[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Question for prison guards (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 10/24/2009 9:27:29 PM EDT
|
People always say that 'oh this guy is going to get fucked up in prison' or something to that effect.
My question is, how true is that? Do prisoners really have their own sort of code / hierarchy? Or is it all an exaggeration? Thanks. |
|
I have been in corrections for 17 years. Inmates mainly group along racial lines. The exception are inmates that are labled as rats, chomos or mentally vulnerables. These are mostly placed in protective custody and seem to group together based on the fact that the general population inmates won't have anything to do with them.
Edit to add: People who harm children are not generally liked in prison and are really in danger of harm. Since the institutions have a legal responsibilty to keep them from harm, they are usually placed in protective custody. |
|
One of my good friends is a guard at our minimum security prison here but used to work at Federal for 10+ years.
He said folks doing local time are fine assuming they don't have feminine traits or looks and aren't considered "attractive ". Federal is a completely different situation, there if you don't have friends and/or are not a large person..plan on a lot of shit... |
|
Quoted: One of my good friends is a guard at our minimum security prison here but used to work at Federal for 10+ years. He said folks doing local time are fine assuming they don't have feminine traits or looks and aren't considered "attractive ". Federal is a completely different situation, there if you don't have friends and/or are not a large person..plan on a lot of shit... The Fed is kinder and gentler than the state. The noted exceptions may be Leavenworth, Florence, Terre Haute and Marion. Most inmates that are threatened for some reason spend a lot of time in segregation. |
| Prisons are different all across the country, there is a lot of intimidation all the time at all kinds but fights and rape is not as often as you would think. THis also depends on what type of institution your at. I work corrections for 8yrs and worked all security levels. |
|
Prison is a very different environment than what most of the populace is used to. The rules of prison "society" are different as are the ways and methods of going about daily life inside. As was stated before, respect is king. You HAVE to get it. Staff or inmate, both have to get respect. The inmates get it by being "hard". Staff get it by being "fair" and level headed.
The last thing you want is a jittery newbe in alone with a pod full of experienced inmates. They pick up on that immediately and will exploit it. Inmates need to know that you know what you are doing and will not be "played". The inmate rules of conduct differ greatly than the staff's expectations of their conduct. Inmates will fight over things that we as free men consider petty. IE: chair position at the meal table, who gets to use salt and pepper shakers first. Things like that can cause a feeling of disrespect among inmates and will simmer for days...ulitmately ending in fights. Prison politics are very dynamic and the environment and mood change fast. It can be a very dangerous place to work. COs are a different breed. |
|
A guy is sent to prison, he keeps his mouth shut, minds his business, and tries to keep to himself.
After a few days it becomes obvious that one of the other inmates wants the new guy to be his 'girlfirend'. What is the best was for the new guy to avoid the suprize buttsecks? Tell the inmate he isnt ghey and doesnt want it? Vicuously beat the shit of the inmate when they try to 'get to know him'? Try to offer a trade / bribe of contraband to get out of the 'date'? Take up with a gang and get protection? Give in and lose your virginity because its better to be ghey than laying on the floor with a shiv in your back? What really happens when they decide you 'have a pretty mouth'? I assume a lot of decisions about the new inmates are made in the first 24-48 hours. (by both the guards and the inmates. Also....do the CO's make wagers on which newbies are going to make it and which arent? |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Is it true, all the female inmates are hot and like to have three ways with the guards, like they do in the documentaries? Only if your idea of hot is crystal meth barbie...with meth mouth and scabs....  You mean all of the documentaries I have on CD are wrong  
|
|
Quoted:
