My time in jail (4)

The next day was work-day. Once every 2 days you have to work in the shop doing menial things like cutting door mats to size or folding boxes together. You have to work for 3 hours and you get paid 5 bucks per week for it.You can spend that money on stuff like phone cards, luxury food, or a pair of slippers for the shower if you didn't bring any (slippers cost 5,95).

After eating breakfast in my cell I would finally meet my fellow inmates of B-wing. I was kinda nervous about leaving my cell when the door opened, but the inmates weren't as bad as I had expected. A and B wing are separated by glass walls and a sentry post in the hallway. When I came out of my cell I got a few surprised stares from the other side of the glass since they thought A-wing was empty, but most inmates were too focused on themselves to notice me.

When I joined them I kept to myself a bit, joining the back of the line, observing what they would do as we were guided across the courtyard towards the workshop. The inmates were mostly young males, with an over-representation of certain populations. Some were very loud and seemed to feel quite at home in prison, some were just absentmindedly going through their daily rhythm and some seemed intimidated and wanting to go home.

I recognized one guy whose mugshot had been in the papers. I was quite surreal to see someone I'd only read about standing just a few feet from me. He was chatting with someone walking beside him and didn't seem like the criminal I imagined him to be.

Continued in next post.