Putnam County Correctional Facility

Living Area

Livin the Life


We headed out to Putnam County Correctional Facility in Carmel. Again, we got picked up from the school in his patrol car and were mistaken for being arrested. We got there and had to surrender our belongings immediately to a little locker. We were let in a very slowly routined way under supervision. We went back into this little pod type office where a couple people were with huge monitors in front of them and lines of papers, identification cards on a small carousel, and this board with pegs in them. It was very overwhelming and crowded, and I was easily distracted looking at everything while he tried explaining the intricate door system. Everything was operated in a very strategic organized manner, one gate opens at a time, and closes behind, then the next one opens, etc... We then went into the visiting room. One long thin table with a bench on either side wrapped around the room. The convicts enter one side and there are no barriers. The officer giving us the tour explained how the room will get so loud and no matter how severe the crime, you only have a very small amount of allotted time for an adult to visit you. He also explained how the most common method of smuggling drugs and other materials is through babies. We then went over to the central booking area where there is a door that opens out to the patrol cars and a small caged area where they bring in the criminals and pat them down. Then they proceed with booking, pictures, a metal detecting chair, a metal detecting machine that makes you roll your face over it because many people try smuggling in razor blades by making pockets in their mouths. Fingerprinting, taking everything and bagging what they have, possible strip searches with reason, and then small holding cells. The officer told us a story, laughing, about the time he "beat up a cripple." Apparently some guy in a wheel chair kept refusing to take his clothes off and change into the paper-esque garments they provide, and finally when he said he would, he threw them onto the officer's head and tried to attack him, prompting the officer to take measures to restrain him, etc. You can tell the officers in there are a little... strange? Seems like they need to get out more, because the job may be getting to them. We learned about how you get basic necessities, but you have to pay for certain things, and for instance, a teenager that did something stupid, their parents won't bring them anything so they learn their lesson and they are stuck with paper underwear. We walked around and down to the area where they hold the very dangerous people, under constant supervision, if they threaten suicide or deemed dangerous/ a hazard to themselves. Single cells in a bigger room where a guard will sit and sometimes they are allowed to sit in as well. We saw the exercise areas for these types of criminals. A very small space but legally enough room to have the exercise that the prisoners are given rights to. A basketball hoop and a basketball. The officer explained that the most dangerous guy they've had in a long time was currently playing basketball, the one we were staring at. He had written a note saying he was going to kill anyone, inmate, or officer that got near him and many other threats. We had to walk through the area where the sexual offenders and very severe inmates were placed. I quickly realized that it was not flattering to be leered at like that. The officers tried to almost hide myself and the other girl with us but that didn't really help the case. We then went up to the main area where they held the majority of the inmates. Separated into two different sections, we stood in the main office in between them, one was for better behaved and the other was more strict and had less freedom. They couldn't see us but we could watch them. The whole thing was very creepy but fascinating. One guy was taking laps around the second floor hallway where the cells stayed locked. We also witnessed an inmate get fully naked and begin to shower. Many jokes were made. I was amazed to see a television with cable, a pool table, gym equipment, a small library, cards, and other amenities free to use for the inmates. It bothered me that they got in there for breaking the law and some of them probably have more access to things they didn't have/ couldn't afford before. Doesn't make sense to me. They have a lot more freedom then I was expecting/ believe they should have. The officers were talking and laughing about how shady things do happen. With an officer on duty at a raised desk on the main floor, prisoners will create diversions to distract the officers while another inmate will attack and rape another inmate in one of the cells or wherever they can. The officers then will know after by the bruises and sometimes even make fun of them! All prison inmates have very small cells, with a toilet next to the bed, with the table to eat their food on next to that. No privacy whatsoever. Apparently this facility is one of the nicest and cleanest ones, which is hard to believe because I felt like I needed a shower afterwards.