Lately I've been reading up a lot about prisons in America. I'm interested in the prison industrial complex and the pecking order in prison. I do not like reading books written by a know-it-all with a degree in criminology, I'd much rather hear stories directly from people who have actually been incarcerated and understand how the system works.

How corrupt is the system? Do guards frequently abuse prisoners? Are prison gangs rampant and if so, do they act as a pseudo-government for the other inmates?

Any info would be much appreciated

Cheers.

Prison gangs are rampant.. Color doesn't mingle. Murder is extremely rare in prison, fights are an everyday thing. But if you leave a mark the guards go to the video. It's almost impossible to get away with anything serious.

Guards aren't openly corrupts. I'm sure there are some, as obviously drugs get in. But it's kept quiet and not many people know who these guards are. Verbal abuse is common, physical abuse is rare unless you ask for it.


For the most part, prisoners police their own.

Jimmy Irons are you a guard? Those are pretty much all blanket statements.

OP, there are state and federal prisons in the US (not counting county jails which can be worse than many prisons), which have varying degrees of everything you asked about. Can you ask more specific questions?

The book "The Hot House" is awesome, written by a guy who went inside a federal pen in the late 80's. He wrote it but...really 3 or 4 prisoners wrote it through him.

Many people in America looking at long (2+ years) in a county jail will push to get sent to prison if they know they will probably go into a minimum security joint. Often done through getting their probation revoked. Jail usually means no yard time, no sunlight, no rec, no benefits of any kind that you might get in prison, such as a library, access to computers/education, and lifting weights.

Does that help at all?

County time is hard. County jails are built only to house am inmate for a short period of time. When you are waiting for sentencing and have no bail, county is brutal,

also if you get a long sentence like 1.5 years and then another case comes through and you get another year or so after already serving most of the previous sentence...you can rot in there.

Isn't it 2+ years in most states means going to prison?

Australian, as you read books by US criminals you will notice how they get transferred to many different joints and describe them as "country clubs", "shitholes", Gladiator Schools", etc.

No, I spent 9 years at FCI Sheridan in Oregon.

The reason I joined this site were because of some people I met at the detention center in Brooklyn.. I had no idea they lived such interesting lives, they seem so normal in person.

County was supposed to be for short times, but as usual the laws are changing in a bad way. In one state I was locked up in, county jail held people for up to 4 years. No yard, no sun, no contact visits, etc. Imagine being locked inside in the same pod for 3 years never seeing natural light til the day you get out. Friggin sucks. It wasn't violent aside from a few fights. Don't believe what you see on TV. As for races mingling, I hung out with the Mexicans. I'm sure it's probably different in state and fed, but county was easy going in that respect

18 months for possession over here.

How do prisoners get extorted when they don't really hav any cash?

They make them get their families to put money into their prison comissary funds fo example and then the guys extorting them can make them buy them stuff or possily even just give them the cash. or threaten their families on the outside and in turn making them pay outside of prison.

they can do this y threatening the well being of the pisoner too etc. I saw once where a prisoner was trying to force his cell mate to get his mom to buy them a new tv for their cell

the movie American Me is a good overall example of mass extortion and how US prison gangs gained power outside the walls.

like Primo says above. Also, a prisoner may try to exploit any bit of info he can find.

Predator finds out someone's (the prey) uncle is more like a father to him than an uncle and owns a small grocery. Predator gets a couple guys to threaten prey either with physical or sexual violence. Predator comes along and saves the day. Then the favors start.

A million ways that scenario can play out. The above is the nice way, sadly.

Or, predator gets someone on the outside to threaten the uncle, maybe rough him up a bit. Now the prey can be used to exploit his job or whatever. If he doesn't smuggle food (for instance) the uncle really gets fucked up. Could be for food, sex, a phone card, anything.

A story from a mafia book I can't remember the title of: mafioso gets sent to prison where a guard is personally fucking with him. Mafioso gets someone to snap a photo of guard's little girl in the schoolyard playing and send it to him. Mafioso walks up to guard and hands it to him saying "See, it's that easy." No more problems.

went to prison for 3 yrs it sucked. over 10+ years ive been free sometimes when I wake up I think I still in a cell specially if im looking at a grey wall. or im sleeping anywhere else then my bed. my child hood friend is at the hot house that book is awesome great read. read it on a 3 day stay at the circus circus in vegas. guy talks how tony ducks would hold court in the rec room.

its really embarissing to when im around normal folks. cause they all seen hbo oz. dumb shit.

when I'm eating at work and someone reaches over top of my food...they don't know how close they just came...

please pass the salt.

Kinda like when people from Albuquerque post about the mob because they've seen "The Sopranos."

Or people from elsewhere talk about meth and the cartel in New Mexico 'cause they've watched Breaking Bad.

Hired former Heavyweight Champion of the World Sonny Liston's lawyer; possession of a stolen firearm, narcotics to distribute, 4 years jumped bail, did three days in Camden County under Sheriff Cream (Jersey Joe Walcott) before everything was tossed! Semper Fidelis, KJK

how much was the bill?

A pretty penny.

State or Fed? Where'd you do your time?

Never been upstate but served 9 months and a week in county after getting an 11 1/2 to 23 month sentence which is basically 9 and a week with good time

My uncle did 7 years in a high-sec prison in the 80's and he reckons that the whole thing about prison rape is bullshit. He said he never saw anyone get raped but he knew that there were a lot of fags in prison that 'put out'. Granted, this was an aussie prison, so you know little bit different... is America the same? Like, are rapes commonplace or is that just a myth?

Rapes are exceedingly rare in American prisons. Especially today.

There are transsexuals living openly in prison these days. Different times.

Sad but true.

Friend did 5 years in Grateford and said you basically get down with dudes if that's what your into. He said he was very surprised at how many African American homosexuals there were in jail. They were the catchers, of course; the homos that is.

But this dude was fucked up. He incited a riot while he was in there and got 2 or 3 years tacked on to his 2 year assault conviction.

My old neighbor did 7 years in Fed and he came out with a successful bypass surgery and a good tennis game.