Criminal Justice I and II and Health Science Education classes toured the Northwest Correctional Complex on March 17th. We left at 8:00 A.M. and we got back to school around 12:00 P.M. Various prison employees gave us a very in depth tour of the prison. While we were there, we learned a lot of interesting things. They opened up empty cells and let us see what they looked like. It was quite creepy. 

Prisoners have no privacy or control over their lives. Guards are always telling them what to do and when to do it, no matter how young or old. Prison officials allowed inmates to speak to us about how conditions are there and what not to do to stay out of prison.
 
The maxium confinement area of the prison is definitely the scariest part. Prisoners voiced their opinions toward us very loudly as we completed our tour.  There, prisoners are in their cells 23 hours per day.  Whenever they leave their cells, they are to exercise and shower.  This may account for their outbursts.  They needed to let off some steam.  The prison is run in a very professional and stable way. We, students, were not really afraid to be there; we knew we were safe. 

Most students, who participated in the tour, learned a valuable lesson.  We learned that we did not want to make the facility our home.