Hello, does anyone have a loved one at Gowanda correctional facility? If so any info. about this facility would be greatly appreciated. My boyfriend is there and has told me that Gowanda is a terrible prison and the co's there are real bad asses. They hit inmates for nothing and they treat them like garbage. He also states that this prison should be put under investigation. Gowanda is a medium A faciltity, but its run like a max B. Any one hear anything similiar about gowanda? Thanks!! Blessings Dee72

See this link below for Gowanda Info:
http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82946

HI DEE and welcome to PTO!! you have come to the right place. My boyfriend is at Gowanda and has been for the past 2 years. I have a ton of info. so PM me and i can answer your questions ok

Hi Dee. We're at Gowanda, also, so I'd be happy to share.

HI my guy is at Gowanda pm me and we can talk also welcome to PTO

If possible, and the information isn't personal, could you all please post publicly about this facility so others seeking similar information may find it.

Thanks!
Fed-X

My fiance/ son's father is in Gowanda CF. I would like some information about visitation, and phone calls. As far as what I've heard him say about it; let's just say he was in the box for 45 days because they were going to put someone else in there for something that they didn't do and he spoke up. They then added addition time to the 45 days because he didn't tell them that he had gold fronts. Question, wouldn't you see them when he talked? Anyway, I am all the way in Virginia and I haven't seen him in almost two years. He hasn't seen his son but once. Any info that will help me with this reunion will be greatly appreciated. Right now I am at a loss.:(

- If he has just arrived there he will have to wait to see his counsellor before being able to add your number to his approved phone list.

- Gowanda is the worst of the NY State facilities, but they have lightened up some since they put a new Superintendent in place.

- Visitation is on weekends only and they go by the odd/even number rule. If his number is even, you visit on the even numbered day. I.E., his number ends in 022 then your visit day is Saturday, July 26th as opposed to Sunday, July 27th.

- They begin processing at 8:00am and visiting ends at 2:30pm.

- You will fill out two forms.... a long one and a short one. You need two pieces of I.D. and one must have a picture. If you are bringing him anything, you will fill out a package form.

There are a number of stops as you get processed:

1. The short form has a number written in the corner. They will call you up to the first desk by this number. This is where they will enter you into the computer.
2. The second stop is where they check you in and they call the floor to send for your man.
3. The third stop you empty your pockets and go through the metal detector, then get stamped. DO NOT wear an underwire bra. They will make you remove it. Also, don't wear metal pins in your hair, etc, as you will set off the metal detector and tick off everyone in line who is waiting for you to clear.
4. The fourth stop you get on the bus when they tell you to.
5. The fifth stop you get off the bus to another building, show your short form and they check your stamp. You then proceed to the first set of gates, go through a door to the outside to the next set of gates. Go through the gates to the next door. This is the visit building.
6. You check in at the desk. If the outdoor visit area is open they will ask if you want inside or out. They will then assign you a table.

- Don't wear anything inappropriate.... they will not let you in.
- Do not take unnecessary chances during the visits. They will catch you.
- Bring change, $1's or $5's for the vending machines. The vending machine attendant is a witch... stear clear of her.

If you have any specific questions I'll be happy to answer them.

Gilly

Thank you so much for that information. I do have a couple more questions and then I'll be out of your hair!

1. When you say unnecessary chances, what exactly do you mean?

2. If I bring him money, does it have to be cash or a money order?

3. What type of things can I bring in a care package?

4. How long is visitation?

5. Someone told me about a place called the "Hope House", where you can stay for like $10 a night. Have you ever heard of it and if so, what did you hear about it. I want to eventually bring my son so I want to make sure we will be in a safe environment.

6. I will be flying in from Virginia, what airport would I fly into?

7. What do you know about inmate marriages in that facility?

These are all I can think of right now, but I appreciate once again your help in this matter. If I think of anything else I know where to come. I felt so alone until I found this site. Thank you again and take care! :D

Gilly you couldn't of have given 411 better than you did!! you go girl!!

