On October 22nd, Mrs. Bane took her sociology and psychology classes to the Moberly Area Correctional Center. The students spoke to three inmates who committed felonies. Each prisoner told their story, the crimes they committed, their sentences, daily prison life, gangs, and rules of prison.
The three prisoners took turns by going into depth about the crimes they committed. Their stories were very graphic. One man murdered his wife and is a diagnosed psychopath. Another is in prison for cooking and dealing methamphetamine, along with child endangerment. The third prisoner committed multiple burglaries, kidnappings, and attempted murder.
After their personal stories, they told us about prison life, which consists of the same thing everyday of the year like clockwork. Along with the information about daily life, they told us of the many prison gangs in Moberly. Although their intent was not to scare us, many students were in shock from the details about prison life.
The prisoners later pointed out the facilities on the prison grounds: the cafeteria, the mental health wing, living quarters, solitary confinement, job facilities, etc. They told us about the programs they offer in order to help each prisoner with their specific needs.
Each of the prisoners explained their daily jobs and how their jobs equip them with the skills they need to succeed in society. One program Moberly provides is prison pets, where prisoners train puppies to learn how to care and have patience.
After the prisoners left, their correctional officers and case managers told us their official cases and updated us on how each prisoner was doing, along with the steps they were taking to get better. One prisoner lied about his sobriety since he had been in prison, while another lied about the disposal of his murdered wife.
Mrs. Bane takes her classes each semester. The students were able to ask questions which helps them learn investigative skills. They also were able to interact with the prisoners which allowed the students to study their behavior. The students used the skills they learned in class to make the most out of the visit.