Lycoming Prison Experience

Visiting the Lycoming County Prison was certainly interesting and enjoyable for me being I have always wanted to see and be a part of the atmosphere of a prison, after watching various crime shows such as Prison Break and Law and Order. It was surprising to me that Lycoming’s Prison suffers from crowding. Williamsport seems small and lifeless, in my opinion. However, crime happens every day and that truly fascinates me. When you go to prison, you lose all of your rights you once had. You become like everybody else who is a part of that prison. You have stricter rules and guidelines you must follow. You do not have the privilege of privacy, specifically when using the bathroom. Life is completely different as an inmate and it is scary, for I

There was a gym, indoor and outdoor, as well as an area with books if inmates wanted to read. There were countless offices and places specially for the people that worked there. However, the inmates areas were limited. I wish I could have seen what the inmates ate and where they showered. I found it unfortunate that the inmates cannot have physical visits, meaning they cannot touch their visitor. All visits are behind glass walls and a telephone. So, you can see your visitor, but you cannot hug them. Consequently, this is a main privilege lost, once you become a prisoner. Moving on, I was not uncomfortable. In fact, I was more fascinated than scared to be at a prison. In my opinion, everyone makes mistakes and those prisoners are people just like us. Yes, they committed crimes, but being behind bars, there was nothing to be scared of. I wish I could have talked to a prisoner, because I find people’s life stories

Thankfully, the answer was no, but the workers proceeded to tell us what they would do if the “R” word were ever to take place. They showed us the gear they wear to protect themselves as well as the weapons. Also, they told us that usually there is one person giving orders. For instance, one person would go to one area, while others would go to another. They said to act quickly and proficiently, but don’t panic. I found this interesting given when I watched Prison Break there was a riot in one of the episodes. The procedures were the same as far as ordering people what to do and where to go. The gear and weapons were similar too. I know that some crime shows can be far fetched from what actually happens in real life, but some scenes are quite accurate and similar. In conclusion, I genuinely enjoyed this visit and this visit was actually my favorite. After viewing a prison, it definitely made me realize the privileges we have today and to not take them for granted. Thus, I would never want to be an inmate and have to live that lifestyle. Watching shows about crime and prisons was very insightful in that it actually gave me an idea on what to expect when I visit a prison. Some aspects were ideal, while others were not. All in all, I was glad to make the comparison to television shows and real life. Overall, I found this visit interesting and fun and would surely visit