A guy is sent to prison, he keeps his mouth shut, minds his business, and tries to keep to himself. After a few days it becomes obvious that one of the other inmates wants the new guy to be his 'girlfirend'. What is the best was for the new guy to avoid the suprize buttsecks? Tell the inmate he isnt ghey and doesnt want it? Vicuously beat the shit of the inmate when they try to 'get to know him'? Try to offer a trade / bribe of contraband to get out of the 'date'? Take up with a gang and get protection? Give in and lose your virginity because its better to be ghey than laying on the floor with a shiv in your back? What really happens when they decide you 'have a pretty mouth'? I assume a lot of decisions about the new inmates are made in the first 24-48 hours. (by both the guards and the inmates. Also....do the CO's make wagers on which newbies are going to make it and which arent? I think that the best response was what "Red" said about the "sisters" in "The Shawshank Redemption". "Well, they're not homosexuals either. You have to be human to be a homosexual." Most will join gangs in order to avoid the suprise buttsecks. The biggest one here in PA are the muslims. No, most COs make wagers on how long a female guard will last before "getting involved" with an inmate. I guessed six months on one female guard, she lasted two years before she got caught. |
|
Quoted:
People always say that 'oh this guy is going to get fucked up in prison' or something to that effect. My question is, how true is that? Do prisoners really have their own sort of code / hierarchy? Or is it all an exaggeration? Thanks. it's not a common thing but it's not rare either. they live in an enclosed world 24/7, they know the sounds and feel the air. they know the CO's routine and his job. they know what time he makes his rounds and when he has his coffee and talks with his buddy CO's. you CANNOT watch all the inmates ALL the time. depending on the shower arrangement in their blocks is where the booty calls most often take place. but an inmate can approach another for some booty in a cell when he knows the CO just finished his round and is going to get his coffee and be tied up talking bout yesterdays NFL games with another CO or 2. in some prisons the physical layout isn't real welcoming for any illicit booty calls as the lay out is such that a/the CO is within sight 99% of the time. other prisons have too many blind areas. |
|
I've been a correctional officer for 9 years, and I'll keep is short and sweet.
The rape thing isn't as bad as TV, and movie make it out to be, at least not this day and age. Ever since the introduction of the Prison Rape Elimination Act. These things have gone waaaaaayyyyyy down. As far as being a tough guy yeah if you go to prison you are probably going to have to prove yourself one way or another, and if you look weak you are going to get preyed upon somehow eventually. |
|
Quoted:
My question for CO's is....Why can't the prisons keep drugs and contraband out? I would assume it's mainly due to dirty guards and too many of the animals being allowed to receive mail and other visits/items from outside. When contraband is caught, does that inmate lose any privileges? |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
My question for CO's is....Why can't the prisons keep drugs and contraband out? I would assume it's mainly due to dirty guards and too many of the animals being allowed to receive mail and other visits/items from outside. When contraband is caught, does that inmate lose any privileges? depending on what it is they will get time added to their sentence. If it's some bullshit they get priveledges taken away. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
My question for CO's is....Why can't the prisons keep drugs and contraband out? I would assume it's mainly due to dirty guards and too many of the animals being allowed to receive mail and other visits/items from outside. When contraband is caught, does that inmate lose any privileges? Dirty staff, contact visits, and mail. Yes, if the contraband can be pinned on the inmate, he will suffer loss of privileges, generally. |
| well not just dirty CO's. there ARE a number of civilian employees that work in prisons as well , plus the visits come in carrying who knows what in places you'd never expect. and simple metal detectors don't detect drugs in plastic wrap. there's religious " volunteers" that come in regularly also. |
| rice and lots of it! most any and all breakfast cereals like oatmeal, corn flakes etc. lunch is alot of rice and beans, rice with chili over it, rice with diced turkey and veggies and gravey. mashed taters and gravey with salisbury steak. hot dogs with tater tots. all these things aren't really seasoned like ma would make by any means, about all they have is salt and pepper to put on the food. it's termed " wholesome and nutricious". nothing says it has to be tasty. although i will admit the sumbitches DO eat better than alot of young couples with little kids at home, who's parents are trying to eke out a living and trying to stay afloat in these hard economic times. |
|
Some old prisons have a lot of blind spots. I work a new prison and it has few if any blind spots.
