Prison Life in North Dakota

Every time we cross the Expressway overpass in Bismarck, you get a quick glimpse into prison life in North Dakota. Occasionally, you will see inmates in the yard doing various forms of outdoor recreation. The barbed wire that surrounds the North Dakota State Penitentiary is a sobering reminder that this is not where any sane person would ever want to spend any part of their life.

I met one of our listeners recently who works at the State Pen in Bismarck, and I got a chance to ask her some questions I’ve always wondered, mostly what life is like behind bars. “Is it like prison life in the movies?” She didn’t have a bright picture to paint, and that’s probably the way it should be, to help steer individuals away from a life of crime.

I was surprised to find out that at least some of the inmates have tablets and are allowed to go online; their online experience is very controlled. I was also told prisoners are allowed to listen to the radio, something I already knew, as I have received calls from convicts making requests before. You kind of feel the pressure behind those requests, “play it or else”. Ha!

I plan to request a tour in the future using my media credentials and give you more insight into what it’s like behind bars at the North Dakota State Penitentiary.

The 20 Worst Prisions in America

Did the North Dakota State Pen make the list? Nope.  According to MoneyInc, these are the worst prisons that even the most hardened criminal would want to avoid.

20. Ely State Prison – Ely, Nevada

19. Folson State Prison – Folson, California

18. Penitentiary of New Mexico – Santa Fe, New Mexico

17. William C. Holman Correctional Facility – Atmore, Alabama

16. Sing Sing Correctional Facility – Ossining, New York

15. San Quentin State Prison – San Rafael, California

14. Louisiana State Pen – Angola, Louisiana

13. Rikers Island – New York, New York

12. Reeves County Detention Complex – Pecos, Texas

11. Julia Tutwiler Prison – Wetumpka, Alabama

10. Pelican Bay State Prison – Crescent City, California

9. United States Pen Marrion – Marion, Illinois

8. Idaho Correctional Center – Kuna, Idaho

7. United States Penitentiary Tucson – Tucson, Arizona

6. Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary – Leavenworth, Kansas

5. Orleans Parish Prison – New Orleans, Louisiana

4. Men’s Central Jail & Twin Towers Correctional Facility – Los Angeles, California

3. Tent City Jail – Phoenix, Arizona

2. Allan B. Polungky Unit – Livingtonston, Texas

1. US Penitentiary Administrative Maximum – Florence, Colorado

The 15 BEST Small-Town Cafes In North Dakota

BRECKENRIDGE — Coaches, teammates, friends and family gathered in the south parking lot of Breckenridge High School for another state tournament sendoff.

This year, it was Troy Berndt taking the ceremonial convertible ride. He is headed to St. Michael-Albertville High School for the Minnesota Class A State Track and Field Meet on June 4-6.

Corbin Abner Lee / Wahpeton Daily News

He will be running in the third heat of the 400-meter prelims, scheduled for 4:52 p.m. June 4. There are seven athletes in each heat, 21 total, and nine will advance to the finals at 6:20 p.m. June 5.

The top two finishers in each heat advance, along with the next three best times. Berndt’s personal best time of 50.67 has him seeded 13th, but the 10th-, 11th- and 12th-seeded runners are less than five hundredths of a second ahead of him. The eighth- and ninth-seeded runners are also close, at 50.33 and 50.39, respectively.

Berndt dropped nearly seven-tenths of a second from his previous personal best at the Section 6A West Subsection Meet on May 21, running 51.35, and shaved another 0.68 seconds off at the Section 6A Championships on May 28 with a time of 50.67. If he keeps lowering his time, he will have a shot at reaching the podium against the best runners in Class A.

Corbin Abner Lee / Wahpeton Daily News

Results and photos will be available online immediately following the race June 4 and in the June 10 print edition of the Wahpeton Daily News.

Corbin Lee is a sports reporter for the Wahpeton Daily News and Richland County News-Monitor. Corbin can be reached by calling (701) 291-3551 or emailing corbin.lee@wahpetondailynews.com.