On the InsideAn exclusive look behind the walls of the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution. Story and Photos by Bobbi and Steve Olson |
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| Click the above image for a slide show of images by Bobbi and Steve Olson. |
Driving
past a maximum security prison can leave you with a creepy feeling. Razor-sharp
concertina wire sparkles maliciously atop chain link fences or concrete walls.
Armed guards watch from towers. For those of us outside, our knowledge of what
goes on inside is generally based on what we see in movies or on TV.
The Nebraska
Department of Correctional Services recently gave us the rare opportunity to
step inside the walls of the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution, a maximum
security prison located on the outskirts of the southeast Nebraska town of Tecumseh.
The plan was for us to accompany correctional officers going about their business
of helping keep Nebraska a safer place to live.
There
was a lot to think about on the drive to Tecumseh. On our exclusive tour, we
would be among murderers, kidnappers, rapists, robbers, etc. – some of
the worst offenders in the state. We were aware of the problems the facility
has faced, especially in the first two or three years after its 2001 opening,
including two escapes and a rash of assaults on officers resulting in lockdowns
of the inmates. Prison staff complained of dangerous working conditions and
lack of respect from administration.
For us, it came down to this: Entering the prison required trust that our guides would keep us safe.
(The complete story appears in the January/February 2007 issue of Nebraska Life Magazine.)
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