My contact, who wishes to remain anonymous, worked for the Delaware Department of Corrections. He spent over 10 years in the DRU and was able to give Blue Magazine an inside look into what it’s like to work with DRU inmates. Some of answers were expected, others were shocking.

And Blue readers get to read it all here.

Blue: Where have you worked?

Anonymous: I have worked at two facilities, James T. Vaughn Correctional Center and the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution since I started with the Delaware Department of Corrections over 14 years ago. A large majority of that time was spent on the DRU.

Blue: How would you describe the inmates who were housed in the DRU?

Anonymous: In a word -- nice. I’ve worked in many housing units, some inmates were aggressive, had bad attitudes, and were disrespectful. The inmates in the DRU were simply nice. In all the years I’ve worked with those inmates, I’ve never had any significant disciplinary issues. I think it’s because they made peace with their situation, but who really knows. I had a job to do, be fair, firm and consistent and make sure they get what they’re entitled to, nothing more, nothing less.

Blue: Have you ever looked into an inmate’s crime to see why he was sentenced to death?

Anonymous: I made it a point not to look. Nothing good would come of it. If I knew the specifics of why an inmate was sentenced to death, it could change the way I see the inmate and change the way I treat them, too.

Blue: Correctional officers spend a lot of time in prisons so it is normal to build some rapport with inmates. Have you or any of your co-workers become emotional after an execution?

Anonymous: Absolutely. We are human. You can tell which officers were affected because they seem sad and upset. No one speaks about it publicly, they just keep to themselves and go about their day, but you can still tell.

Blue: Can inmates really order anything they want for their last meal, or is that just Hollywood?

Anonymous: Yes, they can order anything they want. The most common orders were cheesesteaks, lobster and pizza.