[In this video, six people are having a conversation. The people’s names are Chelsea Jordan-Makely, Charissa Brammer, Amy Bahlenhorst, Sara Wicen, Carol Peeples, and Renee Barnes.]

Chelsea Jordan-Makely: What hoops did you need to jump through to get into these facilities to get access? What should others anticipate about that? Do you want to keep going there, Renee?

Renee Barnes  
Sure. So, anyone who…so we had to get approval obviously for the project overall, which made then going to each person who did not already have a DOC badge had to be cleared at each individual facility. So, they had to fill out clearance paperwork, provide their driver’s license and have a background check background check. Background check gets run on them. And then so then they’re marked and they physically carry around a red badge when there is a facility that they cannot be alone. They have to be escorted everywhere. Which fortunately on my team we have DOC badges because we serve in a contractor kind of role for them. So, we take their training so that we can go into each facility without having to be cleared every time. But for anyone who anyone on LRS [Library Research Service], they all had to be cleared. At each individual facility.

Amy Bahlenhorst: I can talk a little bit about that clearance process a little bit. It was very thorough. The things that were asked of us; “Do you have tattoos? Have you ever had a speeding ticket?” and you kind of think to yourself, “when was my last speeding ticket…?” Another kind of, more funny, thing that happened trying to get through security is don’t wear your clogs. Clogs do not get through prison security, so considering all of those little things, the things that are on your body, the things that are in your bag, and it’s a small hoop to jump through, but a hoop nonetheless.

Chelsea Jordan-Makely: Charissa, do you want to share anything about bureaucracy?

Charissa Brammer: [laughter] You know, I knew that prisons were a complex bureaucracy. When I started, I didn’t realize that they’re like part of a smaller bureaucracy inside a larger one. And so, navigating that, I do think that I was luckily spared from a lot of the hoop jumping, aside from just doing my own background check. Because Renee did the bureaucracy work and has built really, really good relationships, working with DOC and with individual facilities, working with them. So, I think that that helped smooth a lot of things for us through those relationships.

Chelsea Jordan-Makely: Anything to add, Carol? Sara? I think it’s important and also interesting that it can vary so much not only from facility to facility, but state to state.

Carol Peeples: No.

Chelsea Jordan-Makely: I’m here in Massachusetts and I’m thinking I wear my clog so. [laughter] So, that’s a good thing for folks to anticipate.