Professor Gwen Hersha had the opportunity to take her storytelling class on a tour of Jackson’s historic abandoned prison. Students had the opportunity to learn about different aspects of the prison and what life was like for the inmates. Students could ask questions and got a first-hand idea of how the prisoners lived.
Two students that went on the field trip, Emily Selby and Sarah Williams, share their experiences:
Emily: This field trip was a fascinating experience for me. I enjoyed the trip and got to learn things that I had not known before. The tour guide seemed very knowledgeable and was able to tell us a lot about what the prison was like back when it was functioning. It was interesting to be in the same areas where actual prisoners lived.
Sarah: I went to Jackson’s prison with my Storytelling class and learned so much. I didn’t know anything about Jackson’s prison before we went. I am shocked that the prison was so corrupted in its time. Prisoners were put in terrible conditions. Prison cells were small and the room holding the cells was known for smelling so bad guards would vomit! Then there were factories. The prison exploited the prisoners by forcing them to work in dangerous factories that were similar to death row. My favorite part of the tour was when we went down to the basement and saw the tunnels. They were so creepy. The tour guide said people saw ghosts down there! I had a great time!
