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Prison isn’t like it is pictured on television or in movies, the correctional officers are not like Pornstache in Orange is the New Black and the inmates are not clothed in orange jumpsuits. I know this because I went to a prison. Walking into the cement block known as York Correctional Institute, I was scared. I’m not going to lie, I thought prison was what I watched on tv, but York flipped my opinion. After handing my I.D over, throwing my wallet and keys in a locker and walking through a metal detector, the large group of us walked through electronically controlled doors and into a large room to be briefed about our day ahead. First we would visit the dormitories. This is the place people normally believe are cells with sliding iron doors, a small cot or bunk beds and a steel toilet in the corner. However, these cells had doors and the beds, while still bunk beds had belongings on them. And yes there was a toilet in the corner but it was porcelain, one that looked kind of like the one here at school. A part from the twelve rooms, each room housing two inmates, there was  large common room with tv, laundry machine, coffee and snacks. After that, we would go to holding. A large room with rooms off to the side meant for holding inmates. Behind the desk, where inmates would stand behind the camera to get their I.D pictures taken, and then into a room with all the housing blocks and photos of every woman in the prison. 950 women.

 

    Homeless women are more likely to commit a petty crime in the winter to find shelter. On a high, York houses 1500 women, and this most likely comes in the winter. The overflow of women are housed in the gym where there is extra space.


 

    We went a toured the detoxing wing, which was attached to the hospital wing. Provided by UCONN, medical care is top notch. There are small rooms for exams, x-rays, minor procedures, and a dentists. Other procedures are performed at UCONN, where corrections has its’ own floor. And while walking through these halls, there were inmates sitting there, like actual people. “Is this beyond scared straight?” one says quietly. So you see, inmates are people. They aren’t all horrible and should be kept chained to a wall. Within the prison fences, they walk between buildings, walk in groups to their classes, which are outside, in an unfenced area of the prison.

 

    After the tour, there was a panel. Six women shared with us their stories about their life before incarceration and why they are in prison. Some are in for a short time, 8 ½ years, while others are 8 into their 38 years sentence. But it doesn’t really matter how long these women are imprisoned if you view them negatively for the rest of their lives. Most are not axe murderers or drug cartel leaders. They are all human being who made mistakes. And because of those mistakes, they are serving time. So when you come across a formerly incarcerated person, or are reading about them, or watching an interview, know that they are people too. They deserve rights, they deserve to be seen as a human, so treat them like one.

Visit to York CI

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