Inmates’ Viewing Limited To Educational Videos Jail Replaces Afternoon Soaps With Programs On Health, Job Skills

No more “General Hospital” or “Donahue.” Beginning Monday, when King County Jail inmates channel surf, the only programs they’ll find from noon to 4 p.m. will be about parenting, job-training skills and health.

Sgt. Bernice Ingersoll sees her new video project as a back-to-basics regimen for the 2,000 or so jail inmates.

By broadcasting information on drugabuse, child-rearing and AIDS prevention to a decidedly captive audience, she and other jail officials think they can help inmates better cope with the outside world.

“It’s a real opportunity for people to get something out of the time they have to spend here,” said Ingersoll, a guard who has spent more than two years developing the program.

“When they’re in the jail, they’re in a relatively safe environment. They’re sober. There’s a real opportunity for them to learn things: study skills, job skills,” she said.

Inmates don’t really have much choice in the matter. If they try to change channels, all they’ll get is snow.

The new programming is getting mixed reviews from inmates, though it would still leave 12 or so hours for regular viewing. As Ingersoll described the project recently to a group of women inmates who were watching “Rescue 911,” several applauded her efforts. But when they learned the programming would replace regular TV, they were decidedly less enthusiastic.

“You mean we’re gonna have to watch it in here?” June Penn said of the educational programming. “Instead of the soaps? Oh, no. That’s out of line. No way.”

“The men will never go for it,” another retorted, referring to male inmates.

In another dormitory, though, several men appeared receptive to the idea. “I like it,” said Albert Barnes. “It sounds like you’re trying to do the right thing.”

Terry Hill, one of about 550 inmates who previewed sample videos, was inspired by a program he saw about a Dallas Cowboys’ football player who battled a drug addiction. “It made me think that if he could overcome his addiction, so could I,” said Hill, who has problems with alcohol abuse.

Ingersoll came up with the idea while working the jail’s 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. shift. A sociology student at the University of Washington, she was required to create a class project that would address crime.

Ingersoll started to think about TV as a teaching tool for those with minimal reading, writing and English-comprehension skills.

She presented the idea to her supervisor, and deputy director Ray Coleman called her personally to say he liked the idea.

“She saw a way to help make the jail be a place for inmates to do more than serve time,” Coleman said.

The program has cost $3,000 to put together and has been financed from proceeds of sales of sundries to inmates.

Tapes come from the King County Jail’s library and from public libraries; most are 20 to 70 minutes long. Besides educational messages, videos on personal hygiene, yoga and t’ai chi will be offered. A different series will be shown each day for 30 days.

Ingersoll stresses that watching the programs remains voluntary and that inmates can submit requests for topics they’d like to see.