Chapter 5: Necessary Information You Won’t Find at Orientation
This chapter may be hard for you to read. It is not meant to scare you. It is meant to tell you the truth about the darkest sides of living in prison, rules that can help to protect you, and to inform you how you can protect yourself. Since you are reading this before you go to prison, you will not be surprised when bad things happen to others, and you can take steps to help make yourself safer in prison.
When hundreds of men or women are locked up together over a long period of time and rules govern every aspect of their lives, some bad things are bound to happen. Not everyone will get along, and some inmates will disregard some of the prison rules. For instance, some contraband items — such as drugs and weapons — are smuggled into prison no matter how hard the COs work to keep them out. Because of the stress of being behind bars and without the freedom to do what you want, when you want, tempers are short and arguments can turn deadly. Sex is a normal human physical drive, and the desire for sex does not go away just because you are locked up. In a closed, locked-down society like prison, sex can either be consensual or forced. To some prison inmates, it makes no difference.
If you were to conduct a survey of all the first offenders in America — both men and women —and ask them what they were most afraid of going to prison, it is very likely that they would specify violence and rape. These two things happen in every prison in the United States. Although the Eighth Amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, and one of the primary jobs of COs is to keep inmates from being harmed by other inmates, drugs, sex, violence, and gang activity continue to occur every single day in our prisons. Our purpose here is to speak openly about things you will not hear from prison staff members. The only real prevention of harmful acts is awareness and honesty.
Prison Gangs Overview
For your safety, you need to know that wherever you are going to serve your prison time, gangs are everywhere. In many prisons, gang members openly flaunt their tattoos, wear their “colors,” and set themselves against other prison gangs. Male and female inmates are prohibited from gang activity in prison. However, convicts, especially violent long-termers, are not known for their obedience to rules. COs, the security chief, the warden, and other staff members are well aware that there is gang activity in their prison. They can usually keep such activity to a minimum, but it is never completely eliminated. In fact, you should keep in mind that staff members know much more than they are given credit for. Instead of unwisely calling attention to what they do and do not know, they simply watch, listen, and when necessary, intervene to protect the safety of all inmates. COs are specially trained in recognizing gang activity, such as planned violence against another gang, drug and weapon trafficking, gambling, and forced sexual acts. They also know the meaning of every tattoo, every hand sign, every color, and every phrase that identifies an inmate as a gang member. Since every prison gang has a shot-caller who directs all activities of the gang, the COs, security chief, and warden also know the identity of every shot-caller in the prison.
Gangs are the underground machinery that runs the prison drug trade, weapons deals, organized fights with rival gangs, planned rapes, and (usually) prison riots. It could be argued that if our correctional system could eliminate gangs, prison would be a much safer place. This, however, is nothing but wishful thinking. Prison gangs have always existed and will continue to exist. It will be helpful for you to be able to identify the major gangs you will most likely find in your prison.
Gang Profiles
The Aryan Brotherhood
The Aryan Brotherhood is a vicious and brutal white supremacist gang that originated in San Quentin prison in 1967. It was originally formed to protect white individuals from African American and Hispanic groups in the prison.
The term “Aryan” refers to Adolph Hitler’s name for his “Master Race” that consisted only of white Germans, preferably blonde and blue-eyed. Although this gang operates in relative secrecy outside prison, inside prison the gang is extremely visible. The AB considers the murder of a non-white person (in or out of prison) to be a heroic act for which they are willing to serve life in prison without parole, or even receive the death penalty. The gang particularly hates African Americans and Jews, although they also target Hispanics, Muslims, Asians, and homosexuals. They celebrate the birthday of Adolph Hitler each year on April 20.
The AB has many spin-off groups, such as the youth gang called the Skinheads, the Posse Comitatus, and the Aryan Nation. They regard white people who marry outside their race to be “race traitors” and mark them too for retaliation, even murder. Among researchers and the Department of Justice, the Aryan Brotherhood is considered to be the most dangerous gang in America today.
You will be able to easily identify AB members when you arrive in prison. The first thing you will notice is that AB members always hang together and never mix with non-white inmates in the common room, the chow hall, or recreation areas. You will hear them refer to non-whites only with vulgar racial slurs. Since most of them are in prison for crimes of violence or weapons charges, they talk about violence often — mostly, what they have done to non-whites and white race traitors. Then there is their physical appearance: They are usually short-haired, heavily muscled, and tattooed with AB symbols like swastikas and other Nazi symbols. If you see an AB gang member with a spider web tattooed over his elbow, this means that he has killed an African American or a Jewish person. This tattoo is the highest badge of honor among AB members.
