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curegirl · #1 12-30-2010, 11:35 PM

Okay, what was your first visit to a prison like? What were you feeling? Was it what you had expected?

curegirl · #2 12-30-2010, 11:43 PM

My first visit to a prison that I can remember occurred when I was around 5 years old. We were visiting my uncle who was in "school". The "school" was Big Mac, the maximum security prison in McAlester, Oklahoma. Keep in mind this was 30 years ago. My parents and all the other adults that came with us went in to visit and left all of us kids outside on a playground with men who went to "school" with my uncle. I loved going to visit my uncle because all his classmates were so nice. My uncle got out of school when I was 7. When I was 12, my parents told me that my uncle hadn't been in school but had been in prison for murdering his wife. My first reaction wasn't OMG my uncle is a murderer? It was "you left us alone with prisoners?" My mom said "They wouldn't have hurt you for anything in the world. They looked forward to our visits because they had no one to visit them." And she was right. This one man pushed me on the swings every visit. He would cry when we left. I always wondered why he would shake my daddy's hand and thank him. Now, I know. Those couple hours once a month meant the world to those men. One because they missed their own family. Two because my family treated them like men that were trusted and not like inmates to be feared.

alleykitten · #3 12-31-2010, 12:04 AM

My first visit inside a prison was to see my man here just on nov 6 this year. I was surprised because it was not at all like i was expecting. I had only really what i have seen on tv and heard people talk about (not pto) other family members. I expected it to be a little more strict than it was i had imagined all kinds of guards around and not be able to touch or anything really or in image where i had been told of having to sit across a long table and stuff. But mine was actually wonderful visit and i am looking forward to going to see him again. I watch to many prison movies and shows had my thoughts of what it would be like all mixed up it was not as scary to put it as i thought it would be lol.I had myself so nervous and shaky about it all that its a wonder i didnt pass out seriously. I didnt really know what to expect or think till i seen him. then i was ok from there. I didnt much care for the guards inside they were piffity but all together was a pretty good visit with him.

esteli · #4 12-31-2010, 12:35 AM

My first prison visit was to a California death row inmate. There had been a gang fight in the death row visiting room just before I went to visit. So visits were only behind the glass and no one was visiting since they had been used to a big open visiting room like mainline. I showed up and it was him behind glass, me and a bunch of guards in an empty room. I thought that was normal. Soon after the cages where put in the visiting room and then we got to visit in individual cages.

LoveBuggy · #5 12-31-2010, 06:13 PM

We drove 3 hours to visit R at the reception center. Our 2nd daughter was 6 months old and he had never been able to touch her. We got there and waited in line for an hour to then be told we had to leave for an hour while they did count. Packed our 18 month old and 6 month old back in the car. We came back and ended up only having a 45 minute visit. It was SO worth it! Our youngest normally wouldn't let anyone hold her but me. She snuggled into his arms and was so relaxed. The kiss at the end of the visit was one of the best kisses of my life. Home to reanact that many many more times once he comes home.

bunniRidge · #6 01-01-2011, 02:32 AM

My first visit was this past October. I was nervous because I hadn't seen J since I was 15, hadn't actually talked to him since I was 13, and I wasn't sure what to expect from him. He's still the same geek he was before, just not so grumpy. As for the prison itself, I expected the guards to be a little more cold I suppose. I was surprised by how nice everyone was. I'm still a little weirded out by being locked into the visiting room, and having to show my ID and visiting pass 3 times to get in, and 3 more times to get out... But it is so worth it to see him.