Walking into Lebanon Correctional Institution (LeCI) was like walking into another world for me. I had heard horror stories about prisons. People said that the prisoners had it good. They had cable TV and were free to do as they pleased. On the other hand, some people claimed prisoners were treated like caged animals. Neither of these turned out to be true.The setup at LeCI is one main hallway with several corridors going off in each direction. One thing my group saw was the “Merit Block.” This is where the best-behaved inmates are housed. One infraction of the rules and the prisoner loses his spot in this area. Although the single cell is a luxury in there, it is a luxury earned by obedience and rule following. One infraction and all privileges are taken back quickly; no second chances are given.
Inside LeCI, there are several different areas. There is the lunchroom, which is similar to a cafeteria found in schools, except for the armed CO’s. There is a commissary, where inmates can purchase necessities like shampoo and soap. The money to spend either has to be earned or sent by someone else.
There is also a library and an educational area. The library contains a mandated law section. The educational area is where inmates 21 and under have to earn their GED, as required. Also some college courses are offered with several restrictions.
Working is also encouraged at LeCI. This is where Ohio license plates are made. These workers respect their position, and, although not paid well by normal standards, they work hard for the money they do earn. This is where our gift from LeCI, a license plate with the word VISIT was made.
Warren Correctional Institution made a similar impression on me, once again a whole new world. The major difference is the setup of the prison itself. We had to walk outside to go from building to building. WCI was built originally to be a minimum-security prison, but was retrofitted based on the needs of the State.
The similarities were obvious. But there were several differences as well. There are several separate housing areas we were not permitted in. These areas are for protective custody, which housed snitches and former police officers, alcohol and drug addictions, and mental health concerns.
WCI also offered a wonderful program where inmates were allowed to help train dogs that went to autistic or sight-impaired children. These dogs came to WCI to get used to crowds of people, then from there went on for further training.
At WCI, we had the unique experience of talking to an inmate, who was convicted of murder. He seemed like a mild mannered, well-behaved man, and I don’t think any of us felt threatened by him.
Overall, this was a unique experience for me. I learned that even in prison, people are people and deserve to be treated like human beings. There are small privileges earned by these men that we take for granted.