In prison, the Aryan Brotherhood deals mostly in contraband weapons, violence against non-whites, and staking out prison territory where only white inmates are allowed to be. The AB occasionally deals in contraband drugs, but most AB gangs avoid the use or selling of drugs, believing that drugs are only for the “garbage races.” They are, however, fond of prison-made alcohol. As with any gang, only the AB shot-caller identifies a non-white target of violence and sends a member to “do the job.” The shot-caller also organizes gang fights and decides what kind of weapons will be made or smuggled in for the gang.
When you arrive in prison, and if you are white, at some point the AB will approach you about joining with them. If this happens, it means that you have been “sized up” by the gang and they are satisfied that you are purely white, of a size and build good enough to hold your own in a fight, that you are not a homosexual, that you do not associate with non-white inmates, and that you can keep your mouth shut about gang business.
Be very careful how you respond to an approach by an AB member. There may be no “right” answer to this question. If you express interest in joining them, you will instantly make deadly enemies of the non-white prison gangs. Even though AB members take oaths to protect each other, not even your gang brothers can be everywhere at once. On the other hand, if you refuse the AB’s interest in you, they will most likely mark you as a race traitor or a homosexual. They will become your enemy — a very undesirable position for you. We can use Tom’s case to illustrate this point.
The Aryan Brotherhood
A month after Tom arrived in prison, an Aryan Brotherhood member named Hunter approached Tom and told him that Silver Fox, the AB shot-caller, wanted to arrange a meeting with him. Tom had been observing all the prison gangs and had been warned about them by Randy, his cellie. Tom noticed that Hunter had the telltale spider web tattoo on his left elbow, so he knew that Hunter was not afraid of violence. He told Hunter that he would accept Silver Fox’s invitation to sit with the gang in the chow hall that evening. When Tom met Silver Fox, he noticed that the shot-caller had spider webs on both elbows, and that they were darkened inside the web; Tom knew this meant that Silver Fox claimed to have killed numerous African Americans and Jewish people.
Silver Fox asked Tom how he felt about non-whites and the issue of mixing the races to produce “mongrel” babies. Tom knew he must be extremely careful how he spoke with this dangerous shot caller. He responded that he did not approve of biracial kids and that each race should stick to their own kind. He emphasized that he preferred to be around other white people. Hunter, the gang’s “lieutenant,” asked Tom if he could handle himself in a fight. Tom carefully explained that since he was a first offender and had a shorter sentence than many of the other inmates, he did not want to be involved in fights because he wanted to make parole. He also said that his wife was pregnant (which was not true) and that he wanted to be a real father to this child. Silver Fox asked Tom if he would back up other whites in fights or disagreements with COs. Tom said that he would, but he would not do this for non-white inmates. Tom said he did not want trouble with anyone, but that he was not afraid to defend himself and would never snitch on anyone, especially a white inmate.
Silver Fox told Tom that he felt Tom was a “white man of respect” and that the AB would not harass him. If Tom needed help from the AB, all he had to do was come to him or Hunter. After dinner, Tom felt relieved; he
had made a good impression with the AB but did not feel compelled to join them in violence against non-whites. Randy, who had been through the same ordeal with the AB, advised Tom to keep his word not to snitch about AB plans for violence or obtaining weapons, to avoid friendships with non-whites, and if he saw trouble about to erupt between the AB and a rival gang, to “get himself elsewhere.”
Tom’s case is a good example of how to be on decent terms with a prison gang without actually joining in the gang’s illegal activities; this applies to all prison gangs. Yes, you may find yourself walking a very fine line no matter what your race, religion, or sexual preference. This is a reality of living in prison.
The Latin Kings
The Latin Kings are the most powerful and oldest Hispanic gang in America. They originally began in Chicago as a social group that acted to rise above racism and promote Puerto Rican values, heritage, and traditions but eventually became a well-organized criminal gang. They are associated with the powerful Mexican Mafia and the Vice Lords — both well-known Hispanic gangs.
Outside prison, the Latin Kings specialize in drug trafficking, drive-by shootings, and weapons dealing in schools to recruit young members. In prison, they compete with the Aryan Brotherhood for the weapons trade and for control of the prison drug trade. They too have identifying tattoos that they get at a young age. A young male’s first tattoo marking him as a Latin King is a cause for celebration. Along with their tattoos, many Latin King members wear black bandanas around their heads — a symbol of death in their culture.
