned there (not for punitive reasons in these cases of course).
Claudia: each block is filled by classification numbers. all like numbers are housed together. A-unit was the trustee unit, B-unit was the transitional unit you would be housed in while you waited to be classified and then moved to a permenant unit, C-unit was Medium/high class. some number 5,6. D-unit was Medium class numbers 3,4. E-unit was MAximum security unit number 7,8. and F-unit was Low class unit numbers 2,3s

JM: What do you remember being the nicest and worst parts about the different blocks?
Stan: All of the blocks were in poor repair and I was worried about my health for my entire stay.
Rich: The mental health and detox areas are absolutely filthy, with clear signs of residues of vomit/urine/feces present in the cells, likely going back years or decades. This is clear from the outside of the cells from someone just walking through a hallway and not actually having been in a cell or spending time in one of these types of cells. The medical unit seems to be the 'cleanest' and 'pleasantest' part of the jail, for obvious reasons. I believe the air pressure is different in that area, it is well lit, usually smells clean (or at least sterile) compared to the other parts of the jail, most of the staff their are female and pleasant and interested legitimately in the inmate's well-being, with some exceptions (some nurses openly discuss with deputies while doing their rounds there feelings about other inmates' hygiene, criminal charges, appearance, etc. in shockingly open and unflattering ways). The D Block area is very darkly lit (cavernous) and grimy (the picnic 'dayroom' tables appear to be decades old with scrawls and grafitti over their surfaces, one toilet and shower to share out in the open with limited opportunity for anything resemebling privacy while using them, etc). No matter where I was housed, there was a lot of dust and detritus floating around, and frequent appearances by waterbugs, beetles spiders, ants. Sometimes the air conditioning system is on at absolutely intolerable, freezing levels, or the heat at oppressive levels. Other times neither is on during times when the temperate would warrant one or the other, leading to similar high levels of discomfort and agitation among the inmates.
Claudia: there really isnt any nice part of the different units or worst parts. its all the same and none of it is very pelasant, also in the units its so very cold and you always had to layer on your clothing to keep warm. each unit had 2 showers for every 50 women and you wouldnt guess but women can be GROOSS. Women would pee even take a POOP in the showers especialy the women coming off drugs and detoxing!

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