Child molesters often lie about what they did to get in prison and as long as the lie holds out they might do ok in general population. Around here child molesters can be a definate target. In max a child molester might be in a cell by himself but he takes a lot of verbal abuse from other inmates in the pod. Just running chow or phone or commisary the others picked on them constantly. As far as chow goes, it varies. Milk comes with breakfast only in most cases. Lots of pasta and potatoes and hotdogs and sausages and soso burgers and other odds and ends. There is talk of a low cholesterol diet coming soon. I am packing a lunch these days. In many cases the prisoners can wind up with better food than the gaurds get depending on what shift you work and what job you are working. I never thought about keeping a menu, it is a lot like the menu you had at middle school or high school. The food pretty much sucks and can pack a lot of fat on you quickly if you eat it and don't exercise. Recently had those odd little rectangular pizzas, a cup or corn and something else that I forget. Reminded me of highschool because I have never had corn and pizza other than in high school until I worked at a prison. I still don't have a good feel for how things work when it comes to standing your ground in prison since it varies greatly from what I have seen. Be a big guy and try to stand on your own and a group of mid size guys can wipe you out. Be a mid size guy who realizes he needs some friends and you can keep your dignity if you have some commisary to trade and help out with jobs that they want to get done. This varies by custody level where I work since that can affect the cameras on you at the time, we are an old prison that expanded in a major way so some old sections don't have many cameras but the new areas have tons of cameras. I have had issues with rockmen not wanting to clean something up, a max inmate tossing his food tray, because the rockman knows in a year or two that inmate might get down to his custody level and remember him cleaning it up. Lots of peer pressure in some areas. I have been there a year and will be learning as long as I am there. People who have been there 20+ years say they still learn new stuff all the time. When training they say you have no idea what you just got into for a job and I agree. And the comment about female co's in a male prison is right on. Hate to say it but it happens. |
|
Quoted:
I've been a correctional officer for 9 years, and I'll keep is short and sweet. The rape thing isn't as bad as TV, and movie make it out to be, at least not this day and age. Ever since the introduction of the Prison Rape Elimination Act. These things have gone waaaaaayyyyyy down. As far as being a tough guy yeah if you go to prison you are probably going to have to prove yourself one way or another, and if you look weak you are going to get preyed upon somehow eventually. Does this mean that it doesnt happen very often or that it doesnt hurt that bad? 
ETA: Do the guards know what each and every inmate is in for....is the info readily available? How often do CO's drop the dime on a child preditor to the rest of the unit? |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
I have had issues with rockmen not wanting to clean something up, a max inmate tossing his food tray, because the rockman knows in a year or two that inmate might get down to his custody level and remember him cleaning it up. What is a rockman? Like a trustee- serves food and cleans up- he gets extra time outside his cell becuase of his 'job'. also prolly facilitates movement of news, gossip and contraband. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
I've been a correctional officer for 9 years, and I'll keep is short and sweet. The rape thing isn't as bad as TV, and movie make it out to be, at least not this day and age. Ever since the introduction of the Prison Rape Elimination Act. These things have gone waaaaaayyyyyy down. As far as being a tough guy yeah if you go to prison you are probably going to have to prove yourself one way or another, and if you look weak you are going to get preyed upon somehow eventually. Does this mean that it doesnt happen very often or that it doesnt hurt that bad?
ETA: Do the guards know what each and every inmate is in for....is the info readily available? How often do CO's drop the dime on a child preditor to the rest of the unit? Revealing an inmate's offense, especially something like that, to another inmate will get you fired quickly. We do have access to an inmate's computerized records, but telling other inmates what he is in for is a bad idea. |
|
Quoted:
People always say that 'oh this guy is going to get fucked up in prison' or something to that effect. My question is, how true is that? Do prisoners really have their own sort of code / hierarchy? Or is it all an exaggeration? Thanks. Yes, there is a type of code, but it is a code made by scumbags for scumbags. If society really wants someone punished for a heinous crime, such as child molestation, murder, etc, then they should execute the offender. Prison time is not what you think it is. It can be dangerous, yes, but most of the time it's pretty easy. Real prison is NOT what you watch on T.V. |
|
Quoted: i want to know if the SHTF you guys going to stay on the job or go home to protect you family ,this is why we need to be armed Depends on what type of SHTF. Major SHTF, like Zombies... I'm headed for home. To answer OP's question - yes. It does have it's own set of rules, and how an inmate is treated by the rest depends greatly on what they do while inside. Child molesters, are not well liked at all. Inmates who snitch, and don't repay debts usually are the ones that get a pounding. Sometimes it is over something we consider silly, but they consider disrespectful. Every inmate is different, though. It really helps to know them on a case-by-case basis if you work around the same inmates every day. Usually the ones with mental problems get put on meds, and that's it. Only the ones that have a severe issue (or several) are segregated. Usually it's not because the other inmates don't want to be around them, but because of treatment issues. A cell house full of crazies is a different ballgame altogether. |
|
Quoted:
Can you give a rundown of the typical weeks menu? What they get for breaky, lunch and dinner? One thing some people don't realize is that jail and prison is different. In jail you wait in a cell until you go to court or serve a short sentence. In jail there are some fights but none (well maybe but it is very rare)of the stuff you see on TV. In jail breakfast costs about 50ยข a tray. You can expect bread, oatmeal, kool-aid w/o sugar, and corn flakes. On a lucky day you will get a hard boiled egg. |
|
The Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) was a solution in search of a problem. It includes staff sexual misconduct as well as consensual inmate conduct. How the standards will be enforced is a huge question confronting facility managers right now. The report itself is available here: http://www.cybercemetery.unt.edu/archive/nprec/20090820154837/http://nprec.us/publication/report/executive_summary.php Just read the Executive Summary unless you are suffering from Insomnia.  |
|
Prisoners are wards of the state, and as such cannot really protect themselves, so it is up to the state to kepp them (reasonably) safe.