SAVIBABI "Welcome to PTO!!" this is a great site. I love it. Since Gilly isn't around to give the answers to your new post, i can jump right in being that my man is in that shit hole of Gowanda. On to your questions:

What Gilly said about her quote" Do not take unnecessary chances during the visits. They will catch you" by that she simply is saying contraband. You know drugs. Don't feel insulted by that hun, it is something that goes on in all prisons and it's something you don't want to get caught up in. ok

If you want to drop him any money for comissary, i would do cash, only because its all i see people handing over. You can only drop off up to $50.00 anything higher than that has to be mailed in. You would give the money for comissary once u enter the room where u show your hand stamp. you can also purchase pics there as well. (exact change only)

I have an entire list of things u can buy him but its rather long so pm me with your email addy and i will be more than glad to send it to you. max is 35 lbs per month

Visits start getting processed at 8.00 and end at 2.30

Never heard of a Hope House, Gilly spent the night at a place called the Tepee bed and breakfast Inn (correct me if i am wrong Gilly) and it was somewhere like $30-35. She said it was close to the prison.

closest airport is Buffalo and possibly renting a car from there ( Gowanda is like an hr from Buffalo give or take. I will also tell u how to get from Buffalo to GCF very easy.

Marriages are done at Gowanda but there are certain steps which i have no clue as to what they are because we are not getting married there. They DO NOT the have the Family Reunion Program (no trailors)

ok well i hope i was helpful. Holla back if u need any more info. We love to help out!! Oh one question, when do u plan on going to see him??

Actually, by unnecessary chances, I was referring to touching. LOL. Don't be all over him, nor him all over you.... Except for the recent festivals where it was crazy. Never seen anything like that at Gowanda before. LOL.

As for marriage, he has to ask his counsellor about it and they will give him all the paperwork with what needs to be done.

I'm going to be offline for a few days, but can answer any questions after that. And Roc City Girl can help out with everything as well.

All the best.

BTW, Savibabi, you and your son are GORGEOUS. :)

Thank you all so much I really appreciate you all taking the time to answer what I felt were dumb questions. I've always been taught that you don't know unless you ask. I'm not sure exactly when I'm going to take the trip; for one I live so far away and plane tickets reserved not far enough in advance are like anywhere from $800-$1100. Plus I am having a baby so I have to wait until I deliver which is in November. I like to have some order to the things that I do which is why I was seeking info before I take anymore steps. Now that I have an idea as to how this thing will pan out I can start planning my trip. He got three more years, I have time!So thanks again! ;)

OOPS silly me!! i apolojize Gilly!! LOL its just that you probably see too much people getting all touchy feely and i on the other hand see exchanges og balloons if u get my drift. I just got back from seeing Tito and i almost feel back when the vending machine lady asked me politely to give her a few minutes before breaking change for me and then aplojized for making me wait, not only that but she told me to have a nice day!!! i was like WHAT???????????/ i wanted to fall back.

Savibabi, ck ya email as it will have the food item list ok!!

Hellow my husband was in there last yesr before they move and that prison was terrilble and treated him real bad picked on him to.

My sweetie just got moved from Gowanda. He said it was horrible. Someone actually was one their 2nd bid and told him if they had went there the first time, there was no way in hell they would have screwed up again, just the thought of having to go back to Gowanda would have been enough. One thing about the visiting, I never felt so degraded until they made me take my bra off and stick it in a white paper bag. The underwire went off in the medal detector. UGGHH!! Thank god he's not there anymore. It was a 5 hour ride to visit.

My guy was there 7 months, he said it was worse than Attica as far as CO's conduct, inmates, however were not as dangerous.
He is (and has always been) a model prisoner, he was totally stressed the entire time. He was getting a variety of physical symptoms from the stress levels.
They couldn't call him on anything else so they continually razzed him about his (VERY NEAT/CLEAN) 3 inch ponytail, his posture (he already sits like he went to a catholic school most of the time! ha) At least once, a CO called him out of line, yelling and cussing him out. The CO took his cup and stomped it into the floor because he had "too much ice" in it!!
Mail delays to him were frequent and lengthly.
His perspective is that Gowanda was really bad. He also got transferred to the wrong place going out..he was suppsoed to go back to the facility he came from but it didn't happen.

Check Google for Gowanda--there's a listing that's a little like this. My dude just left there for Hudson. On the trip (which would take 6 hours in a normal trip) they stopped 6 times, overnighted somewhere, and lost the possessions of half the transportees. So they all arrive at their new places without toothbrush, u-trou, fans, books, pictures, soap you name it.

