What is it like to be in jail?

I know at least one person here has been in jail *points at Buddha* but what's it actually like there? I don't really know what to think about jails and how effective they are... Seems like the perfect time and place for criminals to get together, share stories and ideas on how to commit all kinds of crime, and plan things for when they get out. I also heard that people commit crimes just so that they can get sent to jail and get free food, water, and shelter - are people really that dumb?

So, what's jail like?

Comments

  • edited July 2011
    Depends on the jail, what country it's in, etc.

    Some prisons are nice, like in Sweden or Norway.

    http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1986002,00.html

    EDIT: Also, for some people, being in a jail is better because they know that they'll get healthcare, have a roof over their heads, have security and are guaranteed to eat.
  • LouisCypherLouisCypher Regular
    edited July 2011
    It fucking sucks. You are in an obviously enclosed space, most of the prisoners are half retarded pieces of shit. Truly the lowest of the low. Be a good boy and stay out of trouble.
  • buddhabuddha Regular
    edited July 2011
    trx100 wrote: »
    I know at least one person here has been in jail *points at Buddha* but what's it actually like there? I don't really know what to think about jails and how effective they are... Seems like the perfect time and place for criminals to get together, share stories and ideas on how to commit all kinds of crime, and plan things for when they get out. I also heard that people commit crimes just so that they can get sent to jail and get free food, water, and shelter - are people really that dumb?

    So, what's jail like?

    Take everything you love, and throw it the fuck away. Picture the most unhappy, depressing place you can. That's about it.

    Really though it isn't as bad as most people make it out to be. Like a mens retreat. You have a lot of time to sit around and contemplate life, the universe, and everything. Read a lot. Walk around, watch tv, play cards (learn how to play spades), talk to friends, and just generally hang out and waste life.

    If you can get over shitting and showering out in the open, you'll be fine.

    And regardless about what you hear, there isn't dudes getting raped everywhere, or people getting shanked all the time. You are watched pretty closely. There are fights regularly though.

    In prison though, people do get shanked and raped and stuff. But mostly just fucking idiots who deserve it, you really have to fuck up or piss someone off for something like that to happen.

    The worst part about it though is the boredom, fucking drives you nuts. This last time I was there for 33 days, which wasn't too bad, but the longer stretches really fucking suck. Generally though if it's just misdemeanor shit and after you are sentenced you'll stay in the jail and they'll give you a job. This last time I worked in the kitchen, so we got to eat shitloads. The time before I was working in the clinic, so that gave me other unique opportunities as far and swiping shit and selling it to other inmates.
  • buddhabuddha Regular
    edited July 2011
    Side note: since it was mentioned, prison and jail are two different things.

    Jail is generally where they send you while you are going to court, or where you stay for shorter misdemeanor sentences (under 1 year in this county, but some as long as 2-3 years). This county gives you 2/3 credit for time, So The last time I spent 33 days for a 50 day sentence.

    Prison is for felons even with shorter sentences. 50% in CA as of now, but they are trying to get it dropped to 25% for non-violent offenders.
  • dr rockerdr rocker Regular
    edited July 2011
    In the UK prison / jail is a interchangeable term. Does not matter if you are on remand or have been sentenced, its the same place. The prison wings are split up by the catagory of prisoner they hold - usually A, B or C. Cat A are prisoners who would be highly dangerouse if they escaped, B less likely to cause problems but still a risk and cat C prisoners who are not considered dangerouse and would be unlikely to try and escape. We also have cat D - these are open prisons where prisoners can pretty much walk around site as they please and often have off site jobs.

    I have been in a couple of prisons with work and they seem like crappy, souless places full of mentally ill people.
  • buddhabuddha Regular
    edited July 2011
    dr rocker wrote: »
    In the UK prison / jail is a interchangeable term. Does not matter if you are on remand or have been sentenced, its the same place. The prison wings are split up by the catagory of prisoner they hold - usually A, B or C. Cat A are prisoners who would be highly dangerouse if they escaped, B less likely to cause problems but still a risk and cat C prisoners who are not considered dangerouse and would be unlikely to try and escape. We also have cat D - these are open prisons where prisoners can pretty much walk around site as they please and often have off site jobs.

    I have been in a couple of prisons with work and they seem like crappy, souless places full of mentally ill people.

    Jails and prisons here have different levels of security, from administrative segregation ("the hole" "solitary confinement") where they are locked down 23 hours a day, and handcuffed when they are let out of their cells. To Minimum security where there is just a fence or two between you and freedom, and you can come and go from outside, and different buildings (library, kitchen) pretty freely. Also we have work release programs, where you just show up for a set amount of days per week, and are put to work. Usually picking up trash on the highway.
  • SemSem Regular
    edited July 2011
    One thing I didn't see mentioned was how fucking cold it is in there.

    When I got dumped in there over night I was wearing steel toed shoes that got swapped out for those shitty rubber sandles and since my socks had coloured patches on the toes and heels they took those as well since we could only have completely white socks for some dumbass reason.
  • buddhabuddha Regular
    edited July 2011
    Sem wrote: »
    One thing I didn't see mentioned was how fucking cold it is in there.

    When I got dumped in there over night I was wearing steel toed shoes that got swapped out for those shitty rubber sandles and since my socks had coloured patches on the toes and heels they took those as well since we could only have completely white socks for some dumbass reason.

    Yes most of the time it is fucking cold as hell, and you only get one little thin ass blanket.

