Less Than Zero Tolerance

In the Centre County jail, B2 block is what the inmates refer to as the “Chet” block. I’m not sure where the name originates, but it relates to inmates charged with sexual offenses, especially involving minors. Inmates mercilessly harass these inmates in other blocks. In addition to the “Chets,” the block usually contains older, more mature inmates like me who did not have the urge to harass these people. B2 was one of the blocks I liked the most as the overall maturity level was much higher than in other blocks. B2 is also where I met the people charged with some of the worst offenses. I met two men who are now serving life sentences for killing their wives. Although their crimes were severe and violent, the jail deemed them to pose no threat to other inmates, which they did not. They were both over 50 and some of the most passive and engaging people with whom to talk. I cannot recall any “fights” happening in this block or much turmoil at all.

The only other block of note I was in was the “work release” block. As an inmate there for a PFA violation, I was not allowed on work release, and there were only a few inmates in the block that left the jail each day to go to a job. A couple of guys did landscaping, and another guy worked in an appliance repair shop. From what I could gather, the inmates allowed to leave for work had all negotiated this with the district attorney long before they were to start their sentences. They had to obey all jail rules, including no alcohol consumption or cigarette smoking when out on work release. They would frequently get tested when they arrived back at the jail.

The vast majority of inmates in this block either did work in the jail, did work for the county such as mowing grass and removing brush, or worked for a company called Centre Peace. Inmates were paid $1 per day for these jobs. The female work release inmates mowed the grass around the jail and washed vehicles. After a female inmate got pregnant while working at Centre Peace, they were no longer allowed to work there. Whoever was supposed to be supervising them wasn’t monitoring things as closely as they were supposed to be, or maybe they were monitoring things far too closely. The jobs around the jail were primarily in the kitchen, where inmates prepared all meals. Other inmates worked in the laundry, which washed sheets, blankets, and the uniforms and towels of the inmates in blocks that did not have a washing machine. They may also have laundered the guards’ uniforms. There were also usually one or two inmates that helped with maintenance around the jail.

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