Rock Your Life at Jail Brake

                                                              

South Bay House of Correction was built to replace its antiquated predecessor on Deer Island, the Suffolk County House of Correction at South Bay opened on Dec. 26, 1991. The seven building facility houses adult male and female inmates convicted of crimes with a sentence of 2½ years or less. This decentralized, direct supervision correctional center is comprised of 32 separate housing units to which inmates are assigned in accordance with a comprehensive classification system. Since 1992, the House of Correction has steadily increased its population from 832 inmates to as high as 1,900 in 2000.

The Department has a program in place called Jail Brake. Jail Brake is directed towards troubled youth who have already shown signs of criminal activity. These young adults are brought into the facility in an attempt to educate them that the choices they are making may lead to undesirable consequences.

In February, 2007, The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department added new component to the existing program - a Female Jail Brake.

  

Tours of the Suffolk County Jail through the Sheriff’s Department of Communications & External Affairs Division leads tours of the Nashua Street Jail for students from elementary school through college age.The tour offers a valuable educational opportunity to witness the day–to–day operations of a correctional facility. These tours are also offered to community and senior groups, as well as public agencies and all those interested in taking tours.

The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department looks forward to continuing to serve and educate children and young adults in Suffolk County.

Dajia's Reflection

On Monday, July 23, 2012 the R.O.C.K your life girls’ life coaching program, took a trip to the South Bay House of Correction. We visited the jail on a tour called Jail Brake. I was surprised that the jail opened on 12/26/91, but the tour of the women’s facility did not start until February 2007. Now, I am going to tell you how the day went. So it started off with us meeting Deputy Mike Reiser and Deputy Regina Williams who are the officers that gave us the tour. They told us the rules of the jail. They explained why there was a dress code. Unfortunately, you cannot wear ponytail holders, so I had to remove mine. You also cannot wear shorts or anything that shows skin, is too tight, or that would show an indentation. So we went where the women were living at and we got to see their rooms. Did you know they have little flat screens? They also had their food in their rooms like noodles, kool-aid, tuna, cookies, soup, and much more. All the food that they have has to be in packets. What I’m about to tell you, you will not believe; one of our staff was looking at one of the inmates’ eyebrows and she asked her “how do you get your eyebrows to look so good?” the inmate said “we use a tampon string”. She asked the officer for a tampon and he gave her one then she showed us how to do it on another inmate. That was the cool part of the day. All in all my experience at the jail will make me think about what I’ll do for the rest of my life.

Ashley's Reflection

Monday the 23^rd of July I went on a The Jail Break tour at South Bay House of Correction with R.O.C.K Your Life. The tour was lead by Deputy Mike Reiser and Deputy Regina Williams. We were shown the officer cafeteria and what the inmates are to eat when they don’t behave. The deputies also explained to us how the kitchens work. Inmates that are chosen for kitchen detail get paid to prep and cook the food for both the officers and other inmates, with the supervision of the housing unit correctional officers. After that we got a tour of the brown housing unit from one of the female inmates. She presented to us how laundry day works and wear their clothes go. We saw how the cells were set up, some had 2 beds and some had 3, making it so that the females staying in the specific cell could learn to deal with having to compromise with others that share their space. The inmates get a canteen, which is an account that friends and family of the inmates can put money into for the inmate to purchase products not given to them by the jail. I was surprised that all the canteen products were in zipper bags; I expected certain things like tuna and other normally canned products to be in plastic containers. It was interesting to see how they made the situation they were in comfortable enough for them to try and deal with it. They improvised when they didn’t have the things needed to be comfortable. For example they used the canteen food and microwave to bake a cake; and they used the string of a clean tampon to do their eyebrows. The closest thing they had to fresh air was a pretty small courtyard located on the roof, which was walled in except for a gated top. Lastly we went into the visitors’ room to listen to five on the female inmates’ stories and have them talk to us about being incarcerated. There was a mural of a rainbow painted in the kids’ area by an inmate in order to make the room more kid friendly. Seeing the facility and learning about some of the inmates was a new and interesting experience for me. I would encourage more people to go on the tour just to get a sense of what jail is like and see how good they really have it. 

Zanobia's Reflection

Recently I went on a tour at the South Bay Correctional Facility with the R.O.C.K Your Life Program. This was not my first time going on the tour, but this year was definitely a different experience. The passion in the inmates’ voices was so emotional & dramatic that it had a strong effect on me. It made me second guess my actions and made me realize that my decision in life can lead me to severe pain, suffering and inside a hole of loneliness.

What does the typical criminal look like? People are quick to stereotype others and not be aware of who may rob, attack or deceive them. For example, a lady sitting on the train and the lady could have her purse on the edge right beside her in the other seat. More and more people are arriving on the train. She makes sure to secure her surroundings. Not noticing the lady who has on a suit, her hair is pulled back and she looks intelligent but, taking in thought that this black male could rob her. All the lady’s attention goes on the black male who looks sketchy. The intelligent lady who is sitting right next to her slides her hand into the lady’s purse and reaches for her wallet. People aren’t aware but quick to stereotype. This is a similar story of one of the inmates. She was very intelligent and she is now in South Bay Correctional Facility for white collar crimes. You wouldn’t assume that she is a criminal. Out of all the inmates, she emotionally moved me the most.

The tour was really interesting because the inmates took the time to have a discussion with us. At times I could tell and pick out in my mind which ones use to be on drugs. The funny thing is, the inmates who I selected told me they were on hard drugs.

Looking at me they finally asked me the question. “What’s your problem?” A deep second, “my hands” was my response. “Your hands? Your hands are going to get you into trouble. Your going to find someone much stronger than you and when you go to attack that won’t do enough.” I have to channel my anger and my emotion. You don’t always have to feel like you have to fight to defend yourself. I found that this tour was an outreach for me. It taught me that I don’t want to find myself being in desperate need of help or attention because I used my hands.

Jail Contact Information

Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department
South Bay House of Correction
20 Bradston Street
Boston, MA 02118
(617) 635-1000

Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department

Jail at Nashua Street
200 Nashua Street
Boston, MA 02114
(617) 635-1100

Contact Sergeant Abe Ayuso for Jail Brake tour information

Communications & External Affairs Division
200 Nashua Street
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: (617) 635-1100 X 3156
Fax: (617) 704-6750