    We have 4 jails in this county they can move you around to. The last time I got stuck at the one up here in the desert that is old as fuck, they were replacing the air conditioners, so for almost a week it was close to 100F in there.
  • LSA KingLSA King Regular
    edited July 2011
  • Rumple ForeskinRumple Foreskin Regular
    edited July 2011
    ask frost_byte when he comes back. he seems to enjoy it
  • ducklipsducklips Regular
    edited July 2011
    The last time that I went to jail (I've done a few over nighters on the reservation for being intoxicated since it's a dry county; However, the reservations jails are very different in a bad way, especially for white people.) i was 9 months pregnant and about to give birth.

    It's a place where your soul goes to die.

    I got lucky, very lucky and was released after four days. Especially being very pregnant everyone was super nice and shared their commissary with me, even though they aren't supposed to. I also got snacks, usually an orange and a peanut butter sandwich. There was another pregnant lady in there. She was only a few months along. She came back from court crying because she got 7 yrs for some drug charge. I don't think Jail or prisons especially American ones do anything other than to prove a point that there are consequences to committing a crime and sometimes they don't fit.
  • SnuzzlesSnuzzles New Arrival
    edited July 2011
    it doesnt get any realer. its cold. theyre not clear with you when youre getting out. you stay in. you wear an orange spacesuit. it sucks. you try not to get raped.
  • MooseKnuckleMooseKnuckle Regular
    edited July 2011
    toilets are loud, sleeping is tough, food is shitty along with the people. jail sucks bro
  • edited July 2011
    I don't think I'd be able to sleep there. I have to be in a pitch black, totally silent room in order to sleep properly as I always seem to get distracted by the smallest of noises or a little light. Grr.
  • buddhabuddha Regular
    edited July 2011
    trx100 wrote: »
    I don't think I'd be able to sleep there. I have to be in a pitch black, totally silent room in order to sleep properly as I always seem to get distracted by the smallest of noises or a little light. Grr.

    Oh yeah, turn your bedroom light on, and then turn the tv up kind of loud. That is what it's like trying to sleep there.
  • bornkillerbornkiller Administrator In your girlfriends snatch
    edited July 2011
    Dependant on the country and jail as previously mentioned in this thread. Jail is prison & prison is jail here, even for remand detainees. Honestly! The place is a suck hole & there's always some teen fucktard in there that want's to look like he can stand his ground with the big boys. He usually ends up someones bitch. Honestly! If you don't wanna do the time, don't do the crime & if you must! Don't get caught doing it.
  • buddhabuddha Regular
    edited July 2011
    bornkiller wrote: »
    Dependant on the country and jail as previously mentioned in this thread. Jail is prison & prison is jail here, even for remand detainees. Honestly! The place is a suck hole & there's always some teen fucktard in there that want's to look like he can stand his ground with the big boys. He usually ends up someones bitch. Honestly! If you don't wanna do the time, don't do the crime & if you must! Don't get caught doing it.

    It isn't always that simple. I have more than a few disorderly conduct, and disturbing the peace convictions where I wasn't doing shit. lol
  • edited July 2011
    it's really fucking boring. and the food tastes bad. read john grisham books all day long and play spades/hearts
  • bornkillerbornkiller Administrator In your girlfriends snatch
    edited July 2011
    buddha wrote: »
    It isn't always that simple. I have more than a few disorderly conduct, and disturbing the peace convictions where I wasn't doing shit. lol
    I know first hand what jails like and I understand shit happens when you least expect it, especially when ones drinking. I was speaking on behalf of my own sins bro. :D
  • Darth BeaverDarth Beaver Meine Ehre heißt Treue
    edited July 2011
    Let's ask my 18 year old when I bail his dumb ass out tomorrow.
  • dr rockerdr rocker Regular
    edited July 2011
    What did he do? I have only been arrested once. When I was released, my mother asked me if I had a wank in the cell. When her asked her why she would ask such a thing, the said she thought that is what people did in
  • grindermangrinderman Semo-Regulars
    edited July 2011
    This dude robbed a bank for a dollar to get healthcare in prison:

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/20/james-verone-robs-bank_n_880660.html
  • MooseKnuckleMooseKnuckle Regular
    edited July 2011
    Let's ask my 18 year old when I bail his dumb ass out tomorrow.

    scum runs in the family huh :o:o
  • waffleswaffles Acolyte
    edited July 2011
    jails not bad, keep your mouth shut mind your business, read a book. aim for lower level jails or prisons (act innocent around classification offiers) and "be a bush" ie blend in, let the idiots attract the attention and trouble. as far as rape goes i was 17 and did four years never got rapers and i was all of 130 pounds, its a common sense issue, you never accept gifts or help from people you dont know, and remember you dont know anyone. read books and stay with your own kind, not necessarily race but like minded people. worse part is loneliness but after a while that goes away, and remeber once you made it though you will never be afraid of anything, after all whats the worse they can do put you in jail?
  • bornkillerbornkiller Administrator In your girlfriends snatch
    edited July 2011
    dr rocker wrote: »
    I have only been arrested once. When I was released, my mother asked me if I had a wank in the cell. When her asked her why she would ask such a thing, the said she thought that is what people did in
    My mother said "Lock him up & throw away the key" True story. :(
  • tachosomozatachosomoza Regular
    edited July 2011
    Federal camp is like a men's retreat. At the lowest levels, there aren't any perimeter fences nor bars on the windows. You stay in a dorm like structure with several other guys. Some even have tennis/golf courses. Still, you are quite aware of the fact that you are in a prison.
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