23 December 2008

Visited the Polk County Jail today. One client and one court room appearance with a second. Getting in is a shore. Dump everything you own in a locker, sign in, pass through the electronics, receive a badge, the while waiting for the twit at the counter to acknowledge that you exist. I was told that I had to be patient. I asked her if that was a rule, but the query was beyond her. You push a button to enter one cubicle, then a second button to enter the jail itself where two women are wating one of whom will escort you to your destination. No talking of course. No idea what that is about, must think that the inmate may learn the current weather conditions. I was taken to a control center approximately one quarter mile from the entrance where an officer met me, directed me to a room where my client was waiting. That was the only pleasant moment of the visit--in respect to the physical layout and organization of the visit. After finishing with my visit, I was accompanied out by another female inmate two of whom are waiting in chairs in the hall. I was required to go through the cubicle--both doors and then turn around and go through them again too attain entrance to the jail courtroom where my second client was waiting for a pretrial conference. He insisted upon pleading guilty as long as he could get probation all the while telling me what a joke this was and that he did not do it either time. He had two charges of enhanced domestic abuse to which he plead guilty to. I specifically told him he was an idiot and that he couldn't make probation. Didn't make an impact. He wanted out and was willing to look at four years, two years probation, five year no-contact order including in kids. Absolutely pathetic.