Tuesday June 23

Today was our first day to see a prison.This morning, we left for McNeil Island Correctional Center. This prison is the last to be accessed solely by boat, so we caught (all except Drew) the ferry right before it left. The area was very secure, and we were so fortunate to be allowed on the island.

Upon our arrival, we were taken inside and split up into separate groups. Our group was taken to the holding cells. We got to see what each building looked like on the inside and what was different about each one of them. Once we finished our first tour, we talked with a panel of six inmates. These inmates had served about half of their sentence, and were earned the privilege to talk with us. It was obvious that these men were dedicated to change their lives so that that they wouldn't have to return after re-entry. A couple of them had also mentioned that their faith in God has given them hope.

After a quick lunch, we were into another set of groups for another tour. This time we were taken to the recreation areas. We walked into the fenced are where the inmates were having their free time. Two officers walked in with five of us girls. That was still a littler nerve-racking because there were about 200-300 inmates in the area. Most of them were respectful and minded their business.

Later, we all met up and went on a tour of the island. There we saw where inmates who had served their sentence, but weren't allowed back into society stayed. These were primarily sex offenders who committed a high-profile crime. On the whole island, there was only one woman inmate, and she was kept in that area. After our final tour, we were taken back and on our way to dinner.

Once we arrived at SPU, we quickly changed our clothes and prepared for the evening. First, we did a little celebration for Sam's birthday, then we again reflected on what went on during the day After that, we split into our small groups for the first time to share our testimonies. My group includes Jordan, Carri, LaShondra, Angie, and myself. Each girl had such a different testimony, but it was so awesome to see how our pasts had lead us to God.