Quote Originally Posted by Goldendawg View Post
When I was in middle school in the late '60's we were taken on a class trip to see life at Parchment, toured the farms, housing, saw gas chamber and electric chair. Trustees were still being used and inmates worked in the fields. Strange, but I bought a homemade knife from a trustee as they were allowed to make and sell to visitors. Trip made a real lasting impact on the class. Sure today the courts have or would make working in the fields cruel and unusual punishment.
I did the fieldtrip thing to Parchman in the 1990's. It was a lot more like Scared Straight. They had about 4-5 prisoners talking to us about everything that goes on in there- how they kill each other and rape each other and all of that and they showed us some shanks. Basically told us that if we ever came to prison that they would rape us. I wanted to ask the prison guard where the hell they were when all of that was going on? Of course I now understand that a lot of the guards are in on it as much as anything. Sort of like football officials at an Alabama football game.