My Prison Experiences

A Prisoner of My Mind There is no better way to gain the full prison experience, than to be asked to wear inmate attire while touring the facility and conversing with some of the inmates themselves. Indeed, I felt right at home. On October 6, our First Year Program course, Murder and Mayhem, visited the Governeur Correctional Facility for a tour and informal interview of a few of the felons that reside there. We were asked to wear appropriate attire, absolutely no jewelry, and to bring nothing but a form of identification into the building. When the class first arrived we were required to check in with one of the guards and walk through a metal detector. Unfortunately, I failed the initial inspection. Without hesitation, a security guard …show more content…
In other words, I questioned whether they were being genuine, or if their hospitality was a result of intimidation and fear of further punishment. In addition to my skepticism about the authenticity of the inmates, I also considered that not all convicted felons are as well-behaved as the men we spoke with. Besides their pleasantness, that I believed was largely influenced by intimidation, I also pondered whether or not it was a result of their discretional decision to participate in the interview. In general, someone who participates in something voluntarily is almost always more positive than someone who participates against their will. Due to these extraneous variables, I was unable to be completely convinced that every inmate’s story and behavior were credible. However, the outward display of emotions and remorse demonstrated by many of the men was enough to evoke an emotional reaction within myself and stimulate intense sympathy for the …show more content…
One of the convicts that I had the pleasure of getting to know was Marcellis Hudson, or as he introduced himself, “Marc Hudson.” Marc was found guilty and convicted of aggravated family offense. During the group interview, I asked the group as a whole, “Do you feel as though prison provides adequate services to rehabilitate those with a history of substance abuse?” Although my question was addressed to the group, it was immediately redirected to Hudson, who had previously partaken in the programs provided, for a response. He instantly replied and commended the programs provided by the prison. At first, I was skeptical that his response was a result of intimidation by the guards being present. However, after speaking with him in a more private environment at lunch, he reiterated his previous answer and continued to compliment the programs provided to the inmates for drug and alcohol abuse. This reassured me that he was not providing me with false information due to intimidation. In fact, in our personal interview, he elaborated on his endorsement of the programs. Marc frequently referred back to one main point that the programs have taught him—getting over an addiction is all about self-help. I not only agreed with this assertion, but also highly