St. Lucie County Jail

Leisure Time

Interview with Henry and Bob


JM: What types of facilities were available to help pass the time?
Henry: There were no recreational facilities but for "Rec-Yards" with over grown grass that ran rampant with red ants, and for a basketball court.
Bob: We had an outdoor recreation area with a ping pong table. The outdoor recreation area was approx 15' wide by 50' long and had an opening about 20' up (fenced). The rec area walls were concrete so you could not see outside at all but the fresh air was a welcome change from the freezing air conditioning inside.

JM: Did you have regular access to the entertainment or was competition fierce?
Henry: Our only entertainment was television. The guards who seem to be relatively enjoying leisure time themselves, were very much reluctant to change the channels. Competition was terrible over the programming viewed and would often lead to fights breaking out. Also, to cause further problems, they would keep the television volume very low.
Bob: We had access to the outdoor rec area on weekends from 1pm to 3:30pm only.

JM: Did you have a hard time staying in shape while in jail?
Henry: Staying in shape was hard, considering we only had two days of recreational time that lasted a mere 1 hour. In the dorm, all physical activity was frowned upon and officers bent rules to prevent inmates from activity.
Bob: Yes. Besides push-ups and sit-ups exercise is not allowed in the facility.

JM: How often did you get to go outside?
Henry: We got to go outside, when lucky, twice a week for 1 hour each of the two days.
Bob: We had access to the outdoor rec area on weekends from 1pm to 3:30pm only. Otherwise we only got to go outside if we were being taken to "113" for attorney visits or visits from family / friends and then it was only walking down a secured outdoor corridor.

JM: Did the jail offer church services? If so, what were they like and when were they held?
Henry: The jail did offer church services. They were non-denominational and lasted roughly 2 hours in time. Music was played and teaching generally followed.
Bob: Yes. The jail offered regular church services. I attended a bible study once a week for an hour at a time.