“The Cheatham County Jail” (Perhaps a future title for a song – suggested by a friend) has 6 male, 1 female and 1 female-trustee dorms for incarceration. The male dorms are designated alphabetically A-E, plus one more – “Indoor Rec.” – formerly just what it says, but now a dorm. The guards communicating on their walkie-talkies refer to them as “Alpha, Beta, Charlie, Delta, Echo and Indoor Rec.”. I am a resident of “D” (Delta) dorm. All the male dorms have one entrance/exit door each. They are located off the “Sally Port,” a central vestibule where the “rock call” machines (vending/snack) are located. The female dorm is located on a hallway between the booking room and the Sally Port. Their entrance door is also between two locked steel hallway doors left and right 10’ +/- from their dorm. The female dorm door does not have a window with a solid canvas curtain covering it as the male dorms do. Wonder why? Haha!
To get inside the jail from the public side one must pass through two successive locked - electronically controlled - steel doors. Only one is unlocked at a time. This will take you into the booking room, the main control room and office of the jail. To get to the dorms you would exit the second door from which you entered, take a left and hike down a long hallway. On this hike you will pass the visitation room first, then the library and estimated 8’ x 8’ room. The library also serves as an attorney consultation room. Soon you will approach another door to be unlocked and then pass the women’s dorm on the left before reaching the Sally Port door again electronically locked. There left of the Sally Port door is a staircase leading to the guard control tower and the female trustee dorm. One passes through 4 locked doors before entering a dorm from “booking”. One is always on camera too!
The guard tower has large windows heavily tinted for one-sided viewing. It’s difficult to see into the control tower from the dorm side, but the guards have clear viewing from their side. Plus, they have banks of camera monitors. It is there that all doors, lights, TV’s, phones can be turned on or off to each individual dorm. The tower is a top the sally port and has glass cut-outs in the floor for viewing Sally Port happenings.
I’m familiar with the “T-Dorm” female trustee dorm. During my 60 conecutive weekend stays the “weekenders” many times stayed there. Having only 8 bunks, most “weekenders”, including me, had to sleep on the concrete floor. The female trustees had to move to the regular female dorm for the weekend, then move back on Sunday night after the guys were gone! Saw some good ballgames, read some good books, and got some god rest and sleep in the “T-dorm.” Ahhh the memories!
Coming Soon:
Dorm Description
Gourmet Food
Jail House Grammar/Vocabulary
Toothpaste Stolen
Phone Calls
Thank you for your mail, prayers, and right and good spirit. May one day - hopefully soon – we – ALL – can celebrate!
