Prison Time for Women - Yahoo
Jun 25, 2008
Prison is hard for most women but word has it through the court system that prison time for women especially over 40 is detrimental to their health. Women who have never committed a crime in their entire lives and then make a mistake have a harder time adjusting to prison life. This is in reference to a correctional facility where about 20 female inmates share a "Pod" where there are no prison cells. There is a common area with tables, chairs, washer and dryer, a little refrigerator and 2 TVs. The areas around the common area house the steel bunk beds with a very thin pad on them. When they are booked they get 2 sets of t-shirts, top, bottoms, underwear, socks, one blanket, one pillow, a spork, a cup, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo and a comb. Razors are distributed twice a week between 5:30 am and 7:00 am. They are locked up with the inmates name on it and they have to get them from the correctional officer.
The lights are on 24/7 so inmates can either get use to the light at night or purchase an eye mask through the commissary account. Commissary account can be set up for inmates who put money into it themselves, either through friends and family or through the work release program at the prison.
Inmates get 3 meals a day which usually total 2000 calories per meal. If a meal is called twice and there is trays left inmates can come and get seconds. An average inmate will put on about 30 pounds in the first year of confinement.
A typical day in a correctional facility is as follows:
5:30 am - Breakfast
7:00 - 8:00 am - Lock down (be in your bed for quiet time)
10:30 am - Lunch
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm - Lock down
4:30 pm - Dinner
6:00 pm- 7:00 pm - Lock down
11:00 pm - Bed check
12:00 am - Bedtime
There are several pay phones the inmates can use to call their family and friends. They use the money from their commissary account but first they have to register the phone numbers at the prison. They can also call collect but most phone companies do not allow collect calls from correctional facilities. Most phone companies have a carrier they use for that service.
Inmates have use of board games, magazines, newspapers and quite a collection of books.
There are services offered such as AA, NA and religious gatherings.
There are 2 TVs with no sound so they would have to purchase head phones through the commissary account.
Saturday night is movie night and usually the correctional officer on duty will get a movie for the inmates.
Visitors are welcome and have to be approved prior to their visit. No one with a criminal record can visit an inmate. Inmates are allowed 2 visitors a week.
Prison is not an easy thing to adjust to.
http://voices.yahoo.com/prison-time-women-1587003.html?cat=46