Around 3 p.m., Deputy Brenner heads off to make one of his two rounds for the hour. Deputy Josh Heddings, manning the booking desk, pushes a button to electronically open Gate Two. The interior recently received a fresh coat of white paint, and it smells like it. The men' s cellblocks form an H shape. Steel doors close off the blocks from the hallway, from which guards use a lever system to open and close the inmates' cells.
Every cell has two bunks and a toilet.
Translucent windows on a wall opposite the dayroom allow the sun to brighten the area Friday. Deputy Brenner makes small talk with the inmates, most of whom wear white shirts and pants, and passes their mail through the bars. Some stay in their cells, sleeping. Others gather in the dayroom as the deputy opens letters, checking for contraband. No dirty pictures . . . .