A Little Time in Jail

As part of the teaching program, I observe teachers in my major and minor fields before actually student teaching. Right now I'm attending a high school psychology class which took a field trip to the Cache County Jail. I got to go along, and was absolutely blown away by the experience. We couldn't actually enter the jail block, so we were taken to a classroom and shown live footage from the security cameras. Then a panel of five prisoners were brought in the room with us (shackled hand and foot) to answer our questions. All of them were there for drug charges, but some were also sentenced for aggravated assault, possession of a weapon, etc - that made me feel at ease. It was sad to listen to their stories, almost all of which involved poor parenting, low income, and bad friends. They were articulate, intelligent men who could be very funny and could have been my neighbor if it wasn't for the chains, striped clothing and purple underwear. They all warned these high schoolers of the dangers of drugs and bad friends, and how they wished they had chosen differently. It was a really impacting experience, one that I wish every teenager could have. If they knew the realities of drugs, gangs, and prison, they would almost certainly choose a different path.