Have you been to PRISON?

Question

....and if so what sort of a 'time' did you have?

And for the rest of you, do you think prison has the same 'social stigma' attached to it as it did, say 30yrs ago? I mean, so many have gone / are going all the time.

Thoughts please. 10 points for the most honest perspective.

Answer 1

For anyone who stigmatize those who have been incarcerated, please take time to learn about prisons. I visited several prisons and write and send packages to some inmates who have no one on the outside. I do not know what crimes those I write to committed or how long they will be there, but I hope my small contribution will help them turn their lives around. That will make us all safer.

Politicians wanting to be seen as being tough on crime, rather than doing the hard job of overhauling the prison system, increased sentening to unreasonably long terms for drug abuse or relatively minor crimes. That is costing us billions and has not reduced the crime rate.

For those who know the truth about prisons, the social stigma is not the same as it was back when sentencing made more sense. Most people's knowledge of prisons is limited to what they see on television. Some think all excons are beyond redemption and that they should forever be denied jobs, places to live, and education--as if relegating them a life of welfare or repeating crimes is going to save us money or make us safer.

Sometimes those who ask and answer prison questions on Yahoo Answers obviously know nothing about prison and that it is horribly unsafe for inmates and guards alike. They act as if prison is a free meal ticket. People eat, but it is not free. They are degraded, unsafe, waste millions of man hours, and are unable to work either while in prison because of the overcrowding, or after paying their debt to society because of the stigma.

The California prisons are so overcrowded that inmates sleep in bunks stacked three high in hallways, gyms, and other areas that were to be used for recreation and rehabiliation programs. If they are left to rot in prison, they will be more rotten when released (as most will be), and that does not make us safer.

The mentally ill are housed with all the others. The medical system is so horrific, the Federal government took over. The Feds are threatening to do the same with the rest of the system because of the appalling conditions.

A bill was recently passed that will cost $16 billion when finance cost are included. It will expand the prison system and provide some rehabiliation. Even the prison guards union was against it in spite of the new jobs it will add. They believe sentencing and parole reforms make more sense. Of course, we know that where prisons are concerned, "If you build it, they will come".

Instead of expanding the prison system, we need to address the problem of the mentally ill, and to provide for reasonable sentencing and parole reforms. It would save us lots of money and when inmates are released, we will all be safer.

Answer 2

As a matter of fact I have. I spent 5 months in a US federal camp last summer. That is the lowest security possible. There were no cells or fences. There were a variety of women there. Some were incredible low lifes and some were very wealthy and terrific women. There were federal judges, physicians, lawyers, and I myself am a business woman.

Yes, it is true there were 3 meals a day, a rec center with an art program, pool tables, crochet classes, etc. There were fashion shows beauty paegents, etc. The girls really kept busy. There was a track, baseball field, volleyball court, basketball court and meditation garden. You could work on a GED or college education if you wanted. The best hang out of all was the beauty salon. They played the best music. I'm white but most of the women were black or hispanic. The black women dominated the salon and played Soul and R&B. My favorite.

Everyone must work, it's a requirement. I worked in the kitchen in veggie prep. This way I had access to fresh fruit and veggies. I used the facility as my personal fat farm. I walked 2 miles every night and ate veggies. I lost 30 lbs last summer. The food served was pretty gross.

The reason for my incarceration was due to not cooperating with the dumb as cops, not because I did anything so awful. As a matter of fact I can honestly say that at least 25-30% of the women there should NOT have been there. Incarceration in this country is more political than anything else. Prosecutors always have an agenda and the DEA, FBI, IRS, HHS, etc etc need to keep their jobs. As they told me it was job security.

No, prison does not have the social stigma it had years ago. As mentioned, it is difficult to find employment. Certain job, such as teaching require fingerprinting that go to the FBI data base, and that's not cool. Although on the other hand there are some real creeps in prison and I certainly wouldn't want my children near those people.

Visiting hours were 9AM to 3PM on Saturdays and Sundays. I had many visitors and some women never had a visitor. Depending on the person and their family sometimes they were disowned. Personally, I am proud of my Felony status. I have no regrets and wouldn't change a thing. It's just another unusual part of my very unique life.

Not that I'm very religious but God had a plan for me. While I was there I was diagnosed with breast cancer. See how unusual my life has been? The medical isn't the greatest in Prison but I was immediately attended to. I was sent out for testing, surgery, etc. Why I said God has a plan is number one; I did not have health insurance so the government picked up the tab. My estimate is my care was about $100,000 while I was there. Two; had it not been for the check up I know I would never have found it myself. It could have been a grim outcome.

