These days, instead of walking past playgrounds full of laughing children on my way to my office in a school somewhere in America, I drive through a cyclone fence gate decorated with a coil of razor wire. I am working, shall we say, on the other end of prevention.....prevention gone wild. This is where the kids go who flunked prevention. Perhaps all of our best efforts failed them. I am 49 years old and I have to go through three locked doors to go to the bathroom. The "residents" have a list of demands and grievances each day. They rarely say "hello" or "how was your day Jeff?"
Nevertheless I have already made changes. Almost all of the boys now have a yoga mat in their cells. Five large exercise balls materialized on the cellblock one night. Although a few boys abuse the privilege of these items I dryly warn them to keep their balls on the ground or they will be removed.
It can be a grim setting. With the exception of paper sized window in each cell, no natural light enters the facility. Residents can pass weeks or even days with only the glare of fluorescent lights coming off and on to mark the passing of night and day. Life in the institution could prepare them for a winter in the Arctic.
Nevertheless I have already made changes. Almost all of the boys now have a yoga mat in their cells. Five large exercise balls materialized on the cellblock one night. Although a few boys abuse the privilege of these items I dryly warn them to keep their balls on the ground or they will be removed.
It can be a grim setting. With the exception of paper sized window in each cell, no natural light enters the facility. Residents can pass weeks or even days with only the glare of fluorescent lights coming off and on to mark the passing of night and day. Life in the institution could prepare them for a winter in the Arctic.
To Be Continued
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