To anyone ever been in prison, what was it like?

Question

Very interesting Tehabwa, especially the part about rules. However, in regards to the pencils and typewriter I can see the reason for the confiscation. Those items can easily become a weapon in prison, if not by the person that is using them, then by a person that either steals them or threatens the owner for them. But, as for the rules, I think you've struck on a serious issue. Not providing a rigidity of rules might seriously add to the problems that society is trying to fix in prison, especially when a prison is such a tight knit community under constant authoritarian watch, it makes no sense why they should not have a stronger structure. But, I can think of one reason. The prison guards probably take bribes. Maybe we need harsher treatment of the prison guards if we are going to fix this.

Answer 1

Never been, myself.

First, it depends on what sort of prison -- there's the "Club Fed" facilities, for rich, white guys who commit crimes -- play tennis, fairly lush and comfy and very, very safe.

At the other extreme, are absolute hell-holes, of constant brutality and horror.

Then there's the obligatory betweens.

But your question reminds me of a series of pieces I read in the local paper, by a federal prisoner, about prison life.

The thing I remember from Dannie Martin's writing was the arbitrariness.

He had made something for a niece, and wanted to send it to her (a pot or other clay thing). He needed a cardboard box.

Wherever it was he worked, used them.

But he knew he couldn't just take one.

So, he asked for an appointment with an official.

Wait, wait.

Meet.

"Sure, it's fine if you take a box to mail your pottery. No problem. It's not against any rules."

So, next day at work, he picked one up and started to leave.

The Guard told him it was against the rules for him to take it.

The thing is, they're supposed to be learning to respect the rules, but there really aren't any rules -- any employee can make up any rule they want at any time for any reason (or no reason), and there's nothing you can do about it.

You can't reason with them.

And since there really aren't stable rules, you can't appeal to a set of rules.

The question becomes, how does this make people less likely to commit crimes later, after release?

You're being taught that power is the only thing that decides what can and can't be done.

Not right and wrong, who's got the power.

This seems to me to be a counter-productive message.

That guy, Dannie Martin, published a piece on a fellow prisoner being denied health care and dying.

The officials took his paper and typewriter and pencils away.

Eventually, it went before a judge who ruled that he didn't have the right to write under his name.

The paper (San Francisco Chronicle) published a few more pieces, anonymously.

Now you've reminded me of him, I've got to look him up, see if they've got anything by or on him now. (This was a long time ago.)

www.sfgate.com

if you're interested, too.

Answer 2

Source: 3 years of my life.

Depends on what kind of person you are. I don't think it's really that bad-- you make friends, and live more or less a life. If you like to read (which I do) you can get thru the whole prison library in a couple years, usually.

Other than that, you normally have a job assignment, so you have Taily routines just like the outside. And the prisons aren't as bad as the movies make them out to be. Not everyone is a hard ***, most prisoners are normal people just like you and I. The hard asses are usually kept separate, where they can't do anyone harm.

The worst part is a lot of the officers are real dumbasses, and get off on making your life difficult.

Answer 3

I spent over thirty years in prison. However I worked there. Most of the inmates, were fairly decent, once they got adjusted. Some of them looked upon it as an occupational hazard. We did have gangs, divided on the basis of race, black and white, and nationality Spanish. Sometimes they fought with each other, or maintained a shaky truce. The two main items were drugs and sex. Some traded one for the other, some maintained a stable of inmates that they would sell or rent, for the right price. We did experience several stabbings or beat-downs, and an occasional murder, but this is all part of prison life.

Answer 4

Hmmm...well lets see....it all depends on which one you are going to and also if it is a man's or woman's prison. I did almost three years here in Las Vegas and it was a life changing exp. for me. I have been out less than a year and I am finally doing all the things I should have done many years ago. It tears a person down to have their freedom taken away and told when and how to do things. If you really want to know more just e-mail me and I can tell you my exp.

Answer 5

I spent a night in prison for trespassing, released the next day bailed out by angry parents.

Spent another night in prison for possesion of a marijuana pipe (no marijuana though) almost had to fight a Mexican that wanted my jacket. Other inmates saw me through a glass during processing and anticipated my arrival into the system. Very unsettling and almost made me go straight.

Spent a third day in a holding tank in Honolulu after a friend and I got picked up for unpaid traffic violations. By this time I was used to it and I had money to get myself out but they split up me and my friend. The police terrorized my friend, but they couldn't rattle me. They thought if they threw me in a cell with giant Samoan toughs that I would freak but I just asked them for a mat and went to sleep for about 8 hours.

Answer 6

i work at one. i'm only there for 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week and it sucks.
for the inmates it's worse. bunk beds, open toilet in the cell. only get 4 or 5 hours a day outside. have to wait on a long list to get into the gym or weight pit. have to be strip searched every time someone comes to visit you. have to deal with other, some very dangerous inmates. you are locked down every night, kind of like having a bed time. you have the right to buy a 12 inch black and white tv to have in your cell, but you have to watch it with headphones on. the power goes out every night at 12. you are told when to eat, and have no choice of what you eat. the food itself, isn't that good.
all in all, it sucks

Answer 7

Wasn't that bad. Drove there, dropped some people off, the deputies took them and put them into a cell, filled out some papers, got back into the car and drove back to town.

Answer 8

No, but I was married for nearly Ten Years. It felt like it.


Laughter will always be the best medicine

Have a good weekend!

Answer 9

Frommy point of view, it sucks.

It's gotta be a lot worse for the convicts...

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