If you have been in jail or prison, how did people react when they found out?

Question

When I was a teenager, 20 years ago, I ended up in prison as a result of my own stupidity. I only tell very few people about that period of my life, and only then when I become close to them.

However on several occasions, when people I know have been vocal with their opinion on prison and/or criminals I have felt like making them aware of the reality based on my first hand experience.

Has anyone done this, and what sort of reaction did you get?

Answer 1

I got out after 11 months 5 months ago. I find that now I am much less tolerant of people's misinformed opinions of the Prison system. It has no or very few safeguards. I'm well aware that I went away to be punished for something I shouldn't have done. That doesn't excuse how my long term medical problems were ignored & abused. The prison system does not work except in a very few cases. Most of the boys on my wing were on their tenth sentence it seemed. So what are they doing? Not something constructive, like trying to alleviate the problems that cause laws to be broken, but build more gaols. In another ten years they'll be full too

Answer 2

Personally I have never been to prison.
My brother has but he doesn't say a lot about it unless asked.
He does get quite annoyed when people try telling him what prison is like even though they have never experienced it first hand but he usually walks away & say's nothing.
I don't think he has ever told random people about this part of his life because he isn't sure how they will react to him.


Hope that was sort of what you were looking for
Sorry I couldn't be more help.

Answer 3

I have been locked up 9 times , but I get out the same day , and pay my fines ( plead guilty ) they have all been for assault ,and battery , but after I explain why ..my friends and family support what I did .. when we go to the lake or beaches , I watch my daughters very close , I catch a perv looking at them the wrong way , I beat the sh*t out of them ... it is the same as the court system does , just without the taxpayer expense , I catch them , find them guilty , pat them on the head (( a few times )) and let them go ... I do it all in one day , it takes the courts years to do that.....the only thing I do not like about it is the fines are getting up to around 5 grand , but it is a small price to pay for keeping my children safe..

Answer 4

I been to jail twice already. When everybody first found out... i actually became very well known, some laughed, some couldn't believe it, some became friends with me after that. Of course everybody was very shocked cuz supposely I am the "good" girl.

Answer 5

I do not have experience and how that i do not get that experience. I do not mean to offend you or anything. I just think that going to jail is also another thing in life. I do not think that going to jail is a bad mark on your life. Every one has ups and downs in life. I bet you one thing that going to jail would have changed your life a lot and may have given you a lot of spirit to fight positively in your life. Best wishes.

Answer 6

Most of my family still didn't know.
All my friends called me a dumb a-- and laughed.

Answer 7

allmy friends laughed at me the they felt sorry for me.
My mom well I did'nt tell my family.

Answer 8

jug up, well i can relate to some. others well i don't know. times change and so have i. others are prejudicial.

Answer 9

they saw it coming haa ha so there was no surprise

Answer 10

no.