SWITZERLAND SEEKS VOLUNTEERS FOR PRISON TEST RUN

They’ve built a new prison in Zurich, Switzerland, and officials are looking for volunteers to test the jail’s capacity, services and operations. Hundreds of people – over 800 – have volunteered to become pretend inmates before the new Zurich West Prison officially opens. For four days, the guests will be treated like inmates: testing food, undergoing intake procedures, walking the yard, etc. The volunteers can’t bring cellphones or other electronic devices inside. (* Uh huh.) Every participant will require security clearance, and need to undergo checks similar to airport screenings. Strip-searches will be optional. Sample inmates also will receive a “safe word” they can give the staff to bail out immediately if they get cold feet or start to crack under the conditions.
* The safe word is: “fondue.”
* Strip-searches are optional, and if you want a cavity search, it’s 50 bucks.
* As a joke, they should give some of them the wrong safe word.
* If this was America, it would be turned into a reality show in ten seconds.
* “OK, let’s have the shiv-makers line up over to the left, the hunger strikers in the middle, and the feces-throwers please line up on the right.”