In early April, Mr. Matthew Rose’s sociology classes took a field trip to the Winnebago County  Justice Center where a group of sophomore students visited the jail, the morgue, as well as the courthouse. 

   “The sociology field trip related to the Criminal Justice Pathway was an excellent experience,” said Mr. Rose, teacher. “Guilford Students had a rare vantage point of court proceedings, the correctional facility, and the Winnebago County Coroner.” 

   This building is located on 650 West State Street, Rockford IL. This place contains the police station and courthouse, where people can go to attend court. 

   “My overall experience was great,” said Julie Espejo, sophomore. “Better than I anticipated, it really showed what it was like to work in the service industry.” 

   This field trip was significant to sociology class because it showed the many different career pathways they can take in the criminal justice pathway. 

   “There wasn’t anything I disliked about the field trip,” said Ale DeLeon, sophomore. “But I think my favorite part was being able to see one of the areas where the inmates stay.”

   They showed where the inmates were being kept and what optional roles they were given. If the inmates kept a good reputation inside the jail they could do jobs like cook, hand out food, clean the floors, or finish getting their GPA. 

     All of the correctional officers have to wear a lot of armor to protect themselves and have to keep pepper spray on them. If they feel unsafe or being threatened they can call a code and men with big suits come in and protect the correctional officers from the inmates. 

   “It did give me more of an idea of what I want to do later when I get older,” said Espejo. “It’s eye-opening and shows you the reality of how it works and what’s really going on, much more to it than what you see on TV.”