Government students were offered the opportunity to take a tour of the Virginia Beach General District Court.
A total of 49 students from Jennifer Burch and Michael Mosley’s classes attended the trip over the two days.
The students toured the judge’s chamber and the pod, which is an alternate name for inmate holding cells. They were also able to tour the tunnel that transports inmates into the cells and the booking station, which consists of fingerprinting, mugshots and searching for contraband.
“My favorite part of the field trip was getting actual insight on what happens in court. It was nothing like what you see in the movies,” senior Alexis Kinslow said. “Seeing how inmates live made me wonder how come people continue making the same mistakes to end up back there.”
Students were able to talk to an inmate who had been given the advantage of becoming a trustee, which is an inmate who has been appointed special privileges and responsibilities due to good behavior. This consists of more freedom than other inmates, more phone calls and food.
Students were given the chance to sit in on court cases. This ranged from a gang member’s sentence being reduced as a result of good behavior to parking tickets.
“This has been one more of my favorite and most unique field trips through high school. I believe everyone should make an effort to go on this field trip,” senior Patrick Kennedy said.
