Friday, December 12, 2008
Living Conditions At Taft Federal Prison Camp
Prior to self-surrendering back in April, my mother was assiduous in trying to learn about Taft Camp. The internet, while providing volumes of information on general prison topics, was of little avail. My goal for this blog is to provide a brief overview of Taft Federal Prison Camp. I also hope to assuage some concerns future inmates and their families may have about Taft, and prison camps in general.
I've heard repeatedly that Taft's characteristics are common among prison camps. In other words, the dorms, restrooms, showers, exercise equipment, officers, chow hall, etc. are somewhat similar across the prison camp system.
The federal prison camp at Taft is tucked away behind the fenced-in, low security prison that serves as the main institution. Whereas double fences that are topped and separated with coils and razor wire surround the perimeter of the main institution, the minimum security camp stands out in the open, unsecured by any physical boundaries. The camp does not bear any resemblance to the monolithic institution that had been clouding my imagination. I heard prison camps were pretty laid back, yet I saw a lot of prisons depicted through films and television. Taft Federal Prison Camp, however, looks no more imposing than a corporate office park.
The landscape surrounding Taft Camp is manicured beautifully. Inmates work day and night to keep up its appearance. A carpet of lush green lawn, blooming flowers and sprawling palm trees welcomes all new inmates as they leave the camp administration building. Out of bounds stakes are strategically placed on the lawn ensuring no one tramples on the landscaping.
The single building that houses the inmates is made of concrete, tilt-up construction. With long rows of mirrored horizontal windows, the building resembles a headquarters for a software engineering firm. The long, two story building contains four separate housing units, each with a capacity to hold 150 men. I find the building to be quite spacious. As an athlete, when I traveled across the United States playing baseball, I frequently stayed in college dormitories. The housing unit at Taft reminds me somewhat of those college dorms.
Each dorm features four rows of cubicles. The cubicles at the front of the dorm has one set of steel bunk beds and another steel rack for a third person. A tiny writing surface with a swivel, backless chair is attached to the wall.
The restrooms are of the locker room variety. Inmates have access to several sinks, toilets, urinals and showers. In hindsight, I expected worse.
There is one large TV room with three televisions mounted on the wall. We listen to audio broadcasts through headphones. The unit has three additional TV rooms, a room with four microwaves, an ice machine for inmate use and a quiet room that some inmates use to study.
The Living Conditions At Taft Federal Prison Camp are better than I expected them to be.
Justin Paperny
