Ever been to prison?

If you are doing an interview, the prison staff will most likely have a small room set up in advance for you to conduct things. They may well have a guard present to prevent passing of any sort of contraband. They likely will demand to search and frisk you upon entering and exiting. Prisons are very conscious about the smuggling of contraband and have learned they can trust no one. (The inmate will be strip searched butt naked both at entry and exit.)

Just go with the flow, do what they ask and do it their way. This is a prison and the same "freedoms" that one may take for granted in the outside world do not apply.

 

"Have the lambs stopped screaming Orville Redenbacher?"

 

Yeah. They kinda frown on stuff like contraband. What's up with that?

 

Evil, I look forward to seeing your report during a 128-hour Lockup marathon on MSNBC in January 2015.

 

Beware of Multiple Miggs.

 

"You know, minimum security prison is no picnic. I had a client in there once. He said the trick is: kick someone's ass the first day, or become somebody's bitch. Then everything will be alright."

 

It's really not that big of a deal. Like going on an airplane. Just make sure you know what you can and can't take in. Don't get too caught up in the surroundings and focus on the interviewee. You'll realize these people got there from a series of bad choices, most made several years ago.
But also, know who you are talking to, and why they are there. You need to understand that people will read "prison" and not want to believe or care about the person you are interviewing. They will think you are giving "recognition" to someone behind bars and forgetting about their victim.

 

This might be a helpful guy, written by someone who was on the Indiana Daily Student staff when I was there. It was the basis for that awful "Let's Go To Prison" "comedy."

http://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Going-To-Prison/dp/1559501197

 

"Here the backdoor is always open."

 

Whatever that means but its good to see you changed your handle - again.

 

USE COMMON SENSE.