Prison Reform

“I thought it was a bomb at first. It pushed the building, so I was thrown against the wall. Nobody screamed. It was silent except for the sound of ringing phones. There was no announcement or anything, everyone just started walking toward the exits. I remember the stairs were wet. Fuel had poured down through the elevator shafts so it smelled like a really strong cleaning product. I still smell it when I’m dreaming. Everyone was calm and quiet in the stairwell. A lot of people were out of shape, so we were moving slowly. Occasionally we’d move out of the way to let a fireman run past. People didn’t begin to panic until we reached the ground floor because there was broken glass everywhere and bodies on the ground. That’s the first time we started running. The police actually tried to keep us inside the lobby because bodies were falling outside, but we pushed past them. I remember being shocked by all the people who were standing around, looking up. I couldn’t understand why a person would do that. I walked thirty blocks, then I caught a ride to midtown. I tried walking down into a subway station to see if the trains were running. An attendant was sitting in the booth, watching the television, and she said: ‘They’re gone.’ And that was when I finally felt fear. Until then, it had only been survival.”

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