Today I and two other friends journeyed out to the Nambu Prison to visit our buddy Jeremy Frye.

Prior to our appointed rendezvous at Noksapyeong station I stopped by the PX to purchase some reading materials for Jeremy.  I was pretty disappointed with the available selections, but I wound up buying several paperback novels, an almanac, and a couple of crossword puzzle books.  This is about the only “outside” items you are allowed to give a prisoner, although they do have some items you can purchase on-site that will be provided to the inmate.

Anyway, we caught a cab at Noksapyeong and rode out to the Express Bus Terminal where we boarded the line #7 subway for Gwangmyung saguri station.  From there, a bus carried us to the “gates” of the prison.  Took just over an hour all told.

As we neared the entrance to the detention center where Jeremy is being held I thought it would be a good idea to snap a picture of the facility.  It wasn’t.  A woman in uniform leaned out a window and screamed at me “NO PICTURES!”  I was like all “my bad” and she yelled “DELETE IT!”  Which I sheepishly did.  I had no desire to see the real inside of the prison.

Although I did delete the photo I took as instructed, one of my companions had taken this shot on a previous trip and got away with it…

Once inside we filled out a visitor form and took a number to be logged in to see Prisoner #3681.  When said number was called we went to the window and presented our identification.  Chad and Lonnie had Korean forms of ID, I was using my USFK ID card and my South Carolina driver’s license.  Which proved to be a problem.  The prison official I was dealing with spoke little English and since I wasn’t ordering beer my limited Korean was useless.  Anyway, he wanted some Korean government issued form of identification which I don’t possess.  In frustration he turned to Chad (who speaks some of the local language) and told him without Korean ID I’d need a passport to gain entrance to the visitor gallery.  I didn’t bring my passport with me however, and he finally gave me the universally understood bureaucratic head nod telling me I was screwed.

We retreated from the window to discuss our next move.  I suggested to Chad that we find a supervisor to see if there might be an exception to the “rule” in my case.  Chad doubted his Korean was good enough to argue for that effectively.  So, I was thinking I’d made a wasted trip when the guy we’d been dealing with behind the counter called out to Chad and said that if I could get a picture of my passport he’d accept that. I tried to call Jee Yeun three times but got no answer.  Then I remembered I’d sent a scanned copy of my passport in an email when I applied for my job here.  Thank god for smart phones! I found that email, pulled up the attachment, and everything was good.

The room where we waited for Jeremy’s number to be posted. I did not take this photo either having been completely intimidated by this juncture.

In short order we saw 3681 on the board and entered through the doors to the left in the photo above.  A guard checked our paperwork again and directed us to room #15 (of what appeared to be twenty) which was occupied by another prisoner and his guests.  So we waited.  After a bit, the guard called out “John McCrarey” which I admit made my heart race a bit.  I tentatively walked up to his desk and he directed me to room #5.  Where we found Jeremy waiting.

An inmate in this facility is allowed one ten minute visit with up to three visitors per day. The room was like a small norebang, with two chairs and a glass partition separating us from Jeremy.  There was a speaker box at the base of the window with a timer that began ticking down from 10 as soon as we entered the room.

Considering the circumstances, Jeremy seemed to be in reasonably good spirits.  He talked about the status of his case for awhile.  Still no trial date, but he took that as a positive sign that the prosecutors have still not been able to build a viable case.  Still, he was frustrated that he was being held pending trial at all, stating that he was only locked up because he was a foreigner.  He seemed confident in his attorney and felt like he could prove that he was not the proximate cause of the victim’s demise.  I’m not sure how viable his theory of the case will be, but I don’t reckon I ought to be discussing that in this public forum anyway.

Jeremy apologized to Lonnie for being unable to fulfill his duties as the dart league secretary, asked Chad about some items he’d like retrieved from his former employer, and told me he was sorry he’d been unable to keep our scheduled meet-up when I returned to Korea (he was arrested the night before).  I told him I hoped the fiction books would help him “escape” some from the boredom of prison life, and he seemed excited about the crossword puzzles as he feared his mind was turning to mush.  Chad noted that he’d lost some weight and he said he’d started exercising.  And that pretty much took up the allotted ten minutes of our visit.  So, we said our goodbyes, did some fist bumps against the glass, and three of the four of us exited the prison.

Anyway, I guess he’s handling it all as well as can be expected.  But it is still a nightmarish situation in which to find oneself.  The facility was modern, clean and well-lighted (at least the parts we saw) so in the category of “it could always be worse” I suppose a first world jail is better than the hellholes you see on shows like Locked Up Abroad.  I can selfishly attest that when I start feeling sorry for myself, I think of Jeremy and am reminded that my problems are relatively meaningless.

We are all hoping for the best possible outcome for Jeremy’s situation.  It was good to see him again.