You’ll never know what a visit can mean to someone whose world now is behind four walls if you have never experienced jail.

I am a girlfriend of an inmate who is located in the correctional center county jail in Upper Marlboro who gets to see my boyfriend once a week. It’s hard going day by day and just waiting and wondering when the next time you actually get to hold that person again.

Nobody wants to go to jail nor wants someone close to them to go behind bars, but what can you do other than wait?

The correctional center should really consider changing visitation hours and increase them so family members, girlfriends, friends, etc., can have more time to see their loved ones in jail.

Visitors get to see their loved ones in jail for only 30 minutes twice a week, depending on what unit they are in. They should increase the visitation hours to at least an hour.

Now, I am fairly new since I don’t know anything about the jail system, but I was very confused on why visitations are different based on the units. If all the inmates are located at one place and in the same building, why is it that the visitation hours are not the same? It’s unacceptable and not fair to anyone.

Also, I found it very interesting that all visitors must be 18 or older. This rule is very inconsiderate as some of the inmates have kids and young siblings and would like to see them. Everyone should have the opportunity to see their loved ones in jail.

The correctional center in Upper Marlboro is not a great place to be, nor is it a great place to visit, but they should really consider being more considerate on visitation hours.

Ime Essien, Mount Rainier