If that is correct, what I'd like to know is just how much rampant sodomy is there in places like federal pound-me-in-the-ass prison? |
|
Quoted: Quoted: I have had issues with rockmen not wanting to clean something up, a max inmate tossing his food tray, because the rockman knows in a year or two that inmate might get down to his custody level and remember him cleaning it up. What is a rockman? I'm guessing range orderly. |
|
Two Guys that I have worked with have served some major time. One was a big old tough Piaute Indian. When I was an apprentice one weekend he was run over by some guys that backed up over him and tried to run over him again and he showed up to work on Mon and told me he was sore and thought he had some broken ribs. So I told him to take it easy I would do all the hard stuff. After that the guy took good care of me. That Job ended and we went out seperate was and he went to Jail in Ca for his 7th Dui. He was supposed to do 18 months and he ended up doing 3 years with a trip to Pelican bay hanging over his head. He said that when ever anyone bumped him in the Shower he would knock them out. So that kept adding time to his sentence.
The second guy worked for me was an 88 and he would get a work furlough every morning so I would pick him up and take hime to work. He was telling me the Gay sex happens but is looked down upon by most. Even if your the pitcher in their eyes your still a faggot. He said when ever a riot started these guys were the first one's he'd get, just because of what they did. Child Molesters and Rapists don't live long in General population. |
|
Well a jail guard in my Fire Company told me about finding some guy unwillingly bent over his bed with a guy behind him conducting a sphincter retention test on the first inmate who was screaming!!!
Take how you want, unless of course you are in prison, because then the other inmates will give it to you how they want. Believe me if the other inmates want to tap your bung they will find a time and place and you will be drilled probably by more than one of them. Guards will not be everywhere always and even if they are, THEY ARE NOT GETTING INJURED to help your ASS!!! |
|
Oh and for what its worth, i worked at a court ordered youth facility, and caught............................
An employee screwing the Drug dealer from Philly who was 4 years younger than her.Two counselors, one of whom was pregnant to a delinquent youth get fired and convicted for having the sex with the youths. Teenagers sucking each other and butt ramming each other X 2. Hell, the one kid was so flexible he walked his feet up the ceiling until he was doubled over enough to suck his own schlong, which he doing greedily i might add when i went to assist that unit on the call for help. The one sucking his own dick was the one that finally got me to try to change my occupation. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I have had issues with rockmen not wanting to clean something up, a max inmate tossing his food tray, because the rockman knows in a year or two that inmate might get down to his custody level and remember him cleaning it up. What is a rockman? Like a trusty- serves food and cleans up- he gets extra time outside his cell becuase of his 'job'. also prolly facilitates movement of news, gossip and contraband. Fixed it for you. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Can you give a rundown of the typical weeks menu? What they get for breaky, lunch and dinner? One thing some people don't realize is that jail and prison is different. In jail you wait in a cell until you go to court or serve a short sentence. In jail there are some fights but none (well maybe but it is very rare)of the stuff you see on TV. In jail breakfast costs about 50ยข a tray. You can expect bread, oatmeal, kool-aid w/o sugar, and corn flakes. On a lucky day you will get a hard boiled egg. My jail has a few inmates that have been there since 2006. |