My first day at Eastern Correctional

Things I learned, yesterday, at my first day at Eastern
1. I can't take my cell phone or wallet (the facility is "cash-less" so you don't give any money to inmates) into the building
2. I need to carry anything I take into the building in my hands (no bag) or in a clear plastic bag
3. In the Division of Prisons there are two sub-divisions: Custody (the officers in the facility) and Programs (ranging from case management, classification, education, AA meetings). I will be working with someone in Programs.
4. Eastern has a focus on education (whereas other institutions might focus on mental health). There are many educational opportunities such as ESL classes, GED classes, an Associates degree in horticulture and an Associates degree in Culinary arts, to name a few.
5. Eastern recognizes 13 different religions.
6. If I need to go to the bathroom I need to obtain a key. All the bathrooms that have doors on them, the ones only available to staff, have locks on them. The facilities for the inmates have windows in them. My supervisor said if I ever enter a dormitory area, which isn't very likely, to just look down so I don't see anything.
6. Because this is a medium-custody facility the inmates in the regular population (there is a segregated population, located in a different part of the facility) are able to walk "freely" about the building.

The last thing is the thing that surprised me the most. There are some parts of the prison that you are only able to access by a key. However, men walk from the chow hall to their dorms by themselves. They walk from their dorms to the programs area, the chaplain's office or the library by themselves. Sometimes I felt like I was in a high school with older students just walking around. However, when my supervisor says "hi" to an inmate and afterwards tells me that inmate was charged for 2nd degree murder of his wife, then I am reminded that I am in a prison.