Prison Myths

So it turns out prisoners don’t wear orange jumpsuits or black and white stripes anymore. Now, they wear tan-colored carhart looking jeans and matching zip up tan jacket over a brightly colored T-shirt which identifies which cell block they belong to. The Facility has a college campus feel: a large green grass quad area with multiple two-story housing units as well as admin and workshop buildings such as: library, gym, medical, education, hobby shop, and industrial trades. Besides the orange jumpsuit myth, light has been shed on other pre-existing ideas I had about prison. For example:

1) Guards will be everywhere. This turns out to be false. There are not nearly as many guards as I expected to see around. The entire medical wing has only 2! (eek!) to cover the hospital area for long-term sick inmates (about 16 rooms), the 5 doctor’s offices where we see inmates 1-on-1, the dental area, psych area, trauma rooms, radiology, lab, records, admin, and nursing. So far I feel very safe and we see patients (inmates) with the doors open and the guard is within shouting distance most of the time and the patients are on their best behavior. I have been assured that there haven’t been issues in the past.

2) The staff will be dour and mean. This thankfully is also false. Most people really enjoy working at the prison and are very friendly. There is laughing and joking and the mood overall is very friendly and warm. Perhaps the cement walls are cold enough that the staff works extra hard to be warm. Either way, it’s been a really welcoming environment. Although, the first day when I went to get my keys a guard told me to “stop smiling… it makes you look suspicious.” But then he winked.

3) I will be seeing traumatic sexual assault cases somewhat frequently because of all the prison rape. Also false! My day 1 orientation did require that I sit through a very awkward DVD presentation about prison rape however where I learned that any kind of sexual interaction between prisoners is illegal. I also found out that even if a report of sexual abuse is filed that our medical staff does not handle those cases: instead the victim is sent offsite to a hospital in downtown Spokane for medical attention. So I made it through week 1 without having to do a rectal exam on anyone. But then week 2 came around and I had 2 exams back to back… or I guess backside to backside…