Base jail point of no return for most inmates

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Tong Duong
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Lights out is at 9 p.m. and wake-up at 5 a.m. for Airmen confined to the Luke Air Force Base jail. Up to three Airmen at a time can be housed in the facility. They spend most of their nights confined to a tiny room devoid of all comforts except a plastic bed, foam mattress, a toilet and their uniforms. 

One of the lesser known facts about Luke is that there is a jail on base that houses Airmen awaiting court martial or serving sentences of up to six months. 

Those convicted of crimes that hold a sentence of more than six months are sent to level two or regional facilities such as Kirtland AFB correctional facility, N.M., or Fort Leavenworth, Kan. 

When most people find out Luke has a jail they imagine something like Leavenworth, "but it's actually pretty small," said Staff Sgt. Brian Williams, 56th Security Forces Squadron confinement NCO-in-charge. 

As the warden, gatekeeper and caretaker, Sergeant Williams is responsible for the inmates 24-hours-a-day, which can be an endless process of paperwork, appointments and schedules. 

"We have to do a lot of paper work for each inmate before they can leave the facility," he said. "You have to network with many agencies to get the work done, which can become overwhelming." 

When inmates are first brought in, they are placed on 24- to -72-hour segregation, depending on their security level. They are confined to their cell and let out only to take a shower. 

Inmates can earn privileges such as going to the dining facility after being downgraded from maximum or medium security. 

"Many of the inmates that come through here really cherish choosing their own food because it is one of the few times they can leave the facility," Sergeant Williams said. 

Aside from the dining facility, inmates are allowed to leave the confinement facility only under the supervision of their unit members for medical appointments or to participate in physical training three times a week as mandated by Air Force instructions. 

It's clear to Sergeant Williams that escorting inmates is not a popular thing for their unit members. 

"It's a pain for the units when they have to come here and pick up their Airmen," Sergeant Williams said. "I don't think I've met anybody who enjoys having to break from work and come here to escort an Airman to PT or an appointment." 

When confined to the jail, inmates spend most of their time in the common room, where they watch movies, play games or read books, all of which are a privilege. All these items are donated to the jail. 

In the case of cell overflow, inmates who have been at the Luke jail the longest are temporarily sent to Florence Correctional Facility in Southern Arizona. 

This can be a good thing for them, according to Master Sgt. Brian Martin, 56th SFS Intel superintendent, who ran the center from 2000 to 2003. 

"While the inmates are housed here, we have to schedule and use the normal base services, but correctional facilities have dedicated staff who are trained in rehabilitation." 

Sergeant Martin believes jail isn't just for punishment, but to help inmates become productive members of the community. 

"We have to release these guys back into society and we don't want them to go back down the same road," he said. "We want to help and rehabilitate them to become better citizens upon their release."