For those of you who are following guyw wiith DWI 1-3, if you check the site, you'll see that they almost never parole those on the first go-round. Just a comment--we wouldn't have been making such plans if we'd had that info.
Also, watch out, when visiting, for fresh food you send in. Too many times they refuse to pass it along, but you never get it back. You just don't know 'till later, cause the poor guys can't tell you what they actually received until the next phone call or letter--by that time, whatever you sent in is in a CO's belly.

Very good points, Schweetie. Thanks.

With regard to the fresh food.... I began including a detailed list of the items in the package, addressed to the inmate, and saved the receipts so I could submit a claim for any missing items. Those were the only times when he received all items.

Gowanda is good for taking stuff out of packages that come through the mail. I no longer send anything through the mail. I bring it with me when I visit and I always put the receipt in the bag with the items. I haven't had a problem if I do it that way. My feelings are that my tax dollars pay their salary, I don't feel as though I need to feed them as well.

Schweetie - My fiance was at Gowanda too and just got moved to Mt. McGrogor Correctional. He is also DWI 1-3 years and is coming up for a parole hearing in October. I am already pissed at the fact that he may not make parole. He has done everything they expect, programs, received his GED and has gotten no tickets while he has been in. Yesterday I read in the New York Post about someone hitting and killing a person while DWI and he received 1-3 years. I am so disgusted with the system - it's pathetic. Sorry, had to vent.

Hi all, my name Mike, I was an inmate at that hell hole for 2 years, I have seen first hand what those people do to your loved ones. I have often thought about getting involved and trying to shut that place down or at least get the feds involved, but I have 3 months of parole left. They are a hard bunch of people out there and thay all stick to gether so any action must be well planed and you must have names dates and lots of data. The investigator General in Albany is a joke , they push vital paper work to the side so those hillbilly COs( you cant spell cocksucker without a CO) pardon my french- can keep there jobs........I can help, if you have goood lawyers.

MY hubby is in Gowanda's DWI program (if thats what u call it not sure) He hates it there. I hate him being there. One thing i can say is that, Bub likes to work out so that takes up most of his time,he tells me he has a couple young guys that he is working out with now. If he couldnt work out he would NOT be happy at all, actually he did lose priveleges about 1 mon. ago because some dang guard was screwing with him i guess he asked the guard :WTF is ur problem, well outta of that class he went! i was so upset& mad he needs those classes done so he can HOPEFULLY be paroled, the thing is these guards know all this. God Bless

Gowanda is the worse place on Earth. My husband was sent to the box there for asking a question. He now has to do 9 months. I am complaining about that place to anyone and everyone I can think of. Especially the teachers. They don't want to help people they just want to bring them down. Paula

Bub goes up for parole in Dec. h etold me dont get my hopes up.... Yeah right!I have been reading alot of crap bout Gowanda,, I really just wish he could be approved.But he proably wont. If the inmates get hit with more time do they usually stay where they r or get moved?God Bless!!

I hope my man don't go there. His brother is there now and a guy that went to elmira with him says my husband will probably go there too. He is not in for drugs. Not sure if that matters thogh because his brother is not in for drugs either.

Hi everyone, my man was packed up and is in transit right now 10/07/04 on his way to Gowanda. He's leaving Riverview CF and has a lay over in Watertown CF tonight. Should be on his way again in the morning. I'm feeling very worried now about him being in Gowanda. I told him to lay low when he gets there. I'm in Rochester N.Y. and will be having odd day visits. I almost don't want to go, but miss him terribly. I guess we had it pretty easy at Riverview. He was in Watertown and Cape Vincent before but visits there were good. The C.O.'s were layed back and didn't bother you too much.

Does anybody know a bus company that runs from Albany to Gowanda?:confused:

I've decided just to drive anybody around the Albany area need to go to Gowanda who is willing to split gas and tolls?

Thanks for the info I was trying to save myself from driving but I think I'm gonna go ahead and drive. It'll be a long one but worth it. I've been to Saratoga County a couple of times to see friends I'm originally from up that way their pretty laid back.:p

I'm planning to go see my man in Gowanda sometime this month all the stories I read on here about Gowanda are bad is anything good about the place? :rolleyes:

I thought that Gowanda was good at first and then they went and did something real stupid to my husband and put him in the box. Just tell your husband to try and be good although sometimes it doesn't matter. If you need any info pm me and I will try and help you. Paula

My man is an odd number. Looking for someone to travel with from Upstate New York (Albany) to Gowanda I will drive just looking for someone to share the expenses with.:p :p :p

I have my man in Gowanda Correctional Facility. If anyone can give me infromation on this facility adn visiting and other things it would be a huge help. Thank u again........:)

I am going to move this over to the New York forum, after splitting it from the thread that you orginially posted in. I want to welcome you to PTO! If I can help you with anything, please feel free to PM me anytime.

