Prevent Crime, Tour a Jail

After a recent visit to the Hillsborough County Jail on Orient Road with my classmates, I came to realize two solid reasons to never commit a crime. First, being in jail looks like the worst place to be in the world, and second, everyone is able to find out about it.

Captain Stein and Deputy Addison work at the Hillsborough County Jail and were kind enough to give us an eye-opening tour. We began by going to a large room which was built specifically for DUI suspects. There, suspects are observed for 20 minutes by an officer to see if they show signs of intoxication. I could only imagine how awkward it must be to have someone stare at you for 20 minutes straight with an unobstructed view and take notes of your every move.

While at the jail, we also saw the booking area where newly arrested suspects are taken for processing. There, I noticed that fingerprinting was no longer done with ink, but with sophisticated machinery that copies all fingers and the palm, which creates a more accurate database. Also, any possessions that were on the arrestee are logged and kept in a separate area of booking.

We were also taken into what is called a pod. This is the area where many prisoners await trial or serve their sentenced time. The pod was two stories and had small, one door cells on the outside walls. There was also a small outdoor courtyard where inmates could get fresh air and play basketball. The pods are monitored by officers who, according to Captain Stein, work closely with the inmates and get to know them quite well.

The final part of our tour took us to the public records section of the jail. This area is currently under construction and is being expanded to make room for the huge amount of records available at the jail. This area, as well as Captain Stein, opened my eyes to the fact that everything done in the jail is public record. However, some records can be difficult to obtain because of ongoing cases. Also, records are sent to the Attorney General’s office before there are available to the public, which can make access to the records somewhat difficult.

Overall, the visit to the Orient Road Jail helped me better understand how public records can be utilized by journalists, students and anyone else who seeks them. The visit was also a friendly reminder to continue to follow the law.