To most people, a jail is an institutional, inhospitable place, as far removed from the comforts of home as any place could possibly be. However, in Avery County, North Carolina, the jail was actually a home for the jail keepers and their families. These are the stories of the families whose lives were intertwined with those of individuals who found themselves on the wrong side of the law. From its opening in 1913 to its closure in 1970, the jail was home to dozens of families who ate, slept, and carried on their lives as they cared for prisoners. While all of the jail keepers and most of their wives have passed away, many of the children who lived in the jail shared their memories of "jail time" for this history. Today, the jail building is the Avery County Historical Museum.