SCI Huntingdon hosted a group of college students from Decatur, Alabama, on March 15. Six students from Calhoun Community College and their instructor, Dr. Jim Stewart, spent the afternoon touring SCI Huntingdon. All the students are enrolled in the Criminal Justice program at their school. As part of their trip north, they visited the West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville, West Virginia, and the Flight 93 Memorial in Somerset.
Dr. Stewart retired from law enforcement in 2007, and every year he travels to different types of correctional facilities across the country with his students. When asked how he had discovered SCI Huntingdon, he explained he was interested in showing the students an older, operating facility. As a facility opened in 1889 with its long history, SCI Huntingdon met his criteria. The students observed how "old technology" such as lock bars and open-barred cell doors melded with "new technology" such as drone detectors and body scanners.
The group visited several different cell blocks and our Residential Treatment Unit. The students were able to enter one of our empty cells to experience the size. Staff pointed out the different Correctional Industries and maintenance shops. The young women in the group were very interested in speaking with one of our female officers who was able to give her perspective on being a female officer in a male facility.
After the tour, the group met with administrative staff who discussed their roles in the facility and answered any further questions. The students discussed their future plans, which included four-year degrees for some and eventual enrollment in the FBI Academy for another. All agreed their tour was a valuable learning experience.