Less Than Zero Tolerance

Like prisons, most jails segregate the inmate population into blocks. I recall eight blocks in the Centre County jail, each housing about 50 inmates; the 400-inmate capacity is exceptionally high for a county of its size. There was no problem with overcrowding as often one or two of these blocks were closed or populated by relatively few inmates. Many of the inmates were from nearby counties that pay Centre County to house inmates. A document I found online states that in 2014, 11 other counties were paying Centre County to house inmates, which generated nearly $3M in revenue for the county.  The number of inmates from Centre County is typically around 130.  Each block has a unique personality based on the types of inmates and guards assigned. However, the best way I can think to describe the dynamic between the inmates is that of an elementary school playground, i.e., bullies, bullied, whiners, people who didn’t care, etc.

All the blocks but the “work release” blocks have a similar layout at the Centre County jail, but no two are exactly alike. Each block has two levels with a balcony from the second level overlooking the first level. Cells have bunk beds and hold two inmates. However, because the jail was sparsely populated, many inmates had a cell to themselves. Besides the beds, each cell had a small table, a toilet, and a sink. There was a very narrow window that had nearly opaque plastic instead of glass. If the sun was directly out the window, you could see a small orangish circle. Each block had a shower area with either three or four semi-private shower stalls. There was also a laundry room in most blocks with a washer and dryer. A hot water dispenser was available for inmates to make coffee, tea, or Ramen noodles. There was an activity room where the block kept books and puzzles. Inmates primarily used the table in the activity room to do puzzles. The “law library” computer was also in the activity room.

Finally, each block had a roughly 40-foot square recreation area with a basketball hoop and attachments on the wall for a net for volleyball. Fencing covered a large bay door in this area. When the weather permitted, the guards could open this door, and the inmates could get some fresh air and see the sun. Each block also had tables and chairs anchored to the floor–shown between the guards in the image–in the common area for eating, playing cards, or watching television. The one television in each block was out of reach of the inmates and controlled by the on-duty guard. The guard usually took a quick poll of what the inmates want to watch next when a show was over. There were rows of hefty chairs with armrests to watch television; see the image. I think wet sand filled the chairs, so they were too heavy to throw or use as a weapon. 

Additionally, each block had two “suicide watch” cells padded with tough and durable rubber. There were no beds or tables in these cells, just a knee-high padded “bench” for sitting or sleeping. Being in one of these cells was by far the worst place you could be. It is horrible when you’re on Level 2 suicide watch, which is the most severe. A psychologist evaluates these inmates weekly to determine if they can come off suicide watch or move to Level 1. The only time the guards let you out of the cell is to shower. The cell’s lights are always on, and the guards do not allow you to put anything over your head to sleep. If you do, the guards will wake you up. There are also cameras in these cells. On Level 2 suicide watch, the jail gives you what inmates call the “Turtle Suit” to wear. It is green and essentially a very heavily padded small blanket that you can velcro around yourself.