Surprisingly, the form was basic and the guard was helpful and in a good mood. We handed over our keys and identification, placed our clear baggie (with no more than $20 in change) and our jackets in the tub to go through the scanner, walked through the metal detector, had our hands stamped, and went into the next waiting area.
Here, I had the chance to talk to a couple of the women who were waiting. An older woman was visiting her son. She had to get her niece to drive her from Kansas City because her other son was busy with work. She had been to this prison on visitation day a few other times in the past so already knew what to expect.
Another lady was there to visit her son also. She came with her daughter-in-law, a niece, and, I think, a daughter. They all had flown in from Detroit. It was her first time to visit her son in over a year. It was also her first time visiting at this prison.
After some small talk, which NEVER includes what our loved ones were charged with, we had our handstamps checked by another guard and we were led into the visitation room.
As you walk in though a short hallway, the first thing you notice is the restroom on your right marked "inmate restroom". Then you notice the room has cinder block walls. Most were painted an off white color. The wall on your left had murals of an eagle and flag, a pinkish heart filled area, and a purple butterly filled area, and the visitor restrooms. The far wall had murals of an outdoor cabin with a lake at sunset, and the mascots of the Vikings and Packers divided by green and purple lightening. The right wall was blank but had the desk where the guards sat watching during visitation. The wall behind us as we walked in was where you found the vending machines.
It's a good thing Toby came with me so we could bring a whole $40 in for food and drink. A regular sized Minute Maid orange juice, that you would pay around $1.50 for at a convenience store, was $2.50. A small bag of chips, $1.50. A nasty microwave cheesebuger, $5.75.
I bought my son as much junk food as he wanted. LOL. Toby and I did not eat. Toby did, however, get coffee that cost $2.50 per cup.
Robbery. And they think the people in jail are the bad guys. Pfft.
The seating arrangement for visitation was much like going to a bus station or airport. Five seats connected together in a row. There were a couple of the areas with the seats facing each other so you could grab a short plastic "table" to set your food and drinks, or play cards.
The cards they have available are a conglomeration of different decks where you have to sort them out to make sure you have a full deck of 52 cards. They also have Uno and Phase 10 card games and dominos
Once the visitation room starts filling up with people, it starts to get loud which makes it harder to hear.
There is a childrens area for the kiddos to go play. They must have only had one childrens movie, Shark Tale, or something like that, because it seemed to be on a continual loop for the two days I was there to visit.
Seeing my son and being able to hug him for the first time in 10 months caused me to shed some tears. I apologized to my son because I really didn't want him to see me like that. LOL
The first thing I did was look into his eyes because I wanted to see if that sparkle had been stolen from him.
It was muted, but it was still there, thank you Jesus!
I was able to finally ask him all of the questions I had bottled up inside for so long. Most of the answers were, pretty much, exactly as I suspected all along.
The rest of the visit was filled with conversations about friends and family, what he will be doing while incarcerated, and playing cards. All this with one interruption for count and the hourly call out for inmate bathroom break.
I never thought I would ever end up visiting someone I loved in prison. I never believed circumstances, misunderstandings, and the powerful fear of the Federal prosecution would end up making a plea bargain, with a mandatory minimum sentence stealing a huge chunk of a young mans life, a very real possibilty in my life.
I, like many others in this country, miss my loved one. Not a day goes by that I don't think about how much he is going to miss in his life. Not a day goes by that I don't think about how, with a few questions and by blocking a person on the phone, all of this could have been avoided.
You stole my son from me because you thought he was something he was not. You ruined a life while you continue to live yours. I hope you find peace in what you've done.
He will survive this. He will grow strong. He has already learned that you can't trust talking to people on the internet that you don't know.
So, thank you for that.
Until the day he gets to come home, I will treasure every opportunity I have to get that hug, to see his face, and to hold my little boy just for those few moments on visitation day.
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