Behind the Headlines

I consider myself a fair, law-abiding citizen and have accordingly never been on any more than a walk-through tour of a jail. But I got a chance this weekend to see what I have been missing.

I went to the Monroe County Jail with an Evening News photographer to document a baptism ceremony for 18 female inmates. I’ve been to baptisms before, but not quite like this.
Corralled into a hot, stuffy classroom near the prisoners’ bunk, we watched as each of the women were dipped into the water of a horse trough by jail ministry volunteers. They prayed and they sang for the hour that I sat in.

Some of them talked to me about their experiences behind bars. Few talked about the circumstances that led them to the jail.

After the water had dried from the floor, the women were led out of the classroom and back to their bunks. The photographer and I left the jail through the front door.

Despite any reservations or stigmas that may arise from the jailhouse ceremony, it was an interesting insight into day-to-day that these people face.