The Latin Kings compete with other Hispanic gangs, both in and out of prison, for territory or “turf.” In prison, like other gangs, they will quickly attack non-gang members who stray into their territory in the chow hall, common room, and recreation yards. To keep others, especially the COs, from knowing too much about their illegal activities, the Latin Kings tend to primarily speak Spanish. You will be able to identify these gang members by their almost exclusive use of Spanish and their preferred colors of black and gold. If you are non-Hispanic and/or do not speak Spanish, you will be seen suspiciously as an “outsider.” This is a nasty-tempered gang that verbally abuses others in Spanish and their own Spanish-based slang terms. This gang also has more female inmates than other gangs. Unless you are a Spanish-speaking Hispanic, it is wise for you to keep your distance from the Latin Kings.
The MS-13
MS-13, also known as La Mara Salvatrucha, first originated in El Salvador and spread through the United States by way of Los Angeles. The MS-13 is becoming one of the most dangerous gangs in America. Curiously, this gang is usually friendly with the Aryan Brotherhood. Both gangs agree to stay out of each others’ territory and illegal business, even in prison. Still, MS-13 is a vicious gang that thinks nothing of assaulting or killing rival gang members, especially African American gangs. Outside prison, this gang sells weapons and drugs in the Southwest, and in prison they continue these “businesses.”
MS-13 is very active on the outside in recruiting young gang members in schools, and then using these youths as drug runners inside the schools. Thus, if you meet a young, Hispanic first offender, keep your distance. Violence, even murder, is a requirement for full membership in MS-13 both in and out of prison.
The Crips
The Crips are an African American gang that, on the outside, are heavily involved in drug trafficking, extortion, drive-by shootings, assault, and murder. They have a presence all over the United States but are especially active in South Central Los Angeles. In many prisons, you can identify them by the wearing of their “colors,” usually consisting of a blue bandana. Some prisons have forbidden the wearing of colors inside the prison to cut down on gang rivalry and violence.
The Bloods
Another African American gang, the Bloods, is the hated enemy of the Crips. They represent their affiliation by wearing red bandanas, the opposite color of their rival gang. Both in and out of prison, they compete for control of the drug trade. Young recruits are first taught to fight before they are “jumped in” to the gang. In prison, young first offenders are required to fight either a white inmate or a Crip. The Bloods are outnumbered in and out of prison by the Crips; to make up for this, Bloods are notorious for being vicious and efficient street fighters. No rules, no mercy, and no surrender.
A word of caution: If you are a new African American inmate, male or female, chances are very good that after a period of evaluation by the shot-callers of the Crips and the Bloods, you will be approached about “hanging” with one of these gangs. More than even the Aryan Brotherhood, these gangs are extremely serious about obtaining new members in prison. If you choose to hang with one, the other will be your worst enemy. Be prepared to either make a choice about your gang affiliation or respond as Tom did in our last case scenario. “Solo” African Americans in prison are not popular and receive no protection from either the Crips or the Bloods. You will be in a difficult position, so watch your back because no one else will.
Triads and Tongs
Although Asian gangs — usually referred to as triads or tongs — are not often openly active in prison, you should still be aware of them. They are identified by a dragon tattoo on either arm. In and out of prison, these gangs are mostly involved in drug trafficking. They often try to intimidate other inmates by flashing martial arts moves. But do not worry — most of this is fake, just to scare you. While most tong or triad inmates are not very good fighters, do not take any chances. You might find yourself fighting against a shot-caller who is the “real thing.”
It is time to check your understanding about prison gangs.
Check Your Understanding No. 11
1. True or False: Gangs that are active outside prison are not active inside prison.
2. True or False: Prison gangs are formed around race and ethnic backgrounds.
3. True or False: The most dangerous gang today in prison is the Aryan Brotherhood.
4. True or False: Since gangs are suspicious of strangers, it is unlikely that you will be approached about joining a gang.
5. True or False: Prison gangs are mostly made up of “long-termers” who do not expect to be paroled.
Perhaps you have noticed that this section did not discuss the involvement of Italian inmates in prison gangs. This is because most criminologists do not see the Italian Mafia as a gang. Rather, they are an organized criminal society with designated leaders and specific activities that not only include drugs and weapons dealing, but also gambling, prostitution, stock market fraud, and corrupt workers’ union activities. The Mafia refers to itself as La Cosa Nostra, which means “Our Thing.” This organization does not call attention to itself as gangs do. There are no tattoos, no “colors,” and no shot-caller who is well known among both inmates and prison staff. The Mafia depends upon omerta, their code of silence. While prison gangs brag about their illegal activities and how bad they are, the Mafia merely watches and waits in silence.