Melissa
Forum Leader

http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82946

Welcome, this is Gowanda info, you will find a lot here.... :)

Hi, my man if going to be going to the sex offender facility in gowanda i was wondering if anyone could let me in on some info?

Gowanda
Rising high above the farms and suburban homes on the plains of western New York is a matched pair of seven-story structures. Area residents are used to the towers, which have stood in the community of Collins, about 30 miles south of Buffalo, for over 40 years. Until recently, these seemingly misplaced high-rises were home to mentally ill patients of the Gowanda State Hospital, one of many massive psychiatric institutions built by the state Department of Mental Hygiene earlier in the century. Now, the towers are a part of the Gowanda Correctional Facility, housing a different kind of individual: state prisoners serving felony terms.

Gowanda is one of two DOCS facilities occupying the site of the former psychiatric center. Collins is also on the grounds, but the two institutions are separated by a fence and are separately administered, sharing only a few support functions such as heat, water and power.

Collins opened in 1982. Gowanda opened a dozen years later, in 1994, and now houses 2,300 men, second in Population in the state correctional system only to Clinton. Together, the two co-located institutions house nearly 4,000 men, approximately the same number as the former psychiatric hospital held in its heyday.

Gowanda State Hospital

The region that is now the village of Collins was occupied by Seneca Indians in the mid-1600's. By the terms of the Canandaigua Treaty of 1794, the Senecas were settled on reservations. In 1808, a group of Quakers, following their charitable and peacemaking traditions, traveled west to offer counsel and education to the Native Americans whose plight to adapt to their shrinking world was already apparent.

The Quaker missionaries bought a 700-acre tract of land next to the Cattaraugus Reservation. The missionaries were soon joined by farmers who saw agricultural opportunities, and by tanners, blacksmiths and others who would serve the new community. By 1821, there were nearly a hundred families, and the community was organized as the village of Collins.

Many years later, in 1894, the state took title to 500 acres of the original Quaker settlers' property for construction of a state hospital for the insane. The first building, still in use by Collins, was completed in 1898. Over the years, nearly 100 more buildings would be erected as the institution census rose to over 4,000 psychiatric patients.

By the late 1950's, Gowanda and the state's other psychiatric hospitals housed nearly 100,000 mentally ill New Yorkers. Then began the phenomenon we now call deinstitutionalization." With the development of antipsychotic drugs, previously chronic cases, once doomed to lifelong institutionalization, could sometimes be restored to functioning and discharged. They were often times transitioned into independence with the aid of new “half-way" or transitional care centers. In other cases, community care options eliminated altogether the need for admission to state hospitals.

The immense asylums of the earlier part of the 20 Century were gradually emptying.

Conversion to State Correctional Facilities

At about the same time, the census of the state's adult prisons also began to drop. From a high of nearly 20,000 inmates in 1958, the prison population steadily decreased to about 12,500 in 1972. But then, while the mental health system population continued to fall, the prison population abruptly reversed gears.

State officials, desperate for prison bed space, began to look at underutilized state properties for takeover by DOCS. First to go were several drug rehabilitation centers operated by the state Drug Addiction Control Commission (DACC), which was turning away from residential programs. Also assumed by DOCS were some old tuberculosis hospitals and state Division for Youth facilities.

Also available, clearly, were the psychiatric facilities with their dwindling inpatient populations. But initial proposals drew fierce opposition. The spirited and vociferous protests against conversion came from neighbors fearful of escapes and from Mental Health employees fearful for their jobs. It was several years before any steps were taken in this direction.

Gowanda, down to just over 600 patients, would be the first mental health institution to yield ground to corrections. In 1982, a section of the psychiatric center was converted to the medium-security Collins prison.

The announcement in 1994 that DOCS would take over the remainder of the complex, now virtually empty, came as good news to the community. Safety fears had evaporated during the dozen incident-free years Collins had operated. Job security had ceased to be a cause for opposition. This was because most of the mental health staff had already been laid off and the closing of the psychiatric center was inevitable, whether the buildings were put to other use or not.

