The Tour.

Last night a couple of friends and I went to the jail for a tour. It was at midnight because that's when the guys said we would see all the action.
Two female deputies gave us the tour and they were both very nice, very easy going and funny. They cursed regularly, "That's the *&*%-head unit" but always with a smile on their face.
The place is HUGE and all very similar: halls, housing units, halls, and halls. White cement blocks made up the walls and the floor was painted gray cement. The smell varied from hall to hall but overall it was very cafeteria foodish, very make you barfish. After about twenty minutes I was ready to be done; too bad we only had an hour and twenty minutes more to go.
Most of the inmates were locked down and sleeping. Their housing unites were nicer than I expected-very clean and very spacious. There was a rack of library books in each one, a big screen TV, and tables with lots of games. The railings and borders of the housing units were painted a disgusting eighties mauve pink; I've read pink is supposed to be a very calming, soothing color.
The female units were exactly like the males save one overflow area out back that looked like a circus tent. When we went inside the smell about knocked me over it was so stale, so in need of a gallon of Fabreez. It was dim and I saw girls in grey sweats and blue t-shirts everywhere, with orange plastic slip-on shoes. It looked like summer camp. Bunks lined the walls, girls were playing cards at tables, about five of them were sitting next to each other cuddled under blankets watching a movie. Some girls were sleeping, some reading. Most were young, about my age, and there was a real air of kick-backness, like they all liked being there. They smiled at us and asked one of the tour deputies when she was working out there next, and would she please bring that one movie? "Oh wait," she said. "Number 42 over there said she can't watch that one cus it gives her nightmares!" And then she giggled and laughed with the girl next to her, like they were standing in their high school hallway.
When we got to Joey's unit they had "workers" in grey striped uniforms just like you see in the old movies buffing and polishing the floor. Joey looked relaxed and at ease; he smiled easily and I fell in love with him again.
Of course we didn't make any direct eye contact or show any signs of our relationship, because the inmates can't know.
For whatever they've done the inmates aren't trusted while they are in jail, and they have to endure having girls like us come through and watch them like they are animals in the zoo. Some looked very uncomfortable when they saw us, with darty eyes and pursed lips; others smiled when they knew they could get away with it, happy for some distraction and different scenery from all the cement and pink railings. At one point I happened to glance at the window in a cell's door as I passed and like a puppet this face dropped out of nowhere: dark, mischievous and sparkling eyes and a huge smile with yellow and missing teeth. I about pooped my pants. He got yelled at by the deputy behind me.
On a different note the sun is out today, melting the snow. It's warm and very bright and I had forgotten how wonderful it is.