Caged warmth: three harrowing days at a women's minimum-security prison!(Cartoon)

SPRING, 2010: I AGREED TO TAKE PART IN AN ARTS PROGRAM AT THE MISSION CREEK CORRECTIONS CENTER NEAR BELFAIR, WASHINGTON ...

THE PROGRAM WOULD CULMINATE IN A MULTIMEDIA EVENT PERFORMED BEFORE THE PARTICIPANTS' FAMILIES, FRIENDS AND FELLOW INMATES ...

THIS YEAR'S THEME WAS MICHAEL JACKSON. THE WOMEN WOULD RE-ENACT M.J.'S DANCE ROUTINES, AND USE HIS COMPLEX PERSONA TO REFLECT ON THEIR OWN SELF-IMAGES ...

THE FIFTY OR 50 INMATES WHO VOLUNTEERED FOR THE PROGRAM WERE NOT UNIFORMLY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THIS THEME, HOWEVER ...

"IF I MET MICHAEL JACKSON I'D ASK HIM TO SHOW ME HIS NEVERLAND RANCH ...

"... BUT IF MY KIDS WERE WITH ME I'D MAKE THEM WAIT IN THE CAR."

"IF I MET MICHAEL JACKSON I'D STEAL HIS STUPID GLOVE AND RUN OFF SINGING 'BILLIE JEAN IS NOT MY LOVER'" ...

THAT ONE'S MINE!

NICE!

MY ROLE WAS TO HELP WITH DRAWINGS THAT WOULD LATER BE INCORPORATED INTO A BACKDROP FOR THE STATE. AT FIRST I MET WITH SOME RESISTANCE ...

DO WE HAVE TO DRAW?

I ALWAYS GOT "F"'S IN ART! *

NO ONE WILL BE GRADING YOU ...

MY PENCIL HAS NO ERASER.

BEING A PROFESSIONAL WISE GUY, I ALLOWED THE WOMEN TO TREAT THE SUBJECT MATTER AS IRREVERENTLY AS THEY PLEASED ...

THIS IS MICHAEL JACKSON WITH HIS HAIR ON FIRE ...

AND THIS IS HIM HOLDING-HIS SON "BLANKET" OUT OF THE WINDOW ...

THIS IS LISA MARIE PRESLEY FLEEING FROM M.J. IN HER WEDDING DRESS.

HAW! I TOTALLY FORGOT THEY WERE MARRIED!

MISSION CREEK IS A RECENT OFFSHOOT OF THE MUCH LARGER MAXIMUM-SECURITY PRISON IN NEARBY PURDY, WA ...

WITH ITS SMALL SIZE AND BENIGN ARCHITECTURE, THIS FACILITY COULD EASILY BE MISTAKEN FOR AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (IF YOU IGNORE THE RAZOR WIRES, THAT IS).

IN FACT, EVERYTHING ABOUT MISSION CREEK FELT SCHOOL-LIKE, WITH ITS GYM, CAFETERIA, ATHLETIC FIELD, ETC ...

NO OFFENSE, BUT THIS PLACE SEEMS PRETTY SOFT FOR A JAIL.

YOU GOT THAT RIGTH!

THIS IS A CUPCAKE JAIL COMPARED TO PURDY ...

AND ITS RIGID INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE HELPS EXPLAIN WHY ALL THE INMATES I MET BEHAVED AND EVEN LOOKED A LOT YOUNGER THAN THEY ACTUALLY WERE.

PURDY IS SCARY! AND OVER-CROWDED ...

THESE TWO SEEM PERFECTLY HARMLESS ...

THEY'RE A COUPLE OF NERDS!

THAT'S WHY THEY'RE TRANSFERRING US NON-VIOLENT OFFENDERS TO THIS PLACE ...

HOW ON EARTH DID THEY WIND UP HERE?

AS WELL AS WOMEN AT THE END OF A LONG STRETCH WHO WANT TO STAY OUT OF TROUBLE BEFORE THEY'RE RELEASED.

EVERY SINGLE INMATE I SPOKE TO WAS CONVICTED ON A DRUG-RELATED CHARGE: POSSESSION, DEALING, AND/OR THEFT TO PAY FOR THEIR DRUG HABITS ...

FOR ME IT WAS METH.

CRACK.

METH AND...