Ivy Tech students get look at prison operations firsthand

Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Ivy Tech students tour Internal Affairs and Security Threat Group departments at the Putnamville Correctional Facility.

PUTNAMVILLE -- Fifteen students from Ivy Tech Community College recently toured operations and programs at the Putnamville Correctional Facility (PCF).

"Many of our students want to pursue a career in a corrections related field," Ivy Tech instructor Jamie Houston relayed to PCF staff members during the tour.

"Observation of prison operations and offenders in the prison environment enhance what they learn in the classroom setting and I appreciate Superintendent (Stanley) Knight giving us this opportunity."

Houston and the introduction to criminology students visited offender housing units, the Purposeful Living Unit Serve (faith and character based) program, recreation and education areas, the facility's health care unit, prisoners' dining room and other areas of the facility.

All were inquisitive and each cited different areas as the most interesting, but a general consensus targeted the overview of the Internal Affairs and Security Threat Group departments, given by Security Threat Group coordinators James Smith and Darrin Chaney, as the highlight of the tour.

"We are always receptive to opening our doors to college students," Superintendent Knight said. "These are the young men and women who may one day be employed in the criminal justice system.

"Through observation of the prison environment, we hope to forge positive relationships that foster open communication essential to our line of work," Knight said.

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