104-year-old woman gets her birthday wish: A day in jail

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On her 104th birthday, Loretta Chamberlain had just one wish: to celebrate the occasion behind bars.

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Her wish came true Monday when she toured the Livingston County Jail, a small correctional facility in Geneseo, New York.

Chamberlain’s visit included coffee and cake, handcuffs, and meeting a K-9 dog, according to the sheriff’s office.

During the visit, deputies fingerprinted the centenarian, took her mug shot and briefly locked her in a jail cell, said Tessa Peri, the director of social work at Avon Nursing & Rehabilitation in Upstate New York, where Chamberlain is a resident.

Chamberlain called her trip to the jail “wonderful.”

“It was more interesting than I thought it would be,” she told The Washington Post.

Chamberlain, who was born in New York on Feb. 8, 1921, said she didn’t get to celebrate her 103rd birthday last year because she was in the hospital. She moved into Avon Nursing & Rehabilitation later that month.

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The nursing home kicked off her 104th birthday celebration on Feb. 5 with a Hawaiian-themed surprise party days before the jail tour.

Chamberlain said the trip to jail “made up for all the birthdays, all my life.”

She said she wanted to visit the jail after attending her nursing home’s “coffee with a cop” social event and hearing from people who work there.

“My husband Jacob works there as a nurse and when she met him and learned what he does – she became very interested in the jail and sheriffs office,” Peri said in an email.

“We also hosted a social here at the Avon Nursing Home – ‘coffee with a cop’ – where several local law enforcement officers came to the nursing facility and shared some experiences with our residents. Eventually, she shared with us that her birthday wish was to go on a tour of the jail and visit with deputies,” Peri added.

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Peri thanked the sheriff’s office and jail for making “Loretta’s experience special.”

“She was overwhelmed by all of the attention that she got and even stated that she wished she was younger and could work in a job where she would be able to utilize all of the information that she learned,” Peri said.

Chamberlain said she’s been reflecting on when she was “a little girl” in the 1920s. Chamberlain spoke about her time growing up during Prohibition and under “blue laws,” as they are called, which barred certain businesses from operating on Sundays.

“I have a lot of memories of back then,” she said. “Those were the good old days.”

Chamberlain is already looking forward to planning next year’s festivities. For her 105th birthday, she said she wants to be with her family.

“I’ve had such a wonderful life,” she said. “I have a lot to be thankful for.”

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