OliviaFranklin

In September and October, students in the Social Problems course and the Women in Christian leadership course had the option to visit Omaha’s Correctional Center. The tour included viewings of the lunchroom and prison cells. The girls even got a chance to speak with the warden, Barb Lewien, and some inmates. 

On the trip, there were many rules and regulations to ensure that everyone was safe. At the correctional center, the girls weren’t allowed to bring their phones or any electronic devices. 

The students were required to dress modestly and not wear hoods. Before they could enter the facility, they had to sign in, go through a detector and get patted down. 

The Women in Christian Leadership class visited Omaha’s Correctional Center for the first time on Oct. 5. The class thought it would be important to learn more about Barb Lewien and the challenges she faces as a female warden.  According to senior Ellie Royal, the class has visited and learned from many women about “voicing opinions in male dominated areas and not being discouraged from exploring male dominated work places.” 

Senior Katherine Sule went with her Social Problems class, but enjoyed the trip so much, she decided to go another time with her Women in Christian Leadership class. Even though they toured the same place, she learned different things about herself and her community. 

Sule enjoyed speaking with Lewien because “she shared her experience of being a female warden and challenges she faced, and still faces because she’s a woman in a leadership position.”

Social problems teacher, Mrs.Amy McLeay, enjoys taking students because they “learn about the correctional facility as an institution and holding people accountable for their choices. They also learn about the reformation that is offered, such as psychological counseling and career counseling, so that when they’re released, they’re prepared for the outside world.”

Students were also able to sit and talk to “one of the criminals, [who told] them their story of their crime they committed.” They explained the criminal justice system and how their court hearing went.

 After speaking with the inmates, students came back to the classroom and “compared and contrasted the inmate’s story and what the court case says.” 

McLeay believes the trip “is a real life check of what criminal justice is like, how individuals are treated and what reformation is allowed to help them while they’re institutionalized. 

Junior Jaeda Lawson went on the trip with her social problems class on Sept. 8. She decided to go because she had never gotten an opportunity and “thought it’d be cool to hear about the prisoner’s perspective on their life as a prisoner.” 

Lawson was interested in hearing about the prisoners’ life and how they ended up in prison. After getting a tour of the cells, she thought it was “crazy that they have to stay in such small places” for such a long time. Along with the tour, she learned some interesting facts, such as prisoners are able to earn service animals to help with their stress, and prisoners get paid an “average of $.97 an hour.” 

Social Problems aims to visit the correctional facility once every semester. The course is available every other year.