Another Day at the Prison

For those who don't know I work at a women's prison. Since I've been on first shift I work in the Control Room 4 out of 5 days. Saturday morning is visitation time. Now visitors have to be searched and monitored as much as the inmates do. They will try and smuggle in drugs and such into the compound. The big thing now is tobacco. Since we went to a tobacco free facility in January it is a hot item. So, Saturday morning I'm working in the control room with somebody different because my partner called in sick. So I'm showing him the ropes and what not. I get a call from the Visitation officer to keep an eye on a certain inmate and her visitors. So we have them on the camera keeping an eye on them when all of a sudden the guy starts playing with his "jeans" under the table. Now I thought this was the normal routine where they are trying to get physical with each other. But their son is with them so I thought he had another problem. It seemed suspicious so I told my buddy to let me out so I could give the V.G. officer a heads up and just in case something happened I would be there. No sooner than I get to the door to the V.G. he calls me on the intercom box and says he slipped her something and put it under her shirt. So I run in to tell the C/O there and I stand with the visitors and she takes the inmate to be searched. Well here comes the Sargent must be something big. He comes over and tells the man and boy the must leave and he can never come back, ever. The boy is allowed to but someone else must bring him. I escort them off the compound and went back inside. Turns out he slipped her about a half ounce or so of tobacco about 4 inches long. It was wrapped in cellophane and duct tape in the shape of a, well, something that could have been put somewhere to "hide" it. If you get what I'm saying. But me and my buddy stopped it in time. So we got a pat on the back and some extra paperwork to do, Yeah! The inmate was sent to Punitive Segregation or the "hole" as some call it. Nothing in a cell for 30 days and a big ol' wright up on her file. So if you go to prison whether you are visiting or not, just remember, someone is always watching.