I am not exaggerating when I say that one could get seriously hurt if he doesn't dress properly when he goes to the prison's outdoor yard...
The cold and brutal mountain air could cause harm to one who's unprepared for it.
On some nights I will go to the yard during the "second" recreation period which runs from approximately 8:15 to almost 10 o'clock. I could also go out for the first period which goes from 6:20 to 8 P.M. But during the first period I'm usually in the chapel attending a Bible study, or I'm in my cell writing like I am doing now.
The night yard affords me some private time, at least during the winter months, when the cold keeps most of the men inside. I could walk and silently pray for 90 uninterrupted minutes. And in this sense, the yard becomes my "prayer closet."
Once a prisoner goes out to the yard, however, he must stay there for the full period. There is no shelter or warm-up hut. It's just you and the cold. There's a small stinky bathroom though. And sometimes a man will try to stay inside it for a few extra minutes of warmth. But you're not allowed to loiter. So if you overstay your allotted time in the bathroom, a correctional officer would usually come and bang on the steel door and tell you to get out.
The exercise yard is where I can go to clear my mind. On most bitterly cold evenings, it's just me and Jesus walking together under the always watchful eyes of surveillance cameras, and under the eyes of the guard in the gun tower.
D.B.
On some nights I will go to the yard during the "second" recreation period which runs from approximately 8:15 to almost 10 o'clock. I could also go out for the first period which goes from 6:20 to 8 P.M. But during the first period I'm usually in the chapel attending a Bible study, or I'm in my cell writing like I am doing now.
The night yard affords me some private time, at least during the winter months, when the cold keeps most of the men inside. I could walk and silently pray for 90 uninterrupted minutes. And in this sense, the yard becomes my "prayer closet."
Once a prisoner goes out to the yard, however, he must stay there for the full period. There is no shelter or warm-up hut. It's just you and the cold. There's a small stinky bathroom though. And sometimes a man will try to stay inside it for a few extra minutes of warmth. But you're not allowed to loiter. So if you overstay your allotted time in the bathroom, a correctional officer would usually come and bang on the steel door and tell you to get out.
The exercise yard is where I can go to clear my mind. On most bitterly cold evenings, it's just me and Jesus walking together under the always watchful eyes of surveillance cameras, and under the eyes of the guard in the gun tower.
D.B.
