Today I visited my husband and it's the first time I have been to the facility where he is. It's about 360 miles from home, so it was all new territory. He's at a camp that's part of a larger prison, but his camp didn't have any signs from the highway. I drove around and couldn't find how to get to his camp and it was getting close to visitation time. I stopped on the side of the road and called the facility and told the lady CO who answered the phone exactly where I was and asked her how to get there. She stayed on the phone and went step by step until I found my husband's camp. She was saying things like "You see that guard tower on your left well, go past it and take a left and tell me when you turn and then I will tell you where to turn again." She was so very nice and patient - not only then but also during check in at visitation. It was a good experience!

Monica,

Thats cool to hear. I'm sure that helped for you to have an even more pleasent visit with Wayne. It's nice when people you don't expect to be helpful are. ------Ken

Monica, I was glad to hear that experience. I know how hard it is too visit a new place and when the co's extend that little extra kindness it helps so much!

monica-so glad to hear you had a good experience like this!

I mailed a letter today - with my husband's approval - to the commanding officer of the facility where Wayne is, thanking the staff for their kindness and professional behavior during visitation on Sunday. My theory is if they had acted like a horse's a$$, then I would have written a letter - why not write one when the COs are nice. I wanted to thank them for a job well done.

Truthfully, I guess I didn't know what a bad experience it was when I visited him at the last facility, until I visited him at this place. It wasn't just the change in custody level - it was the horrible attitude that the officers possessed at the other facility. They were just plain rude.

The coolest part - during visitation, we are allowed to bring $20 in change. Well, in the visitng area, they open up a "store" of sodas, cereals, soups, cakes, potted meat, sardines, crackers, etc. for the inmates to buy and take back to the dorm with them. They can also buy items from the vending machines to take back and eat later plus items to eat while we are visiting. He bought a sack full of food - and seemed to enjoy getting what he wanted. It was all expensive, but reminded me when we used to go grocery shopping together.

The COs didn't "babysit" us - they would walk through every little while, but didn't stand over us. We could visit inside or walk outside to the picnic tables and we could smoke outside - Wayne's hand rolled cigarettes.

It was just a great day!

So glad you had such an enjoyable day! I wish you many, many more.

that is great it is nice to know that she took that extra time to help you out.. I am glad that your visit went so well too...

That's my boys and girls! Professionalism at work. Thank you for sharing.

It's so nice to hear things like this for a change. I've had pretty rotten experiences with CO's. Johnny actually had to get transferred from one facility because a CO was harassing ME so badly, I didn't even want to go visit!

I'm glad to see this was such a good visit for the two of you!

That is great to hear Monica!! It's so nice to hear about good visits & when the prison employees are nice...even better!

danielle, i LOVE reading stories like this! i'm sure that makes YOU feel better about the facility wayne is now in. *hugs*