Emily Cuthbertson - Visit to County Jail

Today I learned the process of booking a criminal and how an officer handles the process. When visiting the county jail I assumed that all inmates were kept in single cells by themselves. Touring the jail I learned that some inmates who need maximum or medium security are kept in individual cells, but the inmates with minimum security were allowed to be out and hang around with other inmates. Before arriving at the jail I was nervous on what to expect, but when I got inside I realize that most inmates were just regular people doing their time. Going into the county jail and seeing small scale criminals who were mainly sentenced for one year made me excited to see the jail in Boston and how they handle their inmates on a different level then a county jail.

Visit to county jail

Claire Schneider
Day 1

Today when I visited the Belknap County Jail I was actually pretty surprised. I thought the jail was going to be more depressing than it actually was. My friend was once admitted to a hospital and in someways the hospital was worse than the jail. The jail had mirrors, clocks, and a lot more freedom. I didn't expect that a county jail would have murderers, rapists, arsonists, etc. The inmates were actually really funny. I tend to be a very jumpy person but even so I had a good laugh. Some of the inmates scared me, but some seemed really nice and smiling at me which made me feel a lot more comfortable.

Chloé, day 1

It was very interesting to learn about all the procedures the guards have to go through during their routine for the day. I was surprised how familiar the tour of the prison was because of the show Beyond Scared Straight that I occasionally watch. I realized how fortunate I am to not be stuck in a bad situation and have to deal with the realities that these inmates have to face everyday.

Sam Liebert- Day 1

My experiences today visiting both the town sheriffs station and the Belknap County Jail changed my outlook and assumptions on the inmates and also portrayals of how a jail works.  In the Belknap County Jail, the inmates were not as dangerous as Tv series and movies show them and the corrections officer explained that these people are not all dangerous killers as some may assume.  All inmates are put in facilities to what degree of the crime they committed such as minimum security, medium, or high security cells.

Stand and Face the Wall!

Gracie '15 finds out what it's like to get cuffed in the booking room at New Hampton PD. Officer Melanson provides stories and expertise to the Criminal Justice Project Week experience. Thank you, Officer Melanson and the New Hampton PD!

Criminal Justice project group in the holding cell at New Hampton PD. Booked and detained for further processing. On to the Belknap House of Corrections to dispel more myths and find answers to more questions. Great group! Stay tuned for more images.

Preview for project week = FUN!

Gracie Maganzini '15 and Aubrey Dawkins '14 preview some of the preconceived notions we hope to explore next week....and they have fun doing it! Prediction: Criminal Justice Project Week will be informative, engaging, and a whole lot of fun!