For two months, 95 men and 13 women in Ben Hill County have had a chance to get used to the jail’s shocking new look.
The sheriff decided to paint the entire jail bright pink and lime green to help calm down the inmates.
At first, inmates say the colors were a little shocking. “I was thinking those are girls colors,” said Robert Alexander, an inmate at the Ben Hill County Jail.
But for two months, everyone has had a chance to get used to the new, feminine look. “It was more depressing but the pink really doesn’t make it as much as a prison,” said an inmate.
“I don’t hear beating on the cells most days no more,” said Alexander.
“Everywhere you look in this jail except the ladies cell will be pink, pure pepto bismol pink,” said Sheriff Bobby McLemore who believes the pink has done wonders for the inmates. “We have had very few fights, tempers don’t flare half as bad as they used to this really worked.”
The sheriff says he decided to make the drastic change because the cells were overloaded with graffiti, and the inmates needed calming. “Before we painted the jail pink it was loud you couldn’t hardly hear yourself think.”
And research has shown jails who have gone pink have had great success.
“The first thing they see is pink walls and its pink from there on out,” said McLemore.
But its not all pink, the female inmates are dealing with bright lime green. So far the sheriff says the women don’t have much to say about their new look.
“They have just put there lime green jumpsuits on, and gotten in their cells. There has really been no comment,” said McLemore.
“I’d rather be in the pink than green, the green would make you go crazy,” says an inmate. Alexander agrees “I think I’d rather take the pink, cause the green it gives off a glow.”
The sheriff says he hopes it sends a message to other inmates
“If you don’t like pink, stay free don’t break the law,” said Alexander.
The inmates were tasked with doing all the painting. If the prison would have hired an outside contractor, it would have cost $90,000 dollars.