Security, Whose and How?

   At the end of the sidewalk, there is a gate. I walk toward it.

   An unseen hand presses a button, and I hear "click"

   I pull the gate, enter, and it shuts behind me as I approach a door, "CLANK"

   I open the door and enter a room with a woman behind the counter.

   "Sign in, give me some ID, state why you are here."

   I do all the above and then hear:

   "Take off your shoes and put them on the scanner tread."

   I do and then walk through the body scanner, and then hear:

   "Empty your pockets, turn them inside out."

   Then a question: "Do you have anything else on your person?"

   I ask about a handkerchief in my back pocket and have to surrender that.

   "Nothing can be brought in. I'll give it back on the way out."

   "Take your shoes, put them on, and proceed through the door ahead."

   "Take this metal piece with you, Number 13"

   Doing that, I reach another gate. Again

   "click", I go through, "CLANK"

   Another sidewalk, another door, this one open for entrance.

   Another desk, another woman,

   "I'll take your ID, What is your number?"

   "13, OK, move up to the next gate"

   "click……. CLANK"

   Another desk, a man in uniform

   "What is your number?"

   Showing the metal disk, "13".

   "OK, table 13 is right over there, sit down on the left side of it and wait."

   And all of the above is just the security procedure for getting in to see an inmate for an hour on visiting day. At least it was easier getting out after the visit. (and I did get the handkerchief back)

   Security cameras in the room, officers patrolling the area and watching, all to keep some unauthorized behavior from happening.

   As I sat there at #13 waiting on my friend to be fetched from his dorm, I thought about all that security. It was not for me, it may have been partly for the inmates, but mostly it seemed to be for the officers and staff of the facility. If illegal items could not be brought in from the outside, weapons, drugs, phones or whatever, control over the population would be easier and altercations could be kept to a minimum, thereby giving the prison a good record.

   My security seemed to be a secondary consideration, if at all. I guess they would protect me in case of a problem, but mainly they just did not want me to be the problem.

   I have never felt threatened in the many times I have been behind all those gates, not because of all the procedures and all the men and women around in uniform, but because I know that all of those are not my hope of security, even if they wanted to be.

   No, it is God who is my hope and my security. All the stuff that goes on behind that razor wire is not for me, and I'm glad I don't have to trust in that.

   And I did have a good visit.