Nearby, small clusters of inmates are smoking, drinking coffee and talking. O'Connell points to officers positioned throughout the yard. On the handball courts, nearly 100 prisoners are either playing or watching. Suddenly, an inmate runs past us on a makeshift track that weaves throughout the yard. Typical Sunday morning for the inmates, O'Connell says.
Every inmate has a job.
Inmates live and sleep in bays or rooms with five to seven others. As we enter the chapel, loud praise music drifts into the springlike air from open windows and doors. Inside, two men test the microphones, while another makes adjustments on the soundboard. One man, an elder in the church, lines up beige plastic chairs. Elders, an inmate tells me, help run the service and are responsible for making sure everything is orderly and proper.