I spent part of Sunday in Jail.
04/13/2004
Yup, I actually spent part of the day in two different jails.
Got ya, it was part of a field trip at work. I didn’t do anything wrong, I wasn’t on the incarcerated list. I went along as an observer with one of my co-workers. They have to pick up paperwork and do some fingerprinting each day and I asked a while back if I could go with them one day. Well, Easter Sunday was the day I got to visit the jails.
We started out at the Travis County Central Booking center. You have to be let in through these huge gates that swing inwards, into a secured parking area. You then have to be buzzed into the booking area. Lots of fingerprinting, photos and a few folks locked up in handcuffs. They were all getting processed for the deeds, dejected looks on the faces. The paperwork that comes with the arrests, along with the fingerprints end up in the office I work in. There were the Trustees dressed in the traditional black and white striped attire helping to clean the “reception” area. There was a big area where the inmates could watch television and a bunch of glassed walled visiting rooms. We didn’t stay very long, it wasn’t a full tour of the facility, but it was interesting all the same. I hope I never have to go there the traditional way!
When we were at the big jail, we got a page to head off to the kiddies jail. That jail holds the under 18 crowd, the county keeps the kids away from the adults. That facility is a bit less intimidating. It is still a secure area, had to be buzzed in and buzzed out. It looks more like an office then a jail from the areas I could see. The workers there don’t wear uniforms, they wear street cloths. We had to process a youngster that got into a bit of trouble. I can’t reveal details; I do have a confidentiality contract I had to sign with the city and they are under 18 so there is limited information available to the public with juvenile records.
It was back to the office after the field trip and filing my usual batch of fingerprint cards. We still have tons that need to be filed. I figure I will be filing for weeks to come. It is not the most glamorous part of law enforcement, but it is a neat little part time job for me.
I grabbed up a friend and headed off to Easter Dinner at the Lake after I got done with work. A group of ladies from my yoga class and escorts had a wonderful dinner over looking Lake Travis. One of the ladies parents own this beautiful house with a view that is just spectacular. We all brought a dish with us, we had a terrific meal and lots of interesting conversations. We ended up heading out about 10:30 from the festivities. It was a nice way to spend the holiday.