If you are an Italian American, chances are that you will not become a “made guy” — a murderer for the Mafia — by prison Mafia members. These inmates generally know each other very well, even before they were incarcerated. Just being of Italian or Sicilian descent is not enough to vouch for your entrance into La Cosa Nostra.
Prison Drugs Overview
Contrary to what people would like to believe, there are drugs in prison. These drugs fall into several categories:
As we discussed before, it is a serious violation of prison rules for a visitor to smuggle contraband of any kind for an inmate. Yet, this is how the great majority of drugs get into prison. Feeling pressured by friends, loved ones, or fellow gang members to smuggle in drugs — usually heroin, LSD (“blotter acid”), MDMA (Ecstasy), and marijuana — visitors come up with many clever ways to pass drugs to an inmate during visiting hours. This includes using condoms to insert the drugs into their rectum, vagina, or the inside of their cheeks and hidden inside a child’s diaper. Visitors are civilians and not under the immediate control of the prison security staff, so the COs cannot do full body cavity searches on them as they can with inmates. However, once it becomes known that a visitor has smuggled drugs into the prison, the local police can arrest that person for drug trafficking.
The overwhelming majority of prison staff members and attorneys who visit inmates are honest people. But it is unrealistic to say that there are not some “bad apples” among these people who seek to gain money from the sale of drugs in prison. An average corrections officer makes about $30,000 a year (before taxes) and almost always has a family to support. The lure of making easy additional income through the prison drug trade has a very strong appeal that is hard for some COs to resist. When they are caught, as they almost always are, not only are their careers over, but they also find themselves standing trial for drug trafficking.
Since attorneys are generally paid well, it is difficult to understand why they would risk disbarment and criminal charges to make a few more bucks in the prison drug trade. The only reasonable answer is that these people are seeking power and control rather than money. Corrupt attorneys need and enjoy the thrill that comes with taking risks. Being involved with drug trafficking makes them feel powerful and superior to others. Put simply, they enjoy danger and the “high” that comes with outwitting others.
Drug profiles
Pruno
Pruno, or prison wine, is what inmates call the alcohol they make secretly in their cells. This is a practice handed down from inmate to inmate. All an inmate needs is some fruit, bread, sugar, and water, plus a container that can easily be hid out of the COs’ sight. In time, this mixture ferments into alcohol. It has a horrible taste, but does have an intoxicating effect. As a first offender who hopes to make parole, making pruno is something you do not want to be involved in. It is usually discovered when COs observe inmates acting as if they are intoxicated, when someone such as a cellie snitches on the “brewer,” or when the nasty substance is discovered in a cell search. Punishment for making pruno is serious, and chances for parole are negatively affected; not only should you not make pruno, but you should not buy or drink it either. Just remember that it is equally serious offense to make it as to buy or drink it.
Decongestants
Decongestants are the most abused of the drugs that are stolen from the prison infirmary. When taken in large quantities, they produce a weird kind of “high” that is similar to uppers such as methamphetamine and crack cocaine. The down side to abusing decongestants like this is that you could eventually go into liver or kidney failure and die. Inmates with colds or allergies are often prescribed decongestants. Many prisons have changed their rules about inmates keeping these pills in their cells. Recent changes in some DOCs’ procedures make inmates come to the infirmary for “pill pass” instead of being allowed to keep and sell decongestants in their cells.
In prison, there are few legal drugs in the infirmary that inmates do not abuse and/or sell to other inmates. Narcotics such as morphine, heroin, and marijuana are at the top of the “most wanted” list, but even drugs like antihistamines, antidepressants, and non-narcotic pain medications are secreted out of the infirmary and into the hands of waiting inmates who are desperate to change their moods, if only for a short period of time. During pill pass, the medical technician or nurse who gives an inmate their medication makes him open his mouth while she looks under his tongue and in his cheeks to make sure that he has really swallowed the medication.
Narcotics
In everyday slang, the word “narcotics” technically refers to drugs that cause central nervous system depression, called “downers.” Drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine are central nervous system stimulants, called “uppers.” We tend to use the term “narcotics” to combine all illegal drugs. State and federal laws solve this problem by charging a person with “possession of controlled substances.”
It is not only unwise, but also dangerous, for you to either buy or sell medications. Not only do you not know what you are really getting from another inmate, you also do not know the side effects of a large amount of any medication. We can use Tom’s case as an example of this serious issue.
Unforseen dangers
One day, Tom and Randy were sitting in the common room watching television. Another inmate, Dante, joined them, but after about 10 minutes, Dante began to complain that his left arm was going numb. In only a few seconds, Dante collapsed on the common room floor. Tom ran to grab the nearest CO while Randy stayed with Dante. The emergency medical team arrived quickly to take Dante to the infirmary, where the physician found that Dante had suffered a severe heart attack. The physician had been treating Dante, who was 60 years old, for a heart condition prior to this time. Dante was stabilized in the infirmary and then rushed to the local hospital where he died in the emergency room 30 minutes later.
