FRP visit

3 units between mobile home and what
looks like a house.

I thought I would get in a quick blog today before I am off for a visit with my son, Shawn, who is incarcerated at a prison in upstate New York. I will be leaving tomorrow morning for what will be essentially 46 hours (behind prison fences, not including the 2 hour one way travel time) in what is known as the "Family Reunion Program" or FRP visit.


Most people have heard of 'conjugal visits', or 'trailer visits' and often don't even want to know any more about it...because the first thing that comes to mind is what would go on between a man and woman (but they HAVE to be married) during those visits. However, these FRP visits are not solely for husbands and wives, but also for their children and even an inmate's parents (and possibly direct siblings) to come to visit them during their incarceration.


I have done these visits a few times in the past...and it's not as bad as it might sound as far as being locked inside the prison fences. In the photo at the top, you can see the mobile home which is one unit, and then the house-like structure which is 2 units...but each of the 3 units are two bedrooms. They all have full bathrooms, full kitchens and living rooms...complete with most the amenities of home.


In this next photo, you can see the 2 guard towers located on either side of the units, and each unit is protected with it's own fences, which separate the trailer from the house unit. The fences have green plastic weaved through the wires to also prevent non-visiting inmates from seeing in, giving us all privacy.

The guard towers are the buildings that look like they have an 'x'
on the top

In the next photo, you can see where the FRP units are in relation to the whole prison compound:

When I go tomorrow, I will be taking with me the groceries that we will need from lunch time tomorrow through-to breakfast Wednesday morning, as well as clothing I will need and any personal care items. What can't go in with me though, is anything glass, any aerosol cans, and shaving razors, plus only limited amount of make-up and jewelry are allowed in. No cans over 16 ounces are allowed, fresh meat is, but otherwise, it has to be hermetically sealed. They have a LOT of rules which, though I understand the 'why', are still a pain...ugh!


Sign-in for me is at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow and sign-out for Shawn and I both, is at 9:00 a.m. Wednesday. (That gives someone time to come in a do a brief cleaning and changing of linens before the next set of visitors come in at 10:00. It is up to Shawn and I to make sure the unit is spotless before we are brought back out by guards. Shawn is taken back into the prison where-as I am returned to the parking lot.)


What will we do while on a visit? Lots of talking, cooking; we watch TV, can play video games, listen to a radio, play cards...go outside and sit at the picnic tables, and even play Frisbee. And of course, we relax and nap too!  [LOL]  But it is a very pleasant time despite the fact of WHERE we are! 


If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me...I'll do my best to answer them!


Take care in the week ahead and I will be back later in the week!


D


[**You can find my son's story here on my blog under the headings of "Shawn Campbell's Journey to Justice!"]