No longer a threat to jobs, prison expansion now promised opportunity. As it turned out, the opening of the medium-security Gowanda prison brought nearly 1,000 jobs to the community. Additionally, a significant number of the new hires were former state hospital employees.

The property and structures were transferred from the Office of Mental Health to DOCS. The first inmates arrived, by transfer from other state facilities, on August 14, 1994.

Gowanda Correctional Facility

The facility is set on approximately 45 acres, 40 within the perimeter fence. Over the fence to the north is Collins; to the south are the firing range, a storehouse, a visitor processing center and a parking lot.

At its opening in 1994, the prison's capacity was 750. Over the next few months, former psychiatric housing areas that had deteriorated from disuse were rehabilitated and brought into compliance with DOCS and American Correctional Association (ACA) standards.

With inmate occupancy of these structures, Gowanda's population rose to 2,250. New construction of a Special Housing Unit (SHU) in 1995 brought the capacity to 2,300 men, making it the second largest correctional facility in New York state.

Gowanda’s inmates are housed in five buildings. There is a one-story, flat-roofed SHU building in the shape of a cross, with 48 maximum-security cells. All other housing is in four brick buildings with medium-security dormitories or smaller multiple occupancy rooms.

The two towers, officially known as A and B Buildings, date from 1957 and are long, narrow structures, each with six stories above the ground floor. The towers, mirror images of each other, stand parallel and house 1,500 men. They are connected by a four-story cross-over building containing classrooms, offices for program staff and the large kitchen serving the entire facility.

Adjacent to the towers on the east is a one-story brick building, also in the shape of a cross, constructed in 1933. It contains classrooms, the laundry facilities, the inmate commissary, the state shop and maintenance areas. Just west of the towers is a one- story program building constructed in 1986. The program building includes a gymnasium, auditorium, the libraries, classrooms and an employee cafeteria.

Along the south side of the institution are two identical three-story brick buildings dating from 1933. Each has a narrow main section with wings of about the same length jutting out diagonally from each of the four corners. These buildings (called C and D Buildings) contain approximately 750 inmates who are participants in special residential programs sex offenders, ASAT (Alcohol and Substance Abuse Treatment) and DWI.

The C and D Building are separated from the rest of the facility by a 16-foot high fence with a truck trap and pedestrian gate. The fence was erected to better control and contain, if necessary, the densely populated institution. It also serves to isolate the special program participants from other inmates.

Additional structures include the administration building and the visiting room, both built in 1997

A distinctive feature of Gowanda is that it has no mess hall. Instead, 33 cafeterias are located in the four housing buildings. Meals are prepared in the kitchen in the cross-overbuilding between the towers and brought to the cafeterias through underground tunnels. The tunnels, also used by maintenance staff, were dug out years ago for ease in moving psychiatric patients.

Innovative inmate programs

In the short five years of its life as a correctional facility, Gowanda has been the site of some very innovative approaches to inmate programming.

All 2,300 of Gowanda's inmates (excepting only those in SHU status) participate in the Department's Community Lifestyles Program. Community Lifestyles is a modification of the intensive therapeutic community structure employed in the Network and Shock Incarceration programs. It is a housing unit based program, encouraging and developing a sense of mutual responsibility among the members of the housing unit.

While the program undoubtedly serves to mold a better citizen for community living after release, it is primarily intended to improve safety and the quality of life within the correctional facility. Gowanda's administration and staff report that Community Lifestyles has proved an effective tool in the management of such a large population of incarcerated men.

Gowanda opened with the understanding that it would offer a concentrated Vocational and Skills Assessment Training ("VAST") program to better prepare inmates for entry into the work release and day reporting programs. In the five years since VAST was designed, however, Governor Pataki, moving to improve public safety, tightened eligibility requirements for work release and day reporting. He eliminated participation by violent felons, resulting in a reduction in the number of work release participants from more than 6,000 before he took office in 1995 to fewer than 3,000 today.

With the reduction in the original target population, Gowanda redesigned its VAST program, shifting the focus from temporary release preparation to parole preparation. Gowanda continues to stress release readiness through academic education, vocational training, alcohol and substance abuse treatment, and a sex offender treatment program.

Two related programs operate in D Building. The ASAT program treats 144 inmates at a time; Gowanda's ASAT program is residential, meaning that participants are housed together.

