| Chapter 13
Covering Prisons and Jails
By Jenifer Warren
The Federal System
A parallel system of correctional institutions is operated by the federal government to deal with people convicted of violating federal laws. The Federal Bureau of Prisons, located within the U.S. Department of Justice, is led by a director appointed by the president.
Some federal lock-ups have relatively low-security, places such as “Camp Cupcake” in West Virginia, where Martha Stewart was locked up after lying to investigators about a stock trade. The system also includes high-security penitentiaries, including a “Super Max” facility in Florence, Colorado.
Sometimes called “The Alcatraz of the Rockies,” the Florence prison relies on round-the-clock isolation of inmates, many of whom have killed other inmates or attempted to assault officers. It was built as a response to the killing of two correctional officers by inmates at the federal penitentiary in Marion, Illinois, in 1983. The super-max label combines the words super and maximum and denotes the highest level of custody available.
Though broad, the network of federal correctional facilities holds only about one in 10 incarcerated American adults. The federal government’s jurisdiction is limited to crimes involving interstate commerce; serious felonies such as bank robbery and arson; violations on federal property or violations of federal laws.
With the advent of the war on drugs, however, a growing proportion of the population—more than half—now represents drug convictions.
In addition, the federal government’s Immigrations and Customs Enforcement unit operates immigration detention centers for people awaiting deportation or decisions on their immigration status. Some facilities are directly operated by federal officials, while others are run under contract by private prison companies or local governments.
Exploring Your Turf
Once you’re well briefed, get out and put your eyes on the system. Call prison and jail public information officers (PIO) and schedule tours and introductory interviews with wardens, the corrections director and other key officials.
As you proceed, remember that a PIO’s job is to control the flow of information, and his first allegiance is to his employer. In the highly structured correctional system, that loyalty runs deep. As a result, you may have more luck developing source relationships with officials higher up the food chain who feel more secure in their jobs—and, thus, more willing to share tips with a reporter.
Before your first jail or prison visit, carefully review the rules, including those for clothing. These should be available online through the websites of the managing agencies. Most prisons bar visitors from wearing anything resembling what inmates wear.
This rule is for your own safety, but it can also create hassles if, for example, you are threatened with denial of admission just for wearing blue jeans.
(Note: The Society of Professional Journalists compiled a helpful state-by-state list of prison access rules for the media, available here, http://www.spj.org/, but please be aware that it is likely outdated.)
Other rules strictly limit what you can bring into a jail or prison. Most facilities bar the use of tape recorders, and many will allow you to use only the writing materials (if any) that they provide.
REPORTERS’ CHECKLIST
- Iron out all these details with key personnel before you get to the prison, because the guards at the gate are not paid to be sympathetic to your logistical needs.
- Know the rules governing your visit, and be prepared to cite them.
Cell phones, purses and all other personal items typically must be stored in a locker at the entrance. A walk through a metal detector is a given, so if you’re a woman, leave the underwire bra at home; it will set off the detector and, at a minimum, make for an embarrassing moment you would rather avoid.
Be sure to bring your driver’s license or other valid identification. And do not even think about wearing your diamond engagement ring or other flashy jewelry.
At many prisons, one final step typical of the media visiting process may be the signing of a “no hostage” waiver. This means, in short, that if an inmate takes you hostage in an attempt to negotiate an escape, your life will be sacrificed if necessary. Sorry folks, but security comes first—and certainly counts for more than the fate of a lowly reporter.
Going In
Once you’re cleared for entrance, be prepared for an otherworldly journey. For me, visiting a prison has always been a highly visceral experience, whether I’m in the crumbling, damp confines of San Quentin or the gleaming, fully automated Super Max cellblocks of Pelican Bay, in far northern California.
I’ll never forget my first visit to the jam-packed exercise yard at Folsom State Prison, the lock-up east of Sacramento made famous when Johnny Cash performed there for inmates in 1968. Walking through the open square, with a thousand pairs of eyes upon me and sharpshooters in guard towers overhead, made for a feeling unlike any other.
Depending on the facility, you may experience catcalls, screams, profanities and other unsettling events, such as security alarms that could require you to hit the deck. On high-security tiers, you will see plastic screens in front of cell doors—shields against “gassing,” or the flinging of feces and other material by inmates.
The climate tends to be more relaxed on the prison yard, where inmates congregate, play handball or basketball and should be happy to chat with a visiting reporter. Stay close to your escort and follow directions, but don’t hesitate to break from the scripted tour and ask to talk with random inmates. Most everyone inside has something interesting to say, and you’ll likely leave the joint with a half-dozen story ideas, some of which may pan out.
Be sure to get all the detail you will need, as well as names and phone numbers of inmates’ attorneys and family members outside. If your company will pay for collect calls, leave your phone number and schedule a time for a follow-up call. Because remember: You can’t call a prisoner back to fact-check or ask that one final question.
Continue to the next page in "Chapter 13: Covering Prisons and Jails" >>>
<<< Return to the previous
page in "Chapter 13: Covering Prisons and Jails"
|
