Orient County Jail

I'd like to first thank everyone for the comments on my previous posts. The opinions are much appreciated.

The latest field trip was last Thursday at the Orient County Jail. We got a tour that took us a lot deeper in than I thought we would get. I initially thought we were going to be brought in a room somewhere and informed at how to obtain certain public records for an individual if they were to be arrested and sent to the jail.

The trip started with not being able to bring anything but a notebook. Being dis aloud to bring a cellphone made me realize how strange I feel without one. That's a sad but also separate issue in its own sense.

We were taken into the area that people who are arrested for DUI's are brought. It was a very plain looking room with some benches parallel to each other. The officer told us that they have to watch the suspects that are brought for at least twenty minutes to make sure they don't swallow their own tongue or anything.

I'm not really sure I've ever been so drunk that I could swallow my tongue, or at least I don't remember if I have, so that worries me about somebody like that driving. After the hazards test, they are brought in a room called the DRE, or drug rec. room, where they are given something called the Instigmus Test. The Instigmus test checks for drugs or anything by a series of motor test done on the prisoner.

This is all eventually sent to the state attorney's office and if public record but can be obtained at the Jail.

After the DUI area we went on to booking where there were actual prisoners being booked. That was quit a shock. I didn't think they would bring us through with prisoners their. The prisoners are aloud more than just one phone call while being booked. There're aloud as many as they need until booked and then must call collect from there.

While at booking they go through a series of things before being taken into a pod. First all of their personal items are taken and air sealed in plastic and not returned to them until they are set free. Then their picture is taken and finger prints sent to the FDLE, which means the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

I'd be lieing if I told you I knew what that meant when the officers were explaining the process to us. After that they're given an orange jumpsuit to wear with a number on it. And now a quick moment for some jail facts.

1. The whole jail has a maximum prisoner capacity of 2,011

2. There are 72 pods with a capacity of 72 in each

3. There were 74,000 people booked in 2008

4. There were 72,000 booked in 2009.

Walking around the jail was an uncomfortable experience for me and I heard the same echoed throughout the class. When we went into one of pods, there were prisoners in there just staring at us. This was very strange. I felt a little more relief when we were taken into an empty pod where we could walk around and look in the actual cells.

The isolation cells seemed like the most depressing. It wasn't as bad as they make it seem in the movies. Of course Hollywood over-exaggerates everything. The cells were small and they are only aloud out of their cells for one hour a day. Just try to imagine being anywhere for 23 hours a day. That would make anyone go crazy. This was evident by the crack on one the cell doors where it looked like one of the inmate smashed their head against it.

Overall it was a good learning experience. We learned a little about public records that should help with my public official and anyone else I need to look up.

So that is the lesson I will leave you with. If you end up in jail an go to isolation, bang your head against the glass so they think you're crazy. Either that or you will end up crazy. Most of all DON'T GET ARRESTED!