Visitation

Want to see a hardened criminal cry? Watch a 13 year prison veteran melt all over the floor. See a man standing trial for his third armed robbery fly off the handle and try to fight everybody in sight. Come to visitation at the County Jail and it is a common sight.

Once a week, Sunday through Thursday the jail has prisoner visitation. A jail inmate can have one visit for a half hour per week. The first person on the inmate’s visitor list who calls to set up a visit is given the time slot. If an inmate’s mother sets up a visit for Sunday, the inmate’s wife cannot visit that week unless she arranges with the mother for both to come at the same time.

We are careful not to tell anyone calling in who has already scheduled a visit because a wife may find out a girlfriend has a visit and then the inmate has all his family and friends mad at him. An inmate may have family in from out of town, but if their name is not on his visitation list, they cannot visit.

So what gets the inmates upset over visits? When a family member has scheduled a visit and the inmate sits in visitation but nobody show’s up. All the other inmates are ogling their little ones, telling their wives and girlfriends how much they love them and miss them. But here sits the inmate whose visit did not show for whatever reason. That begins to work into a guy’s head and he has to wait another week and hope someone shows. The female inmates also have that mothering instinct that cannot be nurtured when they are kept away from their little ones.

Through the week an inmate can do something that puts him on discipline. When an inmate gets discipline they lose certain privileges. Recreation is given for only one hour per week. All ping pong, card or chess games are forbidden for that inmate and the biggie, only immediate family can visit. Immediate family does not include girlfriends, cousins or other friends. If no family will come visit, they have nothing to look forward to except a night of watching Family Guy on tv for the thirteenth time this week.

The man awaiting trial on an armed robbery who has never held his newborn child can only look through thick glass and make funny faces at the baby. Yes they are now sober but they are still suffering the consequences of their actions while high on drugs or alcohol or simple rage and stupidity.

When a visit does not go well the inmate’s baby momma is doing all she can do to keep from being evicted, buy baby food and have heat in the winter. There is little money left over for putting cash on the books so the inmate can buy a candy bar or thermal underwear through commissary.

Tonight a gorgeous 10 month old came in to visit her uncle and daddy, with her mother of course. She had a little bow in her hair, a pink dress flared out with sparkles all over it. Her smile was very infectious. Luckily she made everybody in the area happy because she was happy.

But when a family member refuses to come or bring a child, the inmates can work themselves into a rage and then we can have major problems. 95% of the time visits go well. But those incidents when it turns bad, it turns real bad.

That is not to say that we are without feelings. Well I may me but most of the other CO’s here still have a heart. We can offer an inmate to go to solitary confinement for the time being until they regain their composure. The inmates have access to call crisis/mental health to talk the situation over. A CO may even sit down and talk the inmate through it.

When you have over 200 people locked up, even a family visit can go wrong. Of course nobody on the outside ever has a family fight during the holiday dinner either.

First Group 2x2
First Group 2x2
Local News

Stories on people, places, events and businesses right here in Western Clark County.

Local Government

Meetings and news from local Boards of Education, Township Trustees and County Commissioners.

Sports

Arrows, Bees & Warriors; we cover all local high school sports, as well as local semi-pro and adult leagues