Guide for Families of Inmates at Whitworth Detention Center - Women, Georgia

I was incarcerated at whitworth from 2014 until July 12th 2016 Overall the prison wasn't too bad although there are a few things that really sucked and didn't have to while I served my sentence 1st thing No Privacy and by that I mean that they employ men officers and allow them to sit in the control bubble in view of each dorm holding 50 some odd women a piece in plain sight of restroom and shower areas that are wide open with only small curtains or raggly curtains to cover our selves while grooming and dressing and using the restroom these officers can see over the top of the wall into the toilets and through the sides of the curtains I as a woman who is a lesbian didn't appreciate this aspect, another thing is that although there is a rec yard we hardly ever got to go outside consistently and if we did it wasn't for very long at All and each dorm was kept separate which while I understand made it hard to get everyone out side and recieve the same privilege. I also got a chance to work on their outside detail on several of the different cities and it was the highlight of my time there though I don't believe the officers that were appointed to take us were qualified enough to ensure our safety properly and mentally sound enough to not put inmates in risky and dangerous positions for the sake of the job. While incarcerated a friend of mine almost lost her leg because the officer had her operating a chainsaw on a steep incline with no safty rope belt clip or spotter she lost her grip her boots slipped while she was cutting a tree down and she dropped the chainsaw while still sawing it cut through her calf just shy of through and through. I believe all detail officers should be trained in different situations and insure that the safety of the inmates are priority and that the inmates them selves are fully trained on landscaping equipment before given the equipment to use and operate in risky situations. Also inmates should hold the right to refuse certain things while on the detail if they feel for one it's to dangerous or for 2 they cannot do it confidently or without hurting themselves or someone else. I was instructed to weedeat poison ivy when I refused my detail officer Mrs Scott humiliated me called me stupid and made me sit on the van until it was time to go back and then had me take. Off outside detail altogether because I didn't want to possibly cover myself with poison ivy clippings from my weedeater I felt like I was done wrong and unjustly. The officer also told me she knew I would be back once I got out that my plan for my reintegration to my community wasn't going to work that I would always remain a criminal I believe officers who down inmates should be repremanded and if continued behavior terminated. Not all inmates are bad but just made a bad decision and we are paying that consequence with our freedom and I don't believe our dignity should be a price too pay as well. We aren't caged animals we are mother's sisters aunts and cousins friends wives daughters we deserve to be treated with a degree of respect as well as with the intent of good will and better decision making thought process. The only other problem I had was the lack of anything productive to do for the inmates who can't go on outside detail they are forced to sit on their beds without ability to sleep or rest or do much of anything until 4pm they can't shower or change out of uniform the facility offers classes but very few inmates get to participate the waiting list is forever long to be able to get in. Other than that it's what it's supposed to be. I'm glad I went I met some amazing women there. But I can say I don't want to have to experience this ever again.