Montgomery County Jail Reflection

Many factors influence how the public perceives the criminal justice system and the jail facilities that house our nations “most wanted” or “unwanted”. Amongst these factors include: television, the news, movies, books (The Shaw Shank Redemption or In Cold Blood), memoirs, political propaganda, and general education growing up in the United States. Each of these factors influences people, outside of the criminal justice system, to view it as something it is not or something far from accurate, leaving them with a picture not supported by facts. I too fell in this category before my visit to Montgomery County Jail. When I first arrived at the jail, I was immediately taken back by the structures modernity, almost looking like a hospital with no windows, lacking in color, and the fact that there were no long, barbwire fences enclosing the grounds. As we pulled into the parking lot I began to notice how well isolated the buildings were. Even though the jail is located near a major …show more content…
Beyond the use of nonlethal weapons (pepper spray, Tasers, clubs), officers inside the building do not have any guns. Rather, outside there is a patrol SUV, constantly circling the grounds with an officer armed with a shotgun and a dog to respond to any potential threat. Before coming I thought I made perfect sense for all officers to carry weapons in order to protect themselves, intimidate inmates, or defuse situations that get out of hand. Quickly, I learned that this is very wrong. I completely overlooked the officer to inmate ratio, with the inmates greatly outnumbering the officers. If an altercation happens and an inmate happens to obtain a gun from an officer in their cell block, that inmate can potential escape, harm other officers and inmates, or kill someone. So, it makes sense for officers to not be armed, and more sense for them to have nonlethal