Part 3: Inside Century Correctional Institution

April 4, 2012

Today, we continue our exclusive look inside the Century Correctional Institution with look inside the library, educational programs and food service. Our series will continue tomorrow.

The food service facility is a point of pride at Century Correctional.

The facility serves 1,400 inmates in about an hour and a half, including service for medical special diet prisoners at the beginning or end of a food shift. The noise at a meal is best described as a low murmur — inmates are allowed only to talk to one of the three others at their table. There’s no conversation or food sharing with neighboring tables.

The annual food service allocation is about $1.18 million. Almost all inmate food is baked or boiled — no frying.

During the winter, there was plenty of fresh cabbage, collards and turnips served at Century CI.  Under a partnership with the University of Florida’s IFAS program, inmates grew 460,000 pounds of winter vegetables worth $279,000 that were served a Century CI and correctional facilities across the Panhandle.  The total average cost to feed a prisoner at Century CI is $1.48 per day.

Expectations of a cool, comfortable dining experience are out the window during the summer — there’s no air conditioning.

“Stay Shocked == Sober, Humble, Open minded, Committed, Knowledgeable, Educated, Determined”

In an educational building, inmate art offers motivational thoughts long the walls.

Another sign offers a large question mark — “WAIT — What Am I Thinking”.

During our visit to the prison library, inmates worked quietly, shelving books

Inside the Century CI Library is a room that offers a glimmer of hope to inmates looking to get out of prison.   It’s a complete law library available to inmates wishing to file motions or formulate their appeal. Several inmates serve as trained law clerks, providing assistance to other inmates. Approved inmates can conduct law research on computers, but there is no internet access on the machines.

A large red sign in the library is perhaps very ironic in a prison. “Sign Out Here”

The remainder of library contains thousands of volumes like any ordinary library. But at the Century CI library, the books and magazines have been screened with no descriptive material about prison escapes or weapons, and no sexually suggestive images.

For more photographs, click here.

For Part 1 of this series from Monday, click here.For Part 2 of this series from Tuesday, click here.

Our series “Inside Century Correctional Institution” continues later this week on NorthEscambia.com.

Picture top: Dining area at Century Correctional Institution. Pictured bottom inset: Law library at Century CI. Pictured below: A portion of the Century CI library. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.


Comments

11 Responses to “Part 3: Inside Century Correctional Institution”

  1. David Huie Green on April 5th, 2012 10:13 am

    REGARDING:
    “some are in for murder .. But most are in for small non-violent crimes… so what about them?… “

    Part of my engineering background makes me check claims such as the above so I wondered how much “most are in for – - – non-violent crimes” was.

    I knew lawyers always tell the truth, so I checked the number from the web site of an Orlando Law Firm:
    http://www.mosesandrooth.com/Articles/Non-Violent-Crimes-Increasingly-Land-Offenders-in-Florida-Prisons.shtml
    which said:

    “It found that on August 31, 2009, 40 percent–almost half-of Florida’s prison population was incarcerated for nonviolent crimes,”

    Actually, 45-49% is almost half, whereas 40% is exactly 2/5. Another way of looking at the same number is that if forty percent were in for nonviolent crimes, that means sixty percent (or 3/5) were in FOR violent crimes. It doesn’t bode well for the lawyers’ math skills but maybe being poor in math is a plus in defending criminals.

    I don’t have any idea how CCI compares. Just looking randomly at some of the current guests mostly showed violent backgrounds but my sample was small. Anyone wishing to do so can check all the inmates and report back what the percent of nonviolent criminals is. I suspect it will not be less than half, though.

    I’m not vengeful and realize sometimes violence is called for, but I would rather work from facts than claims.

    David for reducing violent crimes

  2. Roxie M on April 5th, 2012 8:30 am

    @Well….I am assuming that you didn’t read the entire story. Yes, the inmates do have computer access but only to law information. Those computers do not have the ability to do access anything else. Obviously you have never had a relative serve a sentence, guilty or not guilty, in a prison facility so you would have no firsthand knowledge of what goes on. I challenge everyone to get to know someone who has a loved one in Century and listen to the stories then base your opinions. I am not saying they (inmates) are all innocent but don’t judge all by the actions of a few……………………

  3. Well on April 4th, 2012 9:20 pm

    Almost sounds like the inmates have computer access and comment on North Escambia.

  4. kevin enfinger on April 4th, 2012 9:16 pm

    yeah i was there you only get use the library like once a week unless your on a deadline. you think its all nice and shiney this is all a front im telling u. I was BEATEN BY THREE GUARDS.

  5. Matt w on April 4th, 2012 1:13 pm

    @gosh: I agree that some are in for murder .. But most are in for small non-violent crimes… so what about them?… you believe that your punitive ideals alone is going to help the incarcerated turn from there ways?… Don’t be foolish, it’s a completely different world in prison and not offering inmates who have a chance to be rehabilitated the skills needed to be successful in the real world is setting them up for failure… And setting them up for returning to the prison… Did you know that it cost tax payers about 30k a year to house and feed and provide for ONE single inmate … Since you are so obviously worried about your own self.. How does it feel to know that your way of “dealing” with inmates, locking them up and ensuring that they will inevitably return to prison, is directly linked to your wallet.. Chew on that one for a little bit!

  6. Roxie M on April 4th, 2012 12:45 pm

    I am sure that anyone who thinks these men are being treated “too good” had a son, father or brother in Century, opinions would be different. Just because there is a library doesn’t mean the inmates get to use it daily. Sometimes they have to wait months before they get called out to the library for an hour. Why call it Century “CORRECTIONAL” Institute if we are going to release them the same way they came in?? We have all made mistakes in life and they got caught and are paying man’s price for their crimes. Judging without knowing the truth is simple ignorance.

  7. gosh on April 4th, 2012 12:28 pm

    Ridiculous! “dehumanized?” THEY ARE IN PRISON FOR GOODNESS SAKE! THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO FEEL PUNISHED FOR WHAT THEY’VE DONE(SOME HAVE MURDERED!!) But, this will make them forget about it because they’ll have their mind occupied. I totally am against giving them rights in prison! Yes, when out, give their rights back, but, while being punished, do not give them a library to relax in, do not give them computers to keep them entertained! Make it HARD on them so that if they do get out, they will not want to go back!

  8. matt w on April 4th, 2012 7:28 am

    I agree… stuff like this library is part of the rehabilitation process… If we just stuck them in cells and never let them out until their time was served we would be putting in a criminal and getting one right back… granted that is the case most of the time.. still nice to see that just because someone is incarcerated doesn’t mean he/she has been completely dehumanized…

    Matthew for putting stuff behind my name in reference to what I just stated in my post…

  9. 429SCJ on April 4th, 2012 6:33 am

    Amen Molino Anon. Rick Scott would be on the floor, doing the cockroach, if he knew about the funds, spent on that library.

  10. David Huie Green on April 4th, 2012 5:29 am

    jealousy is unbecoming.

    If I’m ever in prison, I want a good library too.

    David for literacy

  11. Molino-Anon on April 4th, 2012 3:10 am

    Looks like criminals will have a better library than Century or Molino now… wonder how much that cost… hmm….

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News