Jail Visit Reflection

On November 12, 2019, I went to jail. I never thought I'd find myself there, how has my life spiraled so far? Only kidding, we went for a tour.

When you enter the Black Hawk County Jail, it's like entering a completely different world. As soon as the doors close behind you, you completely forget that just feet away is the bustling Waterloo with businesses, street lights, cars, people... all the parts of normal life. Everything seems really far away, out of reach.

The tour of the work spaces and courtroom overall felt somewhat familiar. The office spaces look much like any other office space, and we'd been in a courtroom before earlier for the class, so I didn't feel too far out of my element. It was strange to hear explained the different areas of bulletproof glass surrounding the court room. At first, you just think it is normal glass like anywhere else because it looks the same. Once being told that it's "bulletproof" it's almost like humans, especially Americans, are wired to be on edge rather than feel safer. I had the instant feeling that I was being closed in and confined rather than bad people being kept out.

When we entered into the actual jail, things felt completely different.The hallways feel like underground tunnels and the lights hurt your eyes. I didn't know that there was a requirement for how much natural daylight that prisoners had to see. The common areas feel like cement boxes. Walking into the main area with all of the men felt like being a rabbit dropped in a pen of wolves. It was very unsettling to be cat-called and stared at by them.

We were shown several surveillance systems in the jail. The thought of being watched in some way 24/7 was also unsettling. The room from which one lady controlled the doors in the high security area was interesting. How she explained that she kept it dark in her work space so that the men couldn't see her was eye-opening.

Overall, touring the Black Hawk County jail was really intriguing. This is something I would have never done without having taken this class. Having the real-life experience of being face-to-face with those who have lost all their freedom was an incredible thing. As you said, it made me appreciate the freedoms I do have, and the fresh air.