Because correctional facilities are closed environments, perceptions of prison and jails are largely informed by the media; unfortunately, those perceptions are often inaccurate. Faculty in criminal justice programs often strive to combat inaccurate media images, including offering criminal justice students the opportunity to tour a prison or jail. In this study, undergraduate criminal justice students were surveyed about the sources of their corrections information prior to attending a tour of a prison or jail. After the tour, students wrote a reflective essay comparing their perceptions before the tour to their actual experiences on the tour. In the survey and in their essays, students pointed to the media as a major source of their information about corrections. While a few students noted similarities, most students commented about the differences in what they observed on the tour versus what they expected to see. These findings indicate the important role the media plays in shaping student perceptions and how short-term experiential learning opportunities like field trips can counteract stereotypes. We discuss implications for instructors planning field trips in relation to the study results.