By Joshua Ryan
The line ended at a door that was so important we had to be buzzed through. On the other side was a wide white hallway with wooden doors on one side and steel doors on the other — and a yellow line on the left, of course. Finally we got to a place where there were two steel doors with a glass booth between them. An old officer was seated in the booth. Officer Collison pulled me over and told me to stand in front of the glass.
“Got one for ya, Pop.”
“Yeah? Don’t look like much. But OK, if you say so. Hold up your arm, boy. I wanta see that bracelet you got.”
“Yes, Sir.” I held it up to the window. He half-rose in his chair and scanned my wristband.
“Nother lifer,” he said. “Well, welcome to free room and board. I’ll take him into Number 2.”
