I wasn't sure where to post this but I wanted to tell ya'll about my trip to Parchman. It's something that will definetely stay with me for the rest of my life.

At my school, it is a tradition that ALL seniors take a trip down to Parchman. It has always been on of those "This is what some of your lives will be like if you..." kinda things. At the time, I did not know my soulmate. We toured the whole camp. They showed us the different camps, the fields that some work in, they also explained what goes on, on a daily basis there. I'm sure they made it out to be more severe than what it actually is because we were a bunch of wild teenagers...but then again I have to wonder. They showed us the things that the men have used to stab each other (and it was anything from plastic forks, to a toothbrush)...horrifying actually. I remember waiting for a gate to open, stepping in when it opened(the horn going off and a light flashing) and it closing. Then another gate opening and closing behind us. It was one of the scariest feelings in the world. Of course we didn't visit the men in red...I forgot what unit it was but it was Maximum security. There were guys outside in what looked like tall dog pens. One person to a cage. When the bus rode by the men started acting out, screaming and hollering. One man put his hands down his pants and well...I'm sure he got in trouble for what he was doing. Like I said, Horrifying. It wasn't ALL terrible. I mean, a prison is still a prison, but not all of it has scarred me for life.
We spoke with several of the trustee's. We visited the chapel where one of the trustees told us his story, sang us a beautiful song (he brought tears to my eyes and gave me goosebumps!), and told us what he has seen happen in the prison. A lady sat in a big room with us and gave us the statistics and facts of the prisons in MS. We got to ask questions on top of questions and 99% of them were in fact answered. I never in a million years would have thought I'd be in love and waiting on my man to finally come home from a place like that. Tez was in Parchman at the time my class visited but of course, I didnt know him. (He's in Lexington now). With that trip I learned so much...and it's something that I will NEVER forget.

Hey kimberley, I have been to parchman a few times and its like death there, I hate that place, I have also worked in a facility so I know whats really going on, it seems that noone is posting anything in this area, I was wondering, do you know of any hotels in the parchman areas? I will be moving to chicago but still have a loved on in parchman and will be needing to come see him every now and then. Well hope to hear from u soon.

Wow thank you so much for sharing

Kimberly, when I was a junior AND a senior in high school, I went on the annual "senior class" field trip to Parchman. Like you, we did the whole tour with the trustees. It was an eye-opener. I'll never forget during my senior year trip when the trusty 'accidentally' took us into the mental conditions unit! It isn't on the normal field trip schedule! I remember being taken to the unit that houses the Death Row inmates also and one talking to us.

We also used to have a group of trustees that came to our school once a year for an assembly program and told their stories and things like that. It was always the best attended assembly program for the school year. I believe that I heard over the years that this program doesn't exist any more - remember I graduated high school 20 years ago next year!

Speaking of the weapons (shanks), I remember there used to be a huge display of confiscated shanks in the front offices - reception area, I guess. Wonder if it's still there? Parchman is so totally different than any other prison I visited - mostly in Texas.

After those trips, I had decided to major in Criminal Justice with a minor in psychology because I wanted to work in a prison environment with those that are "criminally insane"! I also debated about going into Forensic Science and do the "CSI" thing. In the end, I never finished college though and NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS thought I'd end up VISITING my HUSBAND in prison!!

Thanks for sharing and for some memories of the old days.........

Last year they still had a display case of the shanks. As you entered Parchman it was the first building on the left i think...(my memory isn't all that well). They had a statistics book and pictures hanging on the wall of workers in the feild. That's also the building we ate our lunch in. We also had to get "patted down" by the officers before we went on with the trip. I never thought I'd be head over heels in love with a convict in there. You said you never finished college...why not? Its never too late! I dropped out too...I was in Radiology. I'm going back for Criminal Justice and I'm going to the Police Academy when I turn 21. (Oh yeah, My man is THRILLED. He said I'd have to stay FAR away when I'm in uniform...haha.) I want to be a D.E.A. So not really the 5 0. But anyways. yeah, parchman gave me a creeped out feeling. It will stay with me the rest of my life....

bout the only places to stay are in cleveland (MS) or clarksdale. I don't think there is a motel in ruleville. anyone else know?

I'm sure Cleveland or Clarksdale is still the closest places to stay - there is pretty much NOTHING in Ruleville (at least there didn't used to be).

Maybe someone that lives in that area can let us know for sure....