by Samantha SheetsRather than experiencing endless summer nights alongside friends creating unforgettable memories, I spent the entirety of my break at my office job in downtown Manhattan. At the beginning of last summer, I was given the opportunity to work for the New York City Department of Probation. While I began my term there under the title “Summer College Intern”, I slowly found my footing within the maze of cubicles and was promoted to the permanent position of “College Aide” in August of 2016. Since then, I have continued to contribute - as much as one can at the bottom of the totem pole - into the summer of 2017. While the hours are demanding for a twenty year old, every paycheck is saved towards my future travels in Japan. Therefore, working a nine-to-five job with a commute that is an hour and a half long each way has led to a majority of my summer to revolve around my work. That being said, as I worked, I held the knowledge that committing my time is worth the loss of late night adventures. Luckily, aside from being a city employee and all the perks one gets with that title, my job has pushed me to see many different aspects within the criminal justice field. Thus, being at work forty hours a week does not feel effortful. Whether I am in the office handling “Pre-Sentence Investigation” paperwork, or being invited to attend trips, my job is fruitful and can help me with my future endeavors. Speaking of trips, in the summer of 2016, I was given an exclusive tour of both Rikers Island and the Coast Guard. Both were very different and eye opening experiences and I established the reality of prison life at Rikers in my first article. As we dived into the summer of 2017, it was assumed the same trips would be attended, as they are offered yearly. However, with the potential closing of Rikers Island looming overhead, we embarked on new, exclusive, once-in-your-lifetime tours. This included a tour of the Federal Metropolitan Correctional Center, as well as going to a New York Police Department certification gun range. During the trip to the range, I was given the opportunity to practice my shooting. The range itself was repulsive, and the bathrooms equated to the ones at Rikers. And while shooting a real gun for the first time, as tiny as I am, was exhilarating, I have to say I preferred seeing the Federal Metropolitan Correctional Center. Unlike the inmates being detained at Rikers Island, those at the Federal Metropolitan Correctional Center are considered low-risk felons. The entire atmosphere was different from that of Rikers and it appeared more humane. Not only were the inmates allowed to walk freely around my fellow colleagues and I, but they were permitted to acknowledge our existence. This contrasted with those within Rikers who were not even allowed to make eye contact with my department. Overall, seeing the level of politeness received by the inmates to my fellow employees was refreshing in comparison to being cat-called at Rikers. Even with less security, I somehow felt safer at the Federal Metropolitan Correctional Center and felt glimmers of hope exude from those incarcerated. This was evident in the simple interactions that took place between the guards and their inmates. The inmates at the Federal Metropolitan Correctional Center were seen as humans, and were treated as such by guards and staff. That being said, the power dynamics expected were still at play and a level of respect was valued and warranted by those incarcerated and the enforcers within the prison. As we were led down muted colored halls, we learned of the type of offenses that led to these inmates being detained. Most of the crimes committed revolved around drugs or were “white collar” crimes; explaining the lack of stiff security. On our tour, we were permitted to see all aspects within the facility. This ranged from the facility’s education center, to their psychology department, all the way to the inside of inmate’s cells. As they discussed the living conditions of these inmates, we were able to witness firsthand all that was described to us by our tour officials. Overall, the experience was eye opening and I am delighted I got to witness the lives of those I do paperwork for. While most of my summer I was surrounded by paperwork about inmates, or with the inmates themselves and not my peers, I do not regret basically living at my office in downtown Manhattan. I value everyday being pushed slightly outside of my comfort zone and being forced to tackle new aspects within the criminal justice field. Because of my job, I got workplace experience and money to afford my hobbies outside of the office, like seeing the Broadway musicals I write reviews on. I was able to begin planning my inevitable trip outside of the country and study the Japanese language during my lunch hour. Essentially, my summer was spent planning for future endeavors and gaining as much knowledge as one can outside of the classroom. For many, summer is the time to slow down and finally relax, but I detest idle time. For me, summer is the time to finally pick up the pace as summer is never actually a break.
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