Central Unit Yard Office Desk

Central Unit at Arizona State prison Complex Florence has been around since 1908. Many of the staff assigned to Florence complex, have either been assigned, or have visited Central unit in one way or another over the years. The Yard office has always been a place where staffs congregate to gather Intel, turn in paperwork, retrieve paperwork etc. Those of us that have spent any large amount of time at Central have spent several hours around the yard office circle. The circle is a large desk that we all have used in one capacity or another. Over the years the circle has been over used and was in sad disrepair. Years of wear and tear from staff, inmates, temperature and general conditions. The idea was proposed to refurbish the yard office circle by ADW Young. The proposed idea was a large feat to complete. Challenges such as funding and materials were going to be a big part of the refurbishing. Lt. Freitag was up for the challenge, like many things assigned to her over the years, she jumped right in with both feet. Like Central unit in general, the circle was no different with the difficult challenges that lay ahead and the hours of ideas and thought process that it would take to complete the circle. Several ideas were thrown out on how to fix the missing inner counter top, that had been cut away in 2 large sections years before. The idea to have two benches in place of those counter tops was the decision that was made. Now how do you place benches in a circle bottom and an octagon top? This by far was the most challenging part of the refurbishing. The existing counter and the cabinets below had to be removed. Once that was clear, now the building of the benches took place. We had to try several different things for each piece of the benches. The framing, the lower round bottom, the top seat and the back, of the benches came together piece by piece. Once the benches were complete, they were engraved with memorials to the Officers that have given their lives in service of state and country. Most of the wood was found at construction sites in dumpers. Staff during the beginning process of the circle, were very curious and interested in the new project. We asked many staff their opinions on what they thought looked better and what ideas they may have going forward. This became a huge moral builder; staff would stop by the yard office just to see the progress that was made, and the different ideas that were used. Every time a new piece was added or completed, it was a like a fun surprise for them to see the progress when they returned from their RDO’s (Regular days off). The yard office for so many years has been a place for staff to gather and now with the circle being refurbished they would have a positive clean place to complete their work. The drawers in the circle that contain paperwork, were very disorganized and falling apart. The drawers on the bottom sections were completely removed and cabinets were decided to be put in their place. There were five drawers on the top section that were missing. We used the bottom drawers parts and recreated the 5 missing drawers for the top side. All the drawers were refinished and stained and given new labels. All the forms in the yard office circle are now the forms that are actually used by staff on a daily basis, and the form number is now on the label so you can easily access the form to print more. Staff have been using the circle more now that they can access the paperwork they need in an easy and timely manner to complete their jobs. The floor was a topic of discussion for a long period of time. Several ideas were thrown out, tile was not an option due to the movement and traffic, but the idea of a painted badge idea stuck. The badge was projected on to wood that had been cut to measurements of the circle. The wood was then painted and placed in pieces into the circle, where it was secured. The badge number was easy for us to decided, COII Coleman badge # 2286 who had passed away just a few year earlier in a tragic car accident. We felt this was a proper way to honor his service and what he meant to staff. The floor was then sealed with a thick garage floor sealant. The cabinets were now ready for new doors. We wanted to ensure that we kept with the theme of the yard office and Central. The doors were made to look like little prison doors and a diamond screen was placed behind frame. For the handles we used hand cuffs. A special touch on the cuffs were the adding for 2 officer names chits. COII Coleman and COII Kellywood, both these officers meant a lot to staff, they lost their lives way too early and we wanted to honor both of them for their service. The time line for the top for the circle was a challenge, due to most of the historical museums and library’s being closed because of COVID. Many of the photos were found from staff that had saved photos over the years and a lot of searching online. We decided to place old photos on one side of the circle and new photos on the other side. The middle of the circle was decided to place badges; name tags patches and memorabilia from the prison. Once all the pictures were eliminated and glued to the top, the placement of all the memorabilia was placed. The top was routed out and then painted for the inlays of items. Staffs were given the option to participate in the circle, with their name tags. There are 129 name tags, separated by years of service. They tags range from a few months to 25 plus years. Staff from Florence, Eyman, Lewis, COTA and Tucson complex’s that had been assigned at Central at one point in time or another participated in being part of the circle. This allowed staff to become one with the circle and the history of Central unit. In its own way staff old and new became united as not just officers, but family and history forever. The top layer of epoxy was poured with a few last challenges, the patches had to be eliminated due to the epoxy having a chemical reaction and turning them black. Once the epoxy was finally dry, the caution tape was taken down the circle was given a final wipe down and staff began using their new Circle. Staff all the way through the project became involved in the creation and completion. This project stretching over a period of 3 months, this gave staff something to rally behind and have a common interest in. Now that it’s compete staff are enjoying the use and functionally of the space. The circle is no longer an eye sore but something for staff to take pride in, that in its self is a SUCESSS