Is prison in real life like you see it on television and films?

Question

In movies in a maximum security prison, there is constant violence, murders on a regular basis, drugs and everything you can imagine smuggled in, new guys raped constantly, and the thing always seems to be that the prison guards are all corrupt or they just don't care at all, guys get raped, brutally beaten and ie. they just put the guy in solitary for a few days then put them back together to do it all over again. That's what gets me, I can imagine all the bad stuff, but those in charge working with prisoners and taking such superficial measures to stop problems etc.

For anyone who might have knowledge of this kind of thing, is it really like that or is it just exagerated in the movies?

Also, as I just thought of, another thing that just gets me is you constantly see stuff where the inmates are working and off somewhere totally unsupervised and they do what they like.

Answer 1

It depends on the facility you're in and on the management that runs the facility. If the warden is ok, then the environment is not too bad. My boyfriend is currently at US Penitentiary Big Sandy in Inez, KY, (maximum security prison), he got transferred there from Lompoc that have been turned into a medium security. Your personal security in prison depends on what crime you are there for. If you're there for rape or a child molestor, God save your soul. Inmates prey upon them and beat the crap out of child molestors and rapists every single day turning them into a piece of bloody meat. Most child molestors get killed before even getting into the protective custody. Most people in maximum are lifers, they don't really care about the consequences for them because you can't give them more time, they are already there for life. The safest way to make it through prison time is to get a job and spend most of your day at your job, working, and staying out of the way, not getting involved into prison BS. As soon as you start getting involved with things, that is where the problems start. If you are there for the "respected" crime (like robbery, assault) , staying out of the way by spending all your day at work, lift weights for big muscles on weekends, have respected friends (if any one can be a friend in prison), don't get involved with things, beat the crap out of few child molestors, then you will be alright. It is a norm that all inmates are awake before their cell gets unlocked at 5:45 in the morning, because it is easy to get killed while you're asleep.
In the last 6 months, Big Sandy was on lockdown 5 times. There were 3 murders and stabbings. At the same time several staff members got arrested for smuggling the heroin into the facility. Since then, the old warden got fired and they replaced her with another warden that just run the prison in Colorado into the ground. They just got off another lockdown few days ago. Some guys got drunk and assaulted some staff members. That wasn't really that bad as it sounds; just the new warden was looking for reasons to push his weight around.
I visited Big Sandy in September, and the officers are really nice there. They weren't rude to me or anything. If you treat them with respect, they will treat you with respect too. But again, I was just a visitor, not an inmate. The inmates in the visiting room weren't scary looking to me either. Just like a regular people, only wearing a uniform. My boyfriend had a scar all across his arm. When I asked him about it, he just laughed. And that's about it/

Answer 2

Lots of beatings, suicides, homicides, and as in California's Kern Valley State last week some shootings.

Two inmates were stabbing a third on the yard and would not stop even after being yelled at and shot with foam bullets. One was shot for real and later died. The stabbed inmate is expected to survive--unless, someone from the same gang as the dead inmate gets to him. The guards probably did not have much choice in this instance. The dead inmate had a history of attacking others.

California Correctional and Rehabilitation prisons are so jam packed that some inmates live in coffin sized spaces. Rehabilitation is almost impossible in those conditions.

Politicians wanted to be seen as being tough on crime which did not work. It filled the prisons to almost double capacity and increased the recidivism rate to 70%, the highest in the country. The politicians did not provide good oversight. California's system went from a model system 30 years ago to the mess it is today. Some want to patch the system by building more monolithic prisons. Will they keep building until every town has a state prison?

We need solutions for mentally ill inmates, sentencing and parole reforms, and rehabilitation programs and support for those released--as most will be. That will make us all safer, and save us lots of money.

Answer 3

My husband did 3 years in a state prison. He speaks very little about what actually goes on "behind the fence", unless I ask him questions. But I have always loved to watch prison movies, prison series. So I ask him alot questions regarding the corruption amoung prisoners, guards, the drug usage, the sexual violence, and violence in general. He said it all goes on "behind the fence". Plus more at a maximum security prison. He also stated that it does not do justice for actual serving time b/c it is so much dirtier in real prison and you can't smell it either. He stated that a lot of CO's come into the system really wanting to make a change, but fall short and turn to corruption. Not every new guy gets raped, but more like "played" out his booty. By thinking someone is his friend and then they "sell" him to someone else for drugs, smokes, and work. He also stated that the first time you walk into the prison, everyone knows your the new fish, wet behind the ears.

Answer 4

It is horribly violent. Inmates who want to stay out of trouble while serving their time so they can restart their lives once the are released, often have to join gangs or be killed.

Because of over crowding in most prisons there are few jobs so inmates cannot even work to stay away from others. If an inmate is attacked, he has the choice of fighting back and being charged with and punished for mutual combat, or being beaten or possibly be cut to ribbons.

Answer 5

I suggest you read 'Holding The Key' by Ted Conover, he was a corrections officer at Sing Sing for a year, and have a read of 'The Animal Factory' by Edward Bunker. Although the latter book is fiction, the author spent most of his life in prison and most of the book is based on his own experiences

Answer 6

I was a correctional specialist stationed at the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas and I can tell you it is no picnic for the prisoners. What goes on in tv is a fairly accurate description of what goes on in prison.

Answer 7

I know someone who was in prison. Pretty much the same. The violence is not quite as bad because the guards take care of it pretty quick, but its pretty similar.

Answer 8

depends on where you go... they have a different place for the people who sexually assault people because prisoners in there for murder might well.... kill them. and yes in prison people do sell people for smokes and yes they do have sex with them.. speaking of prison. you know how people wear their pants down past their crack and wear oversized shirts to look "cool" well that started in prison... the oversized pants are because well you dont get to choose what size clothes you get... oh and it also makes it easier for bubba to rape you

Answer 9

you answered your own question up to being smuggled in-------after that NOT all correction officers are corrupt and dont give a crap

Answer 10

You don't see the gay neocons who willingly submit sexually to black gangs.... that is on the "down low" ya know....keep it on the QT.