Its not how you imagine. What you see on TV and in movies doesn't portray the reality of JAIL. When you approach the modern looking 4th Avenue Jail it is far from inviting, but doesn't look (or smell) nearly as bad as it does inside.
From booking to maximum security this jail is state of the art in technology and people come from other states and countries to see how it is run.
We began the tour in bonds and fines were we watch some interesting people try to bail their loved ones out of jail or but money on their books. Next we headed through booking. The process takes several hours, but every person MUST see a judge within 24 hours of their arrest so they have a court going 24/7/365. That court is often seen on the nightly news as they have a camera mounted in the court room. The holding tanks were rooms about size of our bathroom and were crammed full of people waiting for their next step in the process. Once the people have been seen by a judge they are either released, post bail or stay for the duration. If they are leaving they get to head to the exit "row" where their personal items are returned, they take an exit interview and freely exit thru the door onto 4th Ave. If they are going to stay they then must get dressed in jail issue pink undies and zebra clothes... After seeing the new Zebras we headed up to the 2nd floor in an elevator with no buttons! There is an intercom and cameras and you have to advise what floor you need and the operator (from some remote room in the building) will punch in "floor 2" for you. We were able to view one of the "pods" of inmates from the director tower. At this level the inmates are housed 2 to a cell and 1/2 are aloud to be in the day room for 8 hours/day at a time. They are released from the cell in shifts so they have 72 men out on the floor at a time. I was surprised to learn they are aloud to access to a telephone (collect calls only at a price of just $2 per minute), play games, have personal items within reason etc. Federal Law mandates the inmates be given access to natural light and air for at least 1 hour per day. This is "yard time". This is NOT like what you see in the movies (yes I realize that is usually Prison and not jail). Basically it is a cement room about 20 feet by 10 feet with a high ceiling which lets air and light into the room.... no basketballs, not benches, nothing just the fresh air and light they are required to have. I am sure they really enjoy that room when it is 120 in August!
Then we headed to the next level of security. This "pod" had about 12 prisoners that are 1 to a cell. They are in cells that you can stand in the middle of the room and touch both walls. Their "day room" is basically as big as a phone booth attached to their cell and actually has a phone in it. In order to leave their cell they must be cuffed with a belly chain and I believe legs shackled. They can either go for a 20 min shower or to the fresh air room for 1 hour per day. Their room for fresh air was another cement room (about 15 by 15 feet) with a high ceiling letting in the hot summer air and light.
Lastly, we headed up to the 4th floor where the most secure prisoners were... It was odd being that close (maybe 5 feet) to them, but of course we were separated by walls, locks and doors. They basically have the same set up, but the officers have no real physical contact with those prisoners. There doors are open and shut electronically and their shower and fresh air room are all connected. I think I would go mad being in a room like that for 24 hours a day, no one to talk to (unless they want to foot the $2/minute collect calls!), no one to hug. Hearing the officers stories and knowing what they did to get into jail makes it a little easier not to have pity on their jail living quarters.
We ended the tour in the visitation room. Visitation is all done by video conference. They do not get face to face (separated by glass) like you see in the movies. This is actually one of the things that other jail systems model after our set up. The visitor is one the first floor and the prisoner is either in their cell with the video machine pushed up to it or at a booth with a camera. The officers said it really made a difference in the amount of contraband they got in the jail.
It was a very interesting tour and makes you very thankful for your freedoms!
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