RULES

We've come to appreciate the relaxed and almost casual visiting procedures at Lompoc Camp. I’d have to say it’s the most relaxed prison visiting room we’ve been in. So far (knock wood!), it would seem the Visitation Room guards’ only concern when it comes to clothing, ie, what the visitors may and may not wear, is that there are no open toe’d shoes. While this was always a no-no at Taft Camp as well (although the first few years we were there open toes were allowed, as long as the shoes had enclosed heels, or a backstrap) the Warden suddenly decreed in the last year we were there all shoes must be fully ‘enclosed’. No toes visible to the eye! At Taft visitors were not allowed any hooded clothing, no hats, no scarves, no white shirts/ tops, no sleeveless tops, no leggings, no khaki or gray colored clothing, no shorts, no zippered jackets.

Well at Lompoc anything goes pretty much, other than too short skirts or plunging necklines. I’ve seen fathers come to visit wearing cargo shorts, white t-shirts, baseball hats, and flip flop sandals! It is sooo refreshing to see this, to not have to worry and go thru a mental checklist as one leaves for visitation, as to whether or not you are in compliance. It makes things much much easier. However, because Rod and I are clearly “institutionalized”, after visiting our son for the first 7 ½ yrs at Taft, its become habit to stick to the Taft rules. Besides, we’ve been told by other visitors we’ve talked to at Lompoc, it really all depends on who the guard is for the day, everything is subject to change at a minutes notice, so why mess with it, and risk being turned away because of some silly rule we are already so familiar with.

It was during our visit Saturday we couldn’t help but notice the guard jump up from his desk, and stride purposefully across the room to where a young couple was visiting. We couldn’t tell what was going on but next thing we knew the guard was taking the inmate outside, and the young lady was left to wait. After awhile the guard returned, but not the inmate. He was nowhere in sight. A good hour or more later the inmate finally returned, and checked in at the desk with the guard. A conversation ensued but we couldn’t hear it. We learned later the guard had observed the inmate chewing gum (rather,‘allegedly’ chewing gum) and this is against the rules. The fact the young man was allowed to return to his visit tells me the guard was mistaken, or else, and unlikely, they decided to just warn the inmate this time.

The other incident that happened this same day occurred when a middle aged woman arrived to visit around 1 o’clock. She signed in and went outside to the patio area to find a table. As she walked out there the guard made a phone call and within minutes two officers (likely 'Security"), walking very quickly and again, purposefully (!!), entered the building. After a discussion with the guard they went out to the parking lot and from where we were seated, right in front of a big picture window, we could see them checking out a car in the lot very carefully. Soon they returned and next thing we knew they had gone out to the patio and returned, escorting this woman out of the building. She did not look happy.

After a few minutes the Supervisor for the visitation room arrived, and along with the guard, demanded everyone’s attention. He proceeded to ask that everyone, visitors and inmates, go outside to the patio, he had something to say to us. Very curious! Have never had something like this happen before! Once we were all assembled outside he went on to lecture us on the rules of the facility and how serious it is to break them. He reminded everyone that breaking the rules subjects one to having their visit terminated, perhaps even permanently. He reminded everyone no contraband was allowed into visitation, how breaking this rule will subject the inmate and possibly the visitor to arrest and prosecution. He warned everyone that someone was always bound to see these types of goings on and would report it, rest assured. He then went on to say how the low single strand wire fence that skirts the roadway around the prison camp is a physical, do-not-cross barrier, no inmates are allowed to cross it without permission, that they all know that, and if they do it is considered an escape attempt. Many of us are all looking around, and I, like many, are whispering “what fence, where is this fence?” to Corey, who turns and points out in some westerly direction. Anyways, after a good “talking to” we are all allowed to return to our visits.

It wasn’t until later in the afternoon we learned this woman we’d seen escorted out, has allegedly driven down a back prison property road, her boyfriend or husband had met her there, and approached her car (clearly on the other side of this ‘fence’ the guard had talked about) to retrieve some contraband items she had brought for him. It seems they had then agreed to meet in the visitation room after he had gotten everything put away. Well someone must have observed the goings on, and did report it, the visitation guard was alerted that if this car (they had the license plate #) showed up to call security.

Though these incidents took away from some of the conviviality of our visit, and most everyone seemed a little more subdued after our lecture, we picked up the threads of our conversation, from when we had been “so rudely interrupted” and moved forward. Really, just another day in the life...

“In some peculiar way, indeed, the rules were now beginning to seem quite logical. It was then I knew that I had been in India long enough.” ― Tahir Shah, Beyond The Devil's Teeth