Another part of the same building quarters the 72 inmates participating in Gowanda's unique and pioneering DWI program. The years preceding Gowanda's opening had seen a dramatic increase in the number of state prison sentences meted out to persons convicted of driving while intoxicated and related offenses. From 98 such commitments in 1987, the number had risen to 377 in 1998. Arguing that failure to provide treatment to this growing population, most of them repeat offenders, was irresponsible, DOCS officials successfully lobbied for funding and the first of its kind program in New York state began operations in October of 1996.

The typical DWI inmate is a multiple offender serving a 1-to-3 year sentence. He is generally denied release by the Board of Parole and, if he has not forfeited any "good time" as a consequence of misbehavior or refusal to participate in assigned programs, he will be conditionally released after two years. In accordance with the public's expectation that the DWI offender will receive treatment before he is released hack to the community, an inmate's refusal to participate in the Gowanda DWI treatment program will result in the loss of good time and, in most instances, imprisonment for the full three-year maximum sentence.

With few exceptions, all DWI commitments, who in former times were usually sent to minimum-security camps, are assigned from reception to Gowanda. The three-phase institutional treatment program will usually take between nine months and a year, depending on individual progress as measured by the treatment team including program and security staff. The program's fourth phase is community-based treatment after release, with support and monitoring by Division of Parole field staff.

Gowanda was also selected as the site for an expansion of the Department's sex offender treatment program. Although convicted sex offenders constitute a significant percentage of the Department's inmate population - there are nearly 4,700 in the Department's custody now a focused effort to provide treatment is relatively new.

Until 1991, there were only scattered, decentralized treatment programs offered in various facilities, depending on the interest, initiative and availability of counselors or other qualified staff members. DOCS' determination to systematize and coordinate sex offender treatment programs got underway with a residential program at Oneida in 1991.There are now 13 such programs in the Department, with others in the process of formulation.

Gowanda's program, which opened just last April, is the newest and the largest entry to the Department's effort to prevent further victimization in the community. In addition to onsite counseling, staff members are collaborating with the Division of Parole and community treatment providers to ensure post-release follow-up treatment to prevent relapse.

The 144 participants in Gowanda's sex offender treatment program are housed in one-half of C Building. DOCS plans to double the size of the program to 288 in the near future. Utilizing the entire building will enable more offenders to receive treatment, and, by relocating general confinement inmates to other quarters, will bring greater privacy and enhance the therapeutic environment necessary to so sensitive a program.

Gowanda is also appropriate for a program directed by football great Jim Brown, as the facility is between the sites where he earned fame as an All-American at Syracuse University and a future Hall of Famer for the Cleveland Browns. Brown's Amer-I-Can program is aimed at increasing inmates' self-understanding, self-esteem and self-determination.

The program is run by a bilingual facilitator on the Amer-I-Can staff who has the status of a volunteer with DOCS. Amer-A-Can complements and reinforces Gowanda's state-funded programs, particularly those addressing aggression management substance abuse and educational deficiencies.

A total of 765 inmates participate in Gowanda's academic education program, ranging from adult basic education to GED (high school equivalency). Another 400 are students in vocational training courses including building maintenance, custodial maintenance, small engine repair, appliance repair, floor covering, electrical trades, general business and horticulture.

Gowanda also has a vocational course entitled "C SET-TV," offering training in all behind-scenes work in video production, such as camerawork, splicing and editing. The facility offers a computer technology program where inmates assemble computer components, with the goal of replacing the Apple computers in the DOCS' academic program computer labs. DOCS is realigning programs to lead to industry-recognized A certification of graduates as computer repair technicians


http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27697&highlight=gowanda+sex+offender

History of Gowanda

ok im confused once again...Gowanda is a program prison..So ive been told... okay heres my question is once he is done with his program,we could go for a transfer?I have already wrote some letters for a transfer.. but as anyone can tell im not to good at writtin this imprtant stuff... i really dont know how to ask for it... or what reasons i should give that would mean anything to them.. i mean i do have alot of reasons..but i dont wanna seem like i dont know what im talkin about.. (which i proably dont atleast about all this). I guess im just ramblin on and on here.. sorry guys.. im just at a loss here about all this...okay ya'll thanks for everything....God Bless all Ya'll

Gowanda is a program prison but then again so is every prsionin their own way. A frind of mine did the DWI program there and finished 9 months ago and is still waiting for a transfer

Is Gowanda really as bad as everyone says?...

