JM: What types of facilities were available to help pass the time? Kristen: The day room, which gave you access to games and a
T.V., the yard, which had a track you could
run/walk around and different games like
volleyball, basketball, baseball, etc. I worked
in the kitchen and loading dock, went to school
for Building Trades, and sometimes went to church
or aerobics. Renee: There were several church groups, na and aa groups, but none
were taken very seriously, so i chose not to go. They had a
institution movie every night. Men could work, woman didnt
work off the pod. In my time i played cards and watched tv. Not
alot was offered. Chad: There is a small enclosed area attached to the pod
with a basketball hoop and an open air roof where
you can go to get fresh air and shoot some hoops.
You can also work out on your own doing push ups,
sit ups, etc. Inmates are also given access to AA
meetings, religious services, and they allowed
movies to be shown on the TV if the inmates behave
. Dennis: Facilities next to none, the only time you got out
of the pod was for gym once week and that was for
basket ball or ping pong, oh and once a week you
could go to the law library. Other than that there
were books they put out once a week. Pretty much
nothing but just to sit there and think about what
a idiot you were to do what you did to get your
self into trouble.
JM: Did you have regular access to the entertainment or was competition fierce? Give details. Kristen: Competition was fierce when it came to the T.V.
and the newspaper. People would often fight over
what to watch on T.V. and you are only allowed 15
minutes to read the newspaper, which you had to
sign up for, because there was only one paper. It
could be hours before you got to read it, so you
had to sign up fast. Renee: The entertainment was the tv. We had to agree upon the show,
so alot of times we didnt get to watch what we wanted. In the
general population area the tv was pointless. The corrections
officers chose the channel and the tv couldnt be heard. We
could play voll ball but the summer months are limited and
winter is to cold, and you had to buy the proper clothing off
commisary. Chad: There is usually competition for the TV, newspaper,
and good books. It is pretty easy to go into the
recreation area and just shoot the ball around. I
don't really watch TV, so it didn't bother me too
much. I think it is stupid to fight about things
like television. Dennis: There was not much in the way of entertainment
except to watch the other inmates. There were two
televisions they were back to back about eight
feet in the air bolted to a post in the middle of
the pod but you couldnt hear them and yes there
was always arguments about what to watch.
JM: Did you have a hard time staying in shape while in jail? Kristen: No, I lost a lot of weight actually. Portions
were very small. And they usually give you enough
time to work out...there was an aerobics class
once a week with workout machines. Renee: Yes, everyone there gained weight. My cell mate gained 80
pounds in 9 month. I myself gained 30 pounds. We dont get
the chance to move around, and the food is always potatoes
and pasta. Chad: I didn't have a hard time staying in shape in jail.
I was able to exercise, and I playing basketball
helped too. Dennis: I did yes because there was no exercise machines
or weights. The so called "yard" was nothing more
than a small little triangle shaped room with
thirty foot walls and a basket ball hoop. Plus the
food you buy on the commissary is nothing but junk
food and candy plus they would give potatoes and
bread with every meal so allot of starch and no
fruit.
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? Kristen: When your in isolation, you get 1 hour a day to go
in a small cage outside and when you're not, you
get to go out a couple times a day at certain times. Renee: We would go outside when ever we werent locked in our cells.
But the "gym" was so small that not many activities were able
to be done. We had one indoor workout piece for pull ups, but
not many woman wanted to use that, and it was on the pod
infront of everyone. Chad: "Outside" is considered the small enclosed
recreation area I mentioned above. You can usually
go in there any time the inmates are out on the
block. You can shoot hoops, walk around, do
pushups, etc. Dennis: You could go out to their pitiful yard after eight
in the morning for most pods but some would only
allow you to go out once an hour. As far as
exercise the only thing they had was a pull up bar
or any thing you could do one your own like push ups.
JM: Did the jail offer church services? If so, what were they like and when were they held? Kristen: They only offered a couple of denominations, the
main one was Baptist and they were usually held
1-2 times a week. Renee: The did offer several church services where outside people
came in. I only went to one, im not religious and did not enjoy
them. Chad: The jail offers church services. They are not the
same as going to church on the outside, but for
those with a religious preference, it can be a good
way to relieve some stress. They are usually held
once a week. Dennis: Yes they did and to the best of my knowledge they
were a couple times a week. They varied from time
to time depending on the quality of the service.
Most of the services that they had that i went to
were o.k. the pastor or deacon that would give
them was dedicated most of the time.