An autopsy showed that Dante died from an overdose an asthma medication that comes in an inhaler. Dante did not have asthma. The normal dose of this medicine is two “puffs” as needed, up to only four cause of Dante’s death, the entire unit was put into lockdown conditions. The security chief ordered strip searches and cell searches of every inmate in the unit. A CO discovered a stash of these medicated inhalers hidden in the cell of an inmate named Esteban who was a member of the MS-13 Hispanic prison gang. Esteban had been selling inhalers to other inmates. He got them from an inmate who did have asthma. Jamal, Dante’s cellie, told the security chief that Dante used stolen inhalers to get high. What Dante did not know was that among people who have even minor heart problems, an overdose of asthma medication can cause serious, even fatal, heart attacks. Tom and Randy told the security chief that when Dante joined them in the common room, he seemed a little wobbly on his feet. Esteban was charged with drug trafficking and being an accessory to manslaughter, both felony crimes for which he will do additional time in prison.
Sex in Prison
Although sexual contact of any kind is forbidden by all prisons’ rules, the truth is that it still happens. Both men and women inmates engage in consensual sex or violent rape. In 2003, Congress passed the Prison Rape Elimination Act, or PREA. This act required a complete evaluation of the problem of prison rape and the development of national policies to prevent sexual violence in prison. Under the terms of PREA, every prison in the United States is required, among other things, to:
What this means is if another inmate rapes you in prison, that inmate should be prosecuted for this crime and receive an appropriate sentence. You, as a rape victim, should receive immediate mental health counseling about the trauma you experienced, along with medical care for any injuries you received and medication to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and the prevention of pregnancy. Prisons are upgrading their monitoring systems to cover all areas of the prison with video cameras to prevent rape from happening, and prison employees must receive PREA training either before or after they are hired. Sexual contact between inmates and prison staff members is against the law in most states and all federal prisons. If a female inmate becomes pregnant in prison and claims that a male staff member is the father of the child, a DNA test will be performed.
PREA pretty much guarantees that you will not be “welcomed” to prison by being raped. There is a problem with PREA, however: It costs a good deal of money to implement. This money must come from American taxpayers and be filtered down to every U.S. prison. This is not happening the way it was meant to. Federal grant money is needed to do more research on prison rape and how it can be eliminated. It is best that you know the facts about sex in prison instead of waiting for the government to intervene on your behalf. Someday, PREA will be a very big help to all inmates. But for now, let us see things as they really are.
Consensual sex
When men and women are locked into a prison for long periods of time, they are going to want to have sex — a primary human drive — just as they are going to want to eat, breathe, and sleep. It naturally follows that sometimes there will be two male or female inmates who agree to have consensual sex with each other. Inmates are very often incredibly lonely, frightened, and hopeless about rejoining society. They use sex as a means of comfort, to ease their fear and loneliness, and at least find a bit of peace about being in prison. Inmates who are not by choice homosexual are often involved in a sexual relationship with another inmate because they have no other outlet for their sexual and social needs.
Non-consensual sex
Rape in prison is an entirely different matter. If you could examine the psychological evaluations of rapists, you would find that although they enjoyed the sexual contact with their victim(s), their primary goal was obtaining power and control over another person. In a rape situation, the rapist is expressing his or her need to dominate and humiliate someone else. Sexual assault is defined as any contact between the sex organ of one person and the sex organ, mouth, or anus of another or inserting any object into the sex organ, mouth, or anus of another person by the use of threat or force.
“Within a matter of days, if not hours, an unofficial prison welcome committee sorts new arrivals into those who will fight being raped, those who will pay for not being raped, and those who will become punks. If you don’t fight or pay up, you become somebody’s ‘baby’ until they’re bored with you and sell you to someone else.”
—A. L., Inmate, Montana
Here are some facts you should know about prison rape among male and female inmates:
If you look at the “prison proper” dictionary of slang terms in the Index of this book, you will see there are many terms that describe prison sex and those involved in it. For example, a “punk” is a male heterosexual inmate who has been forced into continual sex acts with another dominant male — or “wolf” — while a “fag” is an inmate who is naturally homosexual and does not feel forced into having sex with other males.
This is the common profile of male prison rapists:
Conversely, here is the profile of the typical male rape victims:
Inmates who experience being raped have deep emotional scars that continue long after the rape is over. They live in