danielle
11-03-2002, 07:59 PM
Visitation at work release was awesome. It was one of the most relaxed situations I have ever been in since dealing with the prison system.
Our visit was 4 hours long - no searches or pat downs for me or him before visitation. He was patted down after visitation was over. I brought his clothes and other items from home - including the toilet paper! They approved everything (even the 4 pound bag of sugar and carton of cigarettes). He was so excited - just like a kid at Christmas. Finally, he has his OWN clothes and I can't wait until our next visit - to see him looking like himself. They also let me give cash directly to him to keep on his person.
People were unloading coolers and crock pots and home cooked meals left and right. They had lawn chairs and made the visiting yard look like a picnic area at any park in the country. Some people even brought unbrellas for the tables, though our table was under a pavillion. The tables were covered with pieces of checked vinyl plastic.
The CO's were walking around some, not hoovering - but talking with families and prisoners, laughing and extremely helpful. The CO's also wear street clothes, so if Wayne hadn't told me who they were, I would have never known.
The whole morning had such a picnic atmosphere. It was easy to forget we were in a prison setting. One older gentleman stretched out in his lawn chair and took a nap after eating a meal of ribs and potato salad. Imagine a visitor being that comfortable during visitation!
For all of the negative things I have said about the Alabama DOC - well, today made me grateful that if he HAS to be in prison, at least he's in a good place.
Our visit was 4 hours long - no searches or pat downs for me or him before visitation. He was patted down after visitation was over. I brought his clothes and other items from home - including the toilet paper! They approved everything (even the 4 pound bag of sugar and carton of cigarettes). He was so excited - just like a kid at Christmas. Finally, he has his OWN clothes and I can't wait until our next visit - to see him looking like himself. They also let me give cash directly to him to keep on his person.
People were unloading coolers and crock pots and home cooked meals left and right. They had lawn chairs and made the visiting yard look like a picnic area at any park in the country. Some people even brought unbrellas for the tables, though our table was under a pavillion. The tables were covered with pieces of checked vinyl plastic.
The CO's were walking around some, not hoovering - but talking with families and prisoners, laughing and extremely helpful. The CO's also wear street clothes, so if Wayne hadn't told me who they were, I would have never known.
The whole morning had such a picnic atmosphere. It was easy to forget we were in a prison setting. One older gentleman stretched out in his lawn chair and took a nap after eating a meal of ribs and potato salad. Imagine a visitor being that comfortable during visitation!
For all of the negative things I have said about the Alabama DOC - well, today made me grateful that if he HAS to be in prison, at least he's in a good place.