As the heavy metal doors audibly locked shut, a sense of anxiety and restlessness began to wash over me. You could tell the prison was meant to make you feel that way. The monochromatic color scheme of the walls, almost complete absence of natural light and narrow, long corridors all added to the effect.  

ORHS social studies teacher Derek Cangello leads an annual field trip in his Citizen Education class to the Strafford County Jail. There, my class and I received an in-depth tour of the jail, and a glimpse of what prison life is like by talking to inmates and correctional officers. To many of my peers, this field trip was just that: a field trip. But to me, visiting the jail changed my life.   

The prison was completely different from what I expected. I don’t think most people realize how ginormous a state facility is. It has long corridors and very little windows; it was obvious it was designed to be a barren place and was nothing like what I’ve usually seen on TV. The stereotypical TV-style orange jumpsuits were nowhere to be seen, as most inmates wore grey or brown. The inmates are also sorted based on specific criteria: the crimes they commit, what programs they take part in, and gender.  

One of my classmates, Lotta Berglund (‘25), was taken aback at how different the jail was from what she expected. “The prison’s layout is just so different than I had imagined. In Hollywood, jails are always shown with infinite, tiny, windowless cells along a hallway. Strafford County [Jail] is nothing like that.”  

After the initial tour, our class spoke with two inmates who shared their stories. The main message that they spoke about was how much they valued their family after not being able to see them for such a long time.   

One inmate’s story stuck with me. His name was Doug, and he had been locked up for over a year. The only thing he talked about was how much he missed his daughter and couldn’t wait to see her. “Family is everything, don’t take it for granted,” said Doug. That moment was incredibly powerful to me, because it made me think about my family. Did I value them enough?   

My relationship with my family has been a bumpy road all my life, and I often find myself arguing with my parents more often than not. I’ve always felt disconnected and not present in my parents or extended family’s lives. To combat this, I tried to paint the picture that I did not need, or want, them in my life. I began attributing my feelings of sadness and anger to my relationship with my family.   

But this field trip stripped me of the entitlement I felt surrounding my parents. On the silent bus ride home, I remember thinking, These inmates have nothing, not even their freedom, and all they care about is their family. As I was sitting there, staring at the back of a bus seat, I began to realize that it was the lack of connection with my family that was making me so unhappy.   

And just like that, my idea of connection and family shifted from anger and unimportance to necessity and reliance. My main goal became rekindling long-ignored relationships with parents. It started with little things, like leaving my phone in my bedroom during dinner so we could talk as a family. I found myself planning out things to do, starting conversations, and texting and checking up on how my mom and dad were doing.   

Having patience was my number one strength in trying to reconnect. I used to have the shortest fuse when it came to my family. If my mom got mad, I would get madder. But after our talk with the inmates, I noticed myself trying to deescalate and be cooperative with what my parents wanted, while still communicating my own opinions respectfully.   

So, the family dinners I once dreaded became a highlight of my day. Silent car rides home from basketball became filled with meaningful and important conversations. The two people I had been battling with my whole life were finally on my side of the court, and it was all because of a field trip.   

To see if others had equally powerful experiences, I asked around to see what people in my class valued the most from the trip.  

 Talking about his biggest take away from going to the jail, my teacher Mr. Cangello said, “In all my years of going, the thing I will remember the most is probably how the people that work their treat the inmates without prejudice.”   

Cangello continued: “It’s amazing when you have 75 inmates to a guard. Still showing compassion at such an elevated level of authority. I try to model that in my work and personal life.”  

Wondering what my peers thought about the trip, I asked my classmate, Cole Dulac (‘25), who said, “I thought it was life changing. Seeing people without freedom truly makes your skin crawl.” Dulac talked about the attitudes inside the jail, and how hostility was always in the air. “Everyone has their guard up, trying to make themselves look like the tough guy on the block,” he said.  

 Berglund also thought the field trip was meaningful and was “very eye opening to have the perspective of actually being in the jail.”  

Like my peers, seeing people inside the jail was what affected me the most. Knowing that with one mistake I could end up like the people behind those cell walls made me uncomfortable. “It’s always unsettling, seeing people that make mistakes through addiction and other problems. It just makes you more aware,” said Cangello.   

Whether it was an experience as life-changing as mine, or just one that made some of my classmates, like Berglund, address their misconceptions of prison, this field trip was special for everybody in my class. It’s one I won’t forget, and I hope other kids get to experience this in the future.   

– Mairtin Sweetman