You can always tell when the woodshop begins its operations for the day. For one, there is that distinct sound of the motor turning over and activating the air filtration system, bringing the woodshop to life. Secondly, at about the same time there is an unmistakable troop of about ninety inmates spilling out of the buildings at the Nottoway Correctional Center, all of which are heading towards the woodshop to report to work.
Besides the dust that seems to permeate the air, there is definitely an atmosphere to the woodshop. Every person, whether they are an inmate or staff, plays a role and has specific duties which they are expected to carry out.
Take, for example, Tim, who is one of the floor supervisors. One of his functions in the morning is to hand out essential items such as gloves, tape, as well as keys. It is fair to say that he is an outgoing fellow who always greets all of us workers first thing in the morning, just as Jill does. When it comes to Jill, the plant manager, it is her job to make sure that the place is runs like a well-oiled machine. And it is.
There is no doubt that both Jill and Tim do their part, as do Christi, Julia, and Steve. These staff members are spokes in the wheel that makes the woodshop turn. For the most part though, it is the inmates who make up the intricate parts in the woodshop.
Every part that gets made (which we refer to as “jobs”) has to first go through the processing department, which Jesse manages. It just so happens that he is the clerk, as well as a fellow inmate.
“Jesse, how many jobs do we have on the floor?” one of the supervisors can ask him at any given time.
Jesse is a pretty smart individual. It would only take a split second for you to realize this once you get to talking to him. Other things that you’ll notice are that he has a professional demeanor, and that he takes his job seriously. After positioning the mouse in the appropriate place and a couple of clicks later, he’ll have the answer for you.
What the part is, determines what department it goes to. For the Envision line, things like panels, tops, and the like that make up desks, cabinets go to the Scheer saw to be cut. This department is run by Old Man Hunt, who calls himself “The Wood Doctor.” Parts in the Piedmont and Commonwealth line go to the Komo machines to be cut. These two departments are run by Puff and Sincere, also fellow inmates. Every department has a lead man. In effect, this particular inmate is ultimately responsible not only for the jobs that come through his department, but also the work that other inmates perform in his department.
Typically, parts that come from these departments make their way to the Edgeband area, where they receive edgeband when required, hence the name. If it happens to be an Envision product. it then makes it way to my department, the vertical bore machine. There, it is up to me and my co-worker to drill different sized holes into each part so that it may be fitted to other parts. Eventually every part has to go through Quality Control to be measured and inspected for quality assurance.
Besides these departments, there are many others with each having their own set of functions, including Assembly, AutoCAD, Raw Materials, Rough Wood, & the SA Dept. (which is short for sanding); just to name a few.
To say in the least, there are a lot of things being produced within the woodshop at the Nottoway Correctional Center. Chances are, if you visited any state agency such as the Department of Motor Vehicles, or pretty much any state college in Virginia, you’ve seen a chair, desk, tabletop, or the like that came from the Woodshop here.
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