There is a massive concrete structure enclosed by a double wire fence with razor ribbon on top located at 1300 Western Blvd in downtown Raleigh, NC. There is little landscape or green grass on these 29 acres but plenty of concrete and asphalt. Nestled close to the campus of North Carolina State University and Pullen Park with its trails, lakes, and beautiful landscape, it is a foreboding place to look at, much less visit. For 950 people this is their permanent home. It is called Central Prison and here reside the most violent convicted felons in North Carolina.
     Last week I was with a group of Superior Court Judges, which included Supreme Court Justice George L. Wainwright, Jr., that visited this prison on a tour led by Warden Marvin Polk and Deputy Warden Gerald J. Branker. I had last been here in 1993 while representing a death row inmate that was up for resentencing. I talked to the inmate (who is now off death row) through glass; now there are bars in the middle of the glass. Security is the top priority with single cells and close custody. There are no barracks type sleeping here, too dangerous. Inmates kill each other despite all the precautions by the officers. One inmate was recently strangled to death.
     It was chilling to look at the lethal injection execution room where the condemned man is strapped to a gurney and is allowed to look through glass at the execution witnesses. They cannot hear anything that he says but can read the lips of the inmate. Usually his last words are directed to a loved one saying, "I love you". After the sedative is administered that causes a deep sleep, a chemical is then inserted into the IV site in his vein and death is confirmed in approximately ten minutes by the straight line on the heart monitor. The Warden told us that the inmates to be executed are resigned to their fate and do not give any problems to the staff. The prison chaplain is with the condemned man right until the end to aid him in making peace with God. The family gets to spend most of the last day with the inmate without barriers. The prison tries to arrange any reasonable request for menu items for the inmate's last meal.
     The maximum-security H pod is for inmates that are the most extremely violent. Every time they go out of their pod they are handcuffed and sometimes manacled with leg chains. Two times a week they are allowed to go outdoors in the center of the prison. There they can pace inside a small "recreational cell" 15 feet by 15 feet that is made of fencing on the sides and top. The one-hour exercise time is up quickly. An inmate will spend at least 6 months in H block. This is hard time. Their case will then be reviewed and if their conduct is good they are released out to a prison area with fewer restrictions.
     Food for all inmates is three squares a day on a budget of .79 cents per inmate per day. The menu is the same throughout the entire prison system for its 34,000 inmates. The prison also contains a hospital and mental health ward. Our tour walked through the mental health ward and I was glad to quickly leave. These inmates are both mentally ill and violent criminals. Their cells have a very small window with an outdoor view.
     Surprisingly, death row inmates give the authorities fewer disciplinary problems than the rest of the prison population. Bad behavior can influence their success on appeal. They live in pods of 45 inmates each and can roam around the whole pod area at will until lock up time at night. There is one TV set in the pod and they listen to it via earplugs and a radio. They vote on what to watch. Majority vote wins, very democratic. There are tables for puzzles, games, and for writing. They all eat together in the dining room and have a large area for outdoor exercise, which include basketball and weights. There are currently approximately 190 inmates on death row awaiting execution.
     Central Prison is a city within itself. Once inside there are practically no views of the outside. There are over 800 employees including female guards, 150 employees short of being fully staffed. The pay begins at $24,000 a year plus state benefits. Anyone want to apply?

Opinions expressed in this article are solely that of this writer and are not the official position of the Conference of Superior Court Judges. Readers with questions about the Judicial System may send inquiries to the Weekly News, to be responded to by Judge Hockenbury or send the judge an e-mail at www.judgejayhockenbury.com .