I was there on the 10th of April to visit... I hadn't seen my baby in 5 months, before this I had seen him in Wyoming, Orleans, Elmira, Washington and Wende and my friend who had never been to a prison saw him for the first time since he was locked up (over 2 years ago) I was nervous as is, because of how much time had passed and what not but then everything I read made it so that I didn't feel like even going... but I did and I would have to say I didn't think that it was half as bad as everyone said that it was! We got a little lost getting there so we didn't get there until a little after 9 and there were only 2 families ahead of us... the way you checked in and all of that was different from any other place that I had been to visit, the guards didn't seem exceptionally friendly (Wyoming and Orleans were the most friendly in my opinion) but they would still say "Hi". We had an outside visit and I was so happy because since he has been locked up I haven't been able to sit on the same side of the table... that was the highlight of my visit! They had a play area for the kids which had a lot more to do than most other ones, that day I didn't have my little girl with me but I know in Wyoming they had 4 plastic chairs and that was all. The guards didn't say anything the whole visit and as far as I am concerened there probably should have been a little interviening with some visits! (LOL) but all in all I would have to say that was one of my most favorite visits all in all!

My Husband Is Incarceated At Gowanda Correctional Facility, And I Am Looking For Someone Who Has A Loved One That Has Visits On Even Days To Ride With Me! I Live In Westchester County, Ny And Taking The Bus Is Just To Hetic, I Have To Go Way To The City To Come Way Back This Way, So I Drive! It Is About 6-7 Hours, And I Just Need Someone To Ride With Me, And Keep Me Company, And If You Have A License That Is A Plus Too! Trust Me You Will Come Out Better Than When You Take The Bus, And Cheaper Too! Holla At Me:) :) :) :) :) :) :)

Read above, I added your question here.... ;) welcome :)

Does Anyone Know Anything About Trailor Visits. Me And My Husband Got Married On Feb 25, 2005. We Were Denied Our First Trailor This Month Because He Didnt Attend A Drug Program And A Violent Offender Program. (rsat And Art Programs) My Husband Has Been On The List For The Programs For A Long Time Now. But Because Of His Crime And The Time That He Has. They Put Him At The Bottom Of The List. Meaning If There Is A Inmate With Lessor Time Then My Husband And He Gets On The List After My Husb He Still Goes Before Him. I Just Need Some Type Of Help, Can Someone Please Explain To Me What I Need To Do To Get My Husb In These Programs And Get My Trailors. Thanks

Read the PM I sent to you :)

hello i am interested my sekf please get back top m,e anyoen or whoevwer gets this i have my boyfriend in their and i am tryignt o find the shortest way up their form where i am at in nyc buses or whatever way please im me or email please

emails removed as per PTO policy

My husband is in gowanda and i am so concerned because they wont give me any info about how he is doing and they have been sending back his packages and mail. this is the worst facility he's ever been in.........:angry:

and if that does not work, call the Superintendent.

my boyfriend is there now and he says that it sucks. the co's treat you like garbage and you cant do anything.

thank god he gets out of there next month and then back to adirondack

My husband was there for almost a year. But like he told me no jail is nice or okay they all suck! It's Jail!

Cand Anyone Speak To Me From Alabny Ny Aboout Gowanda Correctional Iam Scared For My Man

HI my guy is at Gowanda pm me and we can talk also welcome to PTOTHIS SYSTEM AND DONT REALLY KNOW HOW TO SEND MESSAGES MY MAN JUST GOT TO GOWANDA:(

hi roc city girl I'm also from rochester and was wondering if you can give me any information on transportation or services thanks.

http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82946

Yes I have a Loved one in Gowanda in 2000 there was a Captain there Names Captain Pickering and he beat the crap out of my Husband just after he made the Board he asked to be put into PC and i didnt receive phone calls from him and I caleled and Called and they got Annoyed and they went to him with 5 other cops and Tape over there Badges and He got hit hard with a Lock and Puched him in the Stomach this Facility I hear is Being put under Investigation. I am always Afraid for him there. But they claim it is a Good DWI program here and that who comes here ususally makes there board. Well My Husband is Back there and I hate it. He has 18 months and I am very sad Long traveling time. I wish I knew Someone in PA so I can travel with them..

Roseann