I knew it was going to be a long night when I volunteered to spend the night in the Hillsboro jail last weekend. It was a great story opportunity. Sheriff Glenn Boyer had read that other jails had sponsored a one night bed and breakfast, so he decided to do the same in the new wing of his jail. Over 90 people volunteered to spend the night. Not all of them participated. One man came from North Carolina. Another came from Deleware, Oklahoma. A woman drove down from Chicago. All for the chance to spend the night in jail. Initially, I was disappointed that we weren’t in the old style one-man cells with bars. I wanted the real experience. Modern jails have more of a dormitory atmosphere with bunk beds and a dining table. But, it was still jail. I stayed up all night. I didn’t want to miss anything. I met some interesting people. Plus, I got to see the real inmates in their cells. I promise, I will always be good. It was nice to visit, but I was certainly glad to leave.

In case you missed it, here is the link to the photo gallery: http://stltoday.mycapture.com/mycapture/enlarge.asp?image=24918498&event=807820&CategoryID=38578