As one of the final facilities visited, and one that is uniquely situated in the middle of a city, SCI Chester had a lot to show the DOC summer interns.
The interns learned why prisons are sometimes described as a "city within in a city" when they started their tour in the education department, where they observed a classroom in session; followed by a visit to the reentry service office (RSO), where a Credit 101 class was being facilitated.
The next stop was a visit to the Senior Life Enhancement Center (SLEP). This first-of-its-kind center is designed to provide inmates aged 50 and older with senior-specific programming and treatment. Following the SLEP visit, the interns visited "Little Scandinavia" where they learned about the progress this special unit has made.
The group also visited with Chester's dogs and got to hold abandoned, bottle-fed puppies. They were even greeted by the resident cats from Chester's cat program.
This tour showcased how proud the team at SCI Chester is of their facility!
Intern Testimonial
The following was written by Bloomsubrg University Senior Keron Butcher (Major: Digital Forensics and Cyber Security; Minor: Professional and Technical Writing) on his experience in the DOC internship program:
"This internship has been a great experience for me! Throughout this internship, I have met and made connections with so many people. I have also been shown that there are many aspects in the corrections field; whatever your field of study is, there is space for you in the DOC. Also, the employees here are so kind! Almost every person I met wants to help me with my future or give me some advice, which really means a lot to me. Since this internship started I have made the right connections to help point me in the right direction upon graduation. I thank everyone who played a part in hiring me and giving me a chance! I also thank Miguel Ruiz for hiring me and helping all of the interns and I throughout this whole summer."