A Sudbury, Ont. couple was among a group of Christian bikers who ventured inside the Florida prison where Conrad Black is set to begin serving out his sentence Monday.

One of the largest facilities in the U.S., Coleman prison is located near Orlando, Fla. about a four-hours drive from the disgraced media mogul's Palm Beach mansion.

Shirley and Roy Erkila were the only Canadians among 120 American bikers who went into the federal low-security prison in 2006, with their motorcycles, to visit with the inmates.

"They just came running to us," Shirley told CTV.ca on Monday from Florida, where the retired couple spends its winters.

"There were 17 bikes in the prison and we talked to them and they were smiling because they were finally seeing someone from the outside world."

The trip was organized by Prison Ministry, a group that places Christians in detention facilities to meet with those inmates who wish to have a visit.

Shirley said the members of the group had to go through intense security checks and clearances, and had their bikes searched, before they were allowed into the facility.

They also wore yellow shirts to identify themselves as visitors to the prison.

When they finally gained clearance, and brought their motorcycles into a recreational area, the inmates immediately made their way over to meet with them and get a closer look at their motorcycles, she said, noting that it was the first time bikes had ever beem permitted in the jail.

She said it was an eye-opening experience to spend time within the prison.

"When you looked around you saw the great big rolls of razor wire and the birds flying and you think, wow -- these people really are doing time, all they have is time in there," she said.

"They have nothing else. And there are young ones, old ones, grandfathers, all nationalities. It's just unbelievable."

She said the facility, about to become Black's new home, will likely be a shock to the former media mogul who once gave up his Canadian citizenship in order to accept British knighthood and the title of Lord Black of Crossharbour.

During the seven-and-a-half hours the couple spent in the prison, it became clear the inmates had few opportunities to make decisions for themselves and they were really "doing time," she said.

"I think it will be quite a shock to him to know you can't leave, you look up and you see the birds flying and the clouds and the planes, and you can't leave. When we were there we couldn't even put ourselves in that position because we knew we could leave."

The Coleman Federal Correctional Complex consists of four facilities, including a low- and medium- security facility and two high security facilities.

It is situated in central Florida near the town of Coleman.