Within the last 20 years, society in the country and the world has gone through a series of changes.

Social media, national news outlets, polit- ical correctness, changing options and so on are all shaping the world again and as it should.

The world will always go through change and right now I am living in that period. I am seeing how people change their way of think- ing and how people react toward other people and cultures.

So where am I going with this? It seems that sometimes the media likes to portray the prison system as a harsh, cutthroat environ- ment.

On television, I see police officers abusing their power and criminals doing what they do best: breaking the law.

Back in June, I visited my father’s workplace. For 17 years, he has worked as a correctional officer at the Federal Corrections Insti- tute in Greenville. For nearly two decades, he has seen a lot and I always wanted to see it. Maybe I sound naïve, but actually witnessing what goes on at that prison has changed my views from what I see on T.V.

The things we see on media and television is not what makes prison all it is cracked up to be, at least in FCI Greenville.

I was taken back by the good things I saw at the prison. I saw inmates going to school to get their GEDs as well as earning college credits. I saw instructors come in and teach inmates English and other languages as well as where to find jobs once they got out. I saw their artwork, which consisted of beautiful paintings and handmade crafts like chess sets. I saw the UNICOR factory where inmates sewed blouses for the United States Army.

However, the neatest experience was actual- ly talking to a few of the inmates. One in particular had worked with my dad for 10 years.

This man talked to me about his son and opened up to me about the anxiety he had about re-entering the outside world.

He talked to me about how he does what he does for his family and worries about what his loved ones will think of him once he gets out, especially his son.

We talked about how the prison is its own community; it’s like its own city with every- one living right next door to each other. When I’m 29, his sentence will be over.

My point here is this: inmates are people just like you and I.

The inmates I met and talked to in Greenville accept why they are there, and they want to better themselves. If you talk to them with mutual respect and honesty, then that is that. If only everyone did that to each other these days. The so-called “luxuries” inmates have gives them an opportunity to do something productive with the time they have.

In the end, people are people and we all have a story. If we treat each other with respect and don’t judge each other for our pasts, then that will go a long way.

Ben Leman is a junior journalism major. He can be reached at 581-2812 or bhleman@eiu.edu