It's unfortunate that I have to visit my father in prison. This is the second facility I have…read morevisited him at, and this one looks and feels like an exact copy of the Pleasant Valley State Prison. I'm not too familiar with the prisons of California, but if they are all like this, the process for visiting inmates should be a fairly painless one.
Only people visiting inmates are allowed on the property, meaning that you can't have anyone waiting in a car in the parking lot. Also, they do have a dress code, but the most important thing to remember is to not wear denim. They check your I.D. on the way in, as well as on the way out. They are strict about this rule, but they are gentle in enforcing it.
Located in the parking lot is a bungalow for the Friends Outside company. This is a place where you can leave your personal belongings that are not allowed on the prison grounds, including your phone and wallet, and they will also provide you with clothing if the ones you're wearing don't meet the visiting criteria. The woman I talked to in the bungalow is very sweet, and it's clear they are very empathetic towards the people who visit them.
The guards in the visitor are very friendly. They were very helpful, and amazingly keep their cool when faced with upset visitors. The process goes by very quick if you have an appointment. If you don't, you could be waiting there for hours. Only dollar bills are allowed in the visiting area, and I had to learn this the hard way, seeing as I only had a five-dollar bill on me. They have a change machine that doesn't work, and apparently hasn't worked in a long while.
After walking through the gate and onto the prison grounds, a guard noticed that I was lost, and very happily showed me the way to the visiting area. The visiting area was packed on this specific day. Prisoners work to clean up the area, the tables, and to make sure people are comfortable. They have vending machines lining one wall, and a photo area in the corner of the room. The guard at the front was nice, not only to the visitors, but to the inmates as well. When it comes time to leave, they give you a few more moments to say goodbye, instead of ending the visit abruptly.
This prison understands the basic human needs of everyone involved, and the people who run it are doing what they can to make sure those needs are being met in the best way possible.
