Just Like a College Dorm

The principal of the school here (and mover and shaker behind the college/IT grant project) envisioned creating a college dorm to stimulate learning. The past few weeks her dreams were realized. Guys en masse head to classes or study sessions. After school and on weekends there are groups gathered around tables in the dayroom or in front of cuts reviewing math problems or discussing readings in English or American History. For a little while you can almost imagine a “real” college campus.



But, then again, this is prison. Twice this week our “dorm” was emptied, guys patted down and drug dogs brought in. The “Po Leese” (that’s prison talk for the Cos) were looking for weed, pills and tobacco. Guys were led out of the building onto the basketball court behind the dorm. After a brisk pat down, we stand and wait. Thirty minutes, forty minutes, an hour; we stand there waiting for the dogs to finish. We wait for the COs to finish with mirrors slid under bunks. We wait while they look behind lockers, in drier lint traps, under the ice machine. No drugs found, but they know they’re out there. Rumors are all over the compound, “they got a ton of weed in the college dorm”. Guys are called out for urine testing each night. No positives.


Just like a real college? Not really. The English prof, explaining his grade distribution said “I only had one bad year where I flunked all 22 students. That was at LU (a local four year university). “They couldn’t get out of bed and come to class.”


I told him he wouldn’t have that problem here. He had a “captive” student body! Here, you have one unexcused absence (med appointment is the only excuse permitted) and you are removed from the program and removed from the building.


Three guys quit, can’t handle the load. They’re gone. Three empty bunks. Guy from the kitchen pulls a charge for stealing veggies. He’s out. Last night, Opie’s caught smoking a cigarette. 2:00 am the COs show up. Opie heads to the hole. The officers pack up his stuff. Another one bites the dust. Eight-two students started (40 in the IT grant program, 42 in the Associates Degree program), seventy-seven remain.


The new Playboy and American Curves came out this week. Everyone’s focused on the girls. Another week down in prison college.