Sometimes the police have to act as a taxi service

During my ride along, Randy got a call to pick up a prisoner at the halfway house in town and transport him to the jail.  Once he explained what we were going to do, I got mega freaked out.  This meant that I was going to have to sit in a car with a criminal.  A criminal!  I don't just hang with convicts usually and I of course immediately began imagining the worst.  Like he was probably a demented serial killer who also spits on the elderly.  Total evil. 

We drove to the halfway house and Randy told me to stay in the car.  Roughly a billion prisoners were outside smoking.  Randy had a friendly chat with them while I sat in the car and tried to not look like I was scared out my mind while they stared at me like creepers.  Eventually everyone went inside and Randy followed.

After about 5 minutes Randy showed up with a man in his early 40s who had been handcuffed.  Randy put up the glass divider (thank goodness!) and then put the guy in the backseat.  Randy explained that the man was on probation for OWIs and had celebrated the upcoming end of his sentence by going out for a drink.  Big no no.  So now he was going to jail for the night until his probation officer could meet with him to deal out his actual punishment. 

We showed up to the jail (right next to my bank, yea for safety!) and went inside.  Randy checked in his gun, and then we all took the elevator up one floor to the booking area. 

I'm going to save my descriptions of the characters of prison for another post, but I do want to tell you a little bit about what prison looks like.  The entire thing is cinder block central and it's all painted a disgusting yellow-y beige color, accented with an even more disgusting yellow-y brown.  At least they match.  The doors are all super heavy steel and have to be opened by a mystery person that controls them at their own will.  It's a little creepy.  The windows are all laced with that security wire that I've always been a little suspicious are just for show. 

While I was waiting for Randy to check this guy in, I asked if I there was a bathroom we could stop at sometime.  Randy directed me to the one down the hall and to the left.  What choice did I have?!  I had to go the bathroom and it's not like there was one in the car.  So I went.  I'm happy to report that it's pretty regular if not particularly glamorous.  But I couldn't help shaking the idea that criminals had likely gone to the bathroom exactly where I was right now.  Not an entirely pleasant thought.  

After Randy finished getting the guy booked and filled out more paperwork, he showed me the ASAP area.  I can't remember what ASAP stands for but it's like alcohol safety something prevention something.  Whatever the acronym, Randy used to work in this division and these are all of the people who deal with drunk drivers.  They have two stations set up where they do field tests on drunkies and everything in the room is filmed so that it can all be used in court.  The entire place is windowless and dreary, much like the rest of prison. 

Once I finished with my tour of the boozer test center, Randy and I left the prisoner and hit the road again.  Back to fight crime on the streets of the Sioux.

Lesson learned:  Prison is gross looking.  Super gross looking.  And a bit unpleasant.  But at least it's secure  That's a good thing.