Pleasant Valley State Prison recently hosted an educational night of activities for family and friends.
Under the shelter of the covered parking lot, prison staff hosted department booths, vendors and refreshment stations.
Once checked in and registered, attendees received gifts, door-prize tickets and were encouraged to visit booths to receive additional giveaways donated by staff.
Exploring the booths in the parking lots, family members could interact with staff and learn more about daily operations within an institution.
In addition, Education, Medical, and Community Resource Departments ran game booths with ring toss, prize punch, ball toss and others with small prizes awarded to the winners.
Special demonstrations were set up by:
- Pleasant Valley State Prison Fire Department
- Crisis Response Team
- Investigative Service Unit
- Investigative Service Unit K-9s
- Transportation Unit
The Firetruck and Transportation Unit, which included a CDCR bus and vans, were on site for tours and questions.
Those taking the Firetruck tour were given toy fire helmets. Throughout the evening, the Crisis Response Team gave a high-energy demonstration of how to subdue a perpetrator while also maintaining safety in a dangerous situation. The K-9 units gave demonstrations and for those stopping at the Investigative Service Unit booth, you could view items seized as contraband and speak to staff about their role at the institution.
In addition to the food trucks on grounds, cotton candy, popcorn, coffee, and hot cocoa stations were set up.
Submitted by Lt. Jason Martin
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