Can someone please tell me what Prison is really like??

Question

Can someone please tell me what Prison is really like??
From people who have been there or people who have family that have gone there. What goes on from the time you wake up until the time you go to bed?
Is it best when your family sends you money? If so how much will last you 30 days? What all can prisoners do with money they receive?
Do they really get beat up like on the movies? Or only if they pick fights?
Please serious answers only, I just found out that a family member of mine is in prison.

Answer 1

dont drop the soap

Answer 2

It really depends if your family member is male or female. I have a female family member in prison. I send her money to get basic things she needs. She works 4 days a week for 10 hours a day but there is no pay. It goes toward shortening her time along with good behavior. The prison has a list of things you can send once a month that she requests. The list is specific, like what colors you can and cannot have for clothing, hair accessories, make up, etc. If you do not follow the rules when sending them stuff, it gets thrown away. Letters are extremely important to those in prison. If you strive to get along and learn, you won't get beat up.

Answer 3

Prison is what the individual inmate makes of it.

The crime they committed places them in a "pecking order" among the other inmates. Murder of police or other official is very high on the order, while rapists and child molesters places them on the bottom of the order.

Money is helpful, but not necessary in all institutions. The inmates can purchase "store" items such as cigarettes, candy, food items, hygiene items and various and sundry other articles to assist them in making their life a little more bearable.

Yes, they do get beat up, but usually only for cause. An infraction of the "Prison Rules" (the ones the inmates have themselves) will earn the beatings.

How much will last 30 days all depends on what the inmate spends it on. Usually, their prices are lower than what you would spend on the streets for the same items.

I have found the most valued items the inmates keep are the letters, cards, pictures and other notes from home and family. Do what your heart tells you, and send what is allowed.

Answer 4

There is no normal prison, each is different, and it is different depending on your security level.

For some you are woke up by the staff about 1 before breakfest and your cell doors are opened ( assuming you live in general population) there will be two men to a room normally. You can shower, get dressed and get prepared for your day. You will have to clean your cell, and you will have some cell block duty most likely to get ready for the morning inspection of the cell block.

Your cell block will be called for breakfest and you will have a short time to leave the cell block. The cell blcok officer checks the cells and does some searches of the cells for illegal material.

You will come back from breakfest ( and searched as you come back into the cell block. then you will have a call out for work details, education or any call outs for the day.
Inmates not going on details will be secured back in thier cells.

And so on, all day every day.

If you are in a max or super max you could be in lock down, so bascily you never leave your cell excpet to go to the yard for about 30 min to one hour a day. You may get a shower everyday or you may have to do it 3 days a week.

You sit in your cell all day, food is brought to you.

Most have limits on the money, about 20 to 30 dollars does it fine, you buy cigarettes for those that still allow smoking, buy some soups, candy and other items.

There is some gambling with these items or they can be traded for extra toliet paper and the such.

Answer 5

My husband has been in federal prison for 26 years. Basically, you have no choices, except to decide to live or die. They tell you when to get up, when to eat, what to wear, when you can move, when to sit still for count, and so forth. At his current institution, they are allowed to party all night long in some units, which is hell for the ones who don't party.

In the federal system, they can only spend $200.00 a month. and can get by on a lot less. Some don't have any families to send them any money. Their phone runs about $90.00 for 300 minutes, which is used in 15-minute increments, and you have to be on their phone list for them to call you. At his current institution, they have two working phones for 1400 inmates.

For federal, you send money to a central U.S. PO Box location, and it's deposited into their accounts from there. As for shopping, it depends on what they need, or if the item is in the commissary. "His" commissary stopped carrying fruit because a few guys were making wine with it.

The guys that have families sending them money are a lot better off, obviously, than those making 8 cents an hour. You'd never get a warm sweater or decent food. It's not like they ever have actual cash, but there's always trading. Just like you learn to live in this world, they learn how to live in the prison world.

Sure they get beat up all the time. You've got 1400 angry, bitter, bored men in one place. That's a lot of testosterone in one place. Only the strong survive, and the weak ones who buy protection. Prison does not rehab anyone. Prison is a warehouse, to keep the "bad" people away from the "good" people. Second generation street trash and gang bangers don't rehab because they don't know what rehab is. Prison is a way of life for them. The smart ones, however, quickly realize they never want to go back, and try to live long enough to get out.

Please let me add this. If your family member is asking you for money, don't rush to do so. I correspond with several of my husband's friends from "the old days" and none of them have ever asked me for any money. I advise other women who are trying "prison dating" to walk away from any of the guys that start asking for money right away. If you want to give your family member a Christmas gift of ten or twenty dollars, go ahead. But don't let someone take advantage of your kindness until you're sure they're worth it, and appreciate your generosity.

Good luck to you.

Answer 6

Most prisons are, quite bluntly, hell on earth. When you have numerous criminals all locked up together it's a nightmare. Yes there are numerous fights because "toughness" is considered the best charater trait. If U have someone U love in prison, I'd recommend you suggest they go to the chaplain. Money sent is kept in an account which they can spend at canteen, usually for cigs cause they're worth their weight -and then some- in gold. Prisons usually have rules about how much each prisoner can spend per day or per month. If U want to keep your loved one safe I'd recommend sending lots of cigs, not money.

Answer 7

It depends, No its not like to movies. Similar but not exactly. They do have segregation. Blacks, whites, mexican, south side north side, etc. I have never been in prison but have lots of family members that have. They usually get to go on the yard or if they are in trouble they get put on lock down and dont see daylight until they get off lock down. They appreciate it when you send them money. It can go a long way if they use it for necessities.

Answer 8

prison is not like the movies but its almost the some you can work in the kicken and make like $28 dollars a month. you have to get up early in the morning but not on weekends. yea its good that your family sends you money so you can buy things out of the commisary you can get paper,foods,clear tv, and all kinds of things you used to be able to get peanut butter but people was putting cell phones inside so you cant get in any more and you play sports but i would not.

Answer 9

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Answer 10

As long as he has respect for himself and others, he'll be fine. If he is a child molester he wont make it very long. You don't need to send money, they will give him a paying job. Letters of encouragement are the best.

Answer 11

As a member of HMPrison service I found this website very informative and 'real'


http://www.sentdown.co.uk/NEW_sentdown/index.php