I really enjoyed this video, as it brought back many memories from the time I worked in the Texas Prison System. I love to see this type of destination, and I hope you do more. The “minimum security" building you point out in the beginning sounds like the trusty camp. Most Texas Prisons have something similar. You rightly point out the darker history of prisons worldwide, but conditions have changed in modern times, yet many things remain the same. The dining areas were not the most dangerous in my units; they were the exercise yards. We limited the number of convicts inside the mess hall, and if fights did break out, most convicts got out of the way. When a fight broke out, we closed the doors and sealed them in. If the fight turned into a riot, we saturated the dining area with CS teargas. Once the dining room looked like a back street in foggy London, we’d don riot gear and have an attitude adjustment session. Firearms weren’t part of our control, as the only time we used deadly force was during an escape. Even with a unit-wide riot, where the majority of the population was having their way, we did not resort to firearms. However, let any convict try to scale the fence or escape in the field, and all bets were off. The longest I ever saw convicts stay in solitary was 30 days, and the sentence was most often one to two weeks. What you didn’t see during your tour of the “hole” was the presence of toilets. Convicts were given a bucket. If you decided to retaliate by throwing your bucket on someone else, well, let's just say you normally didn’t do that but one time. Now, a bit of nostalgia that brings joy to my heart. Our units were double-fenced, and we raised herds of deer within the inner fence. We had the deer before we had sensors and other electronic devices that alerted us to unwanted personnel in the yard. I worked the towers many times, and you learned the habits of the herd in front of you. When they spooked, especially at night, you knew to be more watchful. Larry from Texas
Larry !! So glad to hear from you and thank you for this comment and information! It sounds like you had quite the experience working as a guard. I tried to imagine being in there with it fully loaded with people. Seemed unreal to me. Looking at the small cells and conditions just really makes it real in some weird way. So glad to hear from you. Stay tuned we have more coming after the Hershey show!
@@HomeOnTheHitch Yes ... some sad, some terrifying, and some hilarious. For example, when I was doing a security check inside a pitch-dark pipe chase, I bumped into a mop hanging on an overhead pipe before my eyes could adjust. When I reached and grabbed it in the dark, the mop head felt like a head of hair. Before common sense set in, I hit it with a Karate chop, put a Judo hold on it, and did my best impression of a little girl screaming. In my defense, the unit once had an escape attempt when a convict cut out the back of his cell and climbed into the pipe chase (ala Alcatraz style).
I'm from Tennessee been in Michigan since 68 ,but before we left Tennessee if we got in trouble they would threaten us with brushy mountain prison, I'm from Eastern Tennessee we lived in Oliver springs, Clinton,lake City
Glad to see you two getting out and exploring the area. Hard to believe people really had to live that way but they did do something to get there. Very interesting.
Super cool, great episode
I really enjoyed this video, as it brought back many memories from the time I worked in the Texas Prison System. I love to see this type of destination, and I hope you do more.
The “minimum security" building you point out in the beginning sounds like the trusty camp. Most Texas Prisons have something similar. You rightly point out the darker history of prisons worldwide, but conditions have changed in modern times, yet many things remain the same.
The dining areas were not the most dangerous in my units; they were the exercise yards. We limited the number of convicts inside the mess hall, and if fights did break out, most convicts got out of the way. When a fight broke out, we closed the doors and sealed them in. If the fight turned into a riot, we saturated the dining area with CS teargas. Once the dining room looked like a back street in foggy London, we’d don riot gear and have an attitude adjustment session. Firearms weren’t part of our control, as the only time we used deadly force was during an escape. Even with a unit-wide riot, where the majority of the population was having their way, we did not resort to firearms. However, let any convict try to scale the fence or escape in the field, and all bets were off.
The longest I ever saw convicts stay in solitary was 30 days, and the sentence was most often one to two weeks. What you didn’t see during your tour of the “hole” was the presence of toilets. Convicts were given a bucket. If you decided to retaliate by throwing your bucket on someone else, well, let's just say you normally didn’t do that but one time.
Now, a bit of nostalgia that brings joy to my heart. Our units were double-fenced, and we raised herds of deer within the inner fence. We had the deer before we had sensors and other electronic devices that alerted us to unwanted personnel in the yard. I worked the towers many times, and you learned the habits of the herd in front of you. When they spooked, especially at night, you knew to be more watchful.
Larry from Texas
Larry !! So glad to hear from you and thank you for this comment and information! It sounds like you had quite the experience working as a guard. I tried to imagine being in there with it fully loaded with people. Seemed unreal to me. Looking at the small cells and conditions just really makes it real in some weird way. So glad to hear from you. Stay tuned we have more coming after the Hershey show!
@@HomeOnTheHitch Yes ... some sad, some terrifying, and some hilarious. For example, when I was doing a security check inside a pitch-dark pipe chase, I bumped into a mop hanging on an overhead pipe before my eyes could adjust. When I reached and grabbed it in the dark, the mop head felt like a head of hair. Before common sense set in, I hit it with a Karate chop, put a Judo hold on it, and did my best impression of a little girl screaming. In my defense, the unit once had an escape attempt when a convict cut out the back of his cell and climbed into the pipe chase (ala Alcatraz style).
Max genios max.bote.llas....
FZ.REG for Your family....
I'm from Tennessee been in Michigan since 68 ,but before we left Tennessee if we got in trouble they would threaten us with brushy mountain prison, I'm from Eastern Tennessee we lived in Oliver springs, Clinton,lake City
lol. We were staying in wartburg for the contract. How’s Michigan vs Tennessee?
I was born in Knoxville Tennessee
Great show guys Glad to hear from y’all
Glad to see you two getting out and exploring the area. Hard to believe people really had to live that way but they did do something to get there. Very interesting.
For sure!