FEBRUARY 23,1994 - WCC CAMPUS VOICE 3
Tour of prison broadens horizons
This sign welcoied Project Horizons participants. PHOTO: NANCYE ANDERSON
page four
By NANCYE ANDERSON
Project Horizons
provides' faculty and
staff the opportunity
to tour area businesses
and industries that
employ WCC students,
allowing them a brief
glimpse into the world
students will be
entering.
"Developed in the
1980's, Project
Horizons was named to
symbolize the
broadening of one's
horizons and views,"
said Curtis Shivar,
Dean of Curriculum
Programs.
One tour is planned
per quarter to provide
a diversity of
experiences.
Past tours have
taken faculty and staff
to Carolina Turkeys,
Hevi-Duty, and
Burroughs Welcome.
As part of the
Project Horizons
programs, on January 4,
1994, 3 members of the
faculty and staff, and
this student reporter
toured Central Prison
in .Raleigh,.^.North
Carolina: b’r. Shirley
Jones, Director of
Library Services; J. E.
Bass, instructor in
Mechanical Studies; and
James Holmes, Criminal
Justice instructor.
Sgt. Temple, a 10-
year employee of the
prison, led us through
the facility which
houses over 1,000 male
inmates, 90 of whom are
now on death row.
Employee awards
Clark's position
since her promotion in
1987 is accounting
technician whose
responsibi1ities
include payroll, budget
reports, and reimburse
ment reports for
special grants.
Clark is a current
member of the Scholar
ship Committee,
Information Systems
Advisory Committee, and
the SACS Committee.
David Sasser has
been employed at WCC as
a groundskeeper since
1985.
Sasser was involved
with a recent lands
caping project at the
front entrance of the
Learning Center.
"Around you are 10
guard towers. Each is
manned by a Central
Prison employee armed
with a 38 handgun and a
Remington pump shotgun,
whose sole duty is to
protect you and the
general public," said
Sgt. Temple as the tour
began.
We entered the
prison through
Operation Control 1
(OCl), where new
inmates are processed,
and we were greeted
with the sign "NO
WEAPONS BEYOND THIS
POINT".
Removing his gun,
Sgt. Temple explained
that if a guard were
overpowered by an
inmate and his weapon
taken, the potential
for deadly harm was
probable.
Instead, guards rely
on a buddy-system and
continuous video sur
veillance .
Next we saw the
inmate visitation
center where non-
contact visits are
permitted.
Separated by thick
safety glass, inmates
can talk by direct
phone to visitors who
sit in a 4'x 5' room
containing a single
stool and an ashtray.
From the day inmates
enter Central Prison
they will never make or
receive another phone
call from outside of
the prison.
Incoming and
outgoing mail is opened
and screened.
from p. 2
Sasser supports
college programs, the
Foundation, and other
college activities.
Also recognized with
a plaque were retirees
Faye Weeks of the
Business Department,
and Annie Smith of the
Maintenance Department.
Faye Weeks was an
accounting instructor
in the Business
Department at WCC for
22 years.
Annie Smith served
as a housekeeper with
the Maintenance
Department for 24
years.
See additional photo
on page 19
Privacy is no longer
a privilege prisoners
enjoy Temple said.
On the walls of the
inmate visitation area
hang paintings by
prisoners over the
years.
I found the
paintings unusual and
worthy of display,
making me wonder how
people with clearly
evident talent could
end up in such a place.
Sgt. Temple then led
us to the Death Watch
Area where executions
occur every 2 to 3
years.
Visible in the small
glassed area is the
electric chair that had
to be converted to a
strap-in model when the
local utility company
refused to supply power
for execution purposes,
forcing the facility to
adopt the gas chamber.
Beside the old
electric chair stands
the body gurney used to
remove the body of the
executed inmate or to
restrain those who
choose lethal injection
instead of the gas
chamber.
If an inmate refuses
to make a choice, one
is made for him--death
by gas, because it is
cheaper.
Allowed in the Death
Watch Area at the time
of execution are the
inmate's family, the
warden, clergy, media,
and a prison-affiliated
doctor.
Guards bring inmates
from Death Row put them
in cells during Death
Watch for 3-7 days
prior to the execution.
A portable screen is
placed between the
hallways to block the
view of other inmates
when the body of the
executed prisoner is
brought out.
That day, the screen
was in place.
A buzz of questions
erupted from our group;
then Sgt. Temple
explained that an
execution would soon be
taking place.
As Sgt. Temple led
us through the inmate
cell blocks, he
explained that each
block has a rating
according to the
disciplinary problems
of the inmate.
Cell Block "A"
houses those on Death
Row; Cell Block "B"
houses those who show
antisocial and violent
behavior; Cell Block
"C" houses inmates
whose behavior has
warranted privileges.
Inmates will spend
16 hours or more each
day in a 5'x 8' room
containing a single
bunk, toilet, sink, and
solid steel door with a
4"x 3" pass-through
hole.
continued p. 18