Anyway, I got out in October and am now home still fighting the disease but it is under control. Life is getting back to normal slowly but surely.

Also, a side note, there were women in there for many many years. They never used a cell phone or internet. Can you imagine how frightening it will be for them when they get out? It will be another world, literally.

Answer 3

I have been to prison many times. Not as an inmate but as a civilian. I have a part time interest that takes me there. I have a lot of first hand experience about what prisons are like now and what they were like 30 years ago. Believe me, the difference is like day and night. 30 years ago the food was substandard and the treatment inhumane. Today there are so many regulations that the Wardens and guards are under just about as much scrutiny as the inmates. There is one prison in my state that is like a ranch, in fact it is called "The Cattle Ranch" The inmates all wear white prison uniforms, but they are given the freedom of a minimum security facility. There are no gates, walls and the guards do not carry guns. Any inmate who breaks the rules, goes back to maximum security and gets none of the perks, received in minimum. The inmates at The Ranch have jobs, raising cattle or catfish and they have one day off a week. Sunday is for relaxing, religion and visits from family or others. Hard time is a different story. Hard time in a maximum facility if tough, you have no privacy or freedoms. There are fights among the inmates and subsecquent punishment. Don't ask. Somehow, drugs get into prison and the pipeline is a well guarded secret. Some are caught and time is usually added to their sentences. Men who say they would never turn homosexual, do. Some remain straight, and some are forced against their will to perform unnatural acts. Its a place to stay away from. I hope this helps to answer your question.

Answer 4

When I was at Uni I visited a prison with the Uni volleyball team who were playing against the prisoners. It was a really eye opening experience. The building and facilities themselves looked really nice and modern, but after we went home I kept thinking.....24 hrs later they are all still in there, 2 days later they are alll still in there......months later they are all still in there .......and if I think now that 17 years later there may be some still there! People go on about how cushy prisons are but losing your freedom to come and go is no joke. My cousin recently did three years , protesting his innocence. He was in an open prison, but he`s not the same since he came out. He was at uni when he committed the "crime" now he can`t get a job.
As I get older though I do have to admit there are more and more people that I would lock up and throw away the key!!!!!

Answer 5

No, I personally would be terrified of having to go to prison. I do not know what prison life is really like, but I do know that I would fall apart being away from my family and friends and my church. I think that 30 years ago, people that were actually sent to prison were very hard, scarry criminals. Today's prison is overrun with child molesters, rapists, drug dealers (cookers), and murderers. I feel that some people want to be sent to prison just so they don't have to take care of themselves (get a job, take care of a family, home, etc) and will continue doing criminal things to stay within that system. I think that if they brought back public hangings for severe crimes, there would be a lot less crime than there is.

What is wrong with today's society?

Answer 6

Never been, never want to go. I think it is something that carries a huge stigma, even in today's society. Why? Because there is a reason people go to prison, and unfortunately, it carries consequences down the road if you want to go into certain occupations such as becoming a lawyer, a nurse, doctor, any of the medical fields, top secret clearance in the Aerospace industry, and probably fields I haven't thought of. Once you have a "record", it follows you for life. There isn't impugning it because you were good in prison.

Answer 7

i do no longer probably watch television that lots, yet i will do what i will lol secret existence of the yank teen 9/10 Skins 10/10 as quickly as Upon A Time 7-8/10 particularly Little Liars 9.5/10 teen Wolf 10/10 Glee (i finished gazing After Like 4 Seasons) 7/10 kinfolk guy 8/10 The Boondocks 9/10 Degrassi 8.5/10 Switched At start 9/10 The Fosters 8-9/10 Dance mothers 8/10

Answer 8

No i have not been inside ,but i do not think putting people away in prison is always the best solution..prevention of crimes is more important and giving people the help they need..re-educating.Prisons should have a system where the prisioners are routinly exersised and worked to a rouitne..doing something useful..paying back dept to the victims and being made to look at the victims and see how much distress thier crimes have caused..

Answer 9

Never been. Prison sentence would still put you at a major disadvantage with employers, but i don't think it probably has the same social stigma as it used to. It seems more acceptable now for people to have a run in with the law, especially if you can blame your poor upbringing.

Answer 10

I've never been, but then again I've never been arrested. Don't want to be, wouldn't want to be there for any charge and yes I think basically people still look at people that have been as being not the "norm."

I don't know that I agree that so many people have and are going - are these like new people going in by the hundreds daily? Or the same people going over and over again until they just don't get out again? Whatever the case, I haven't and don't want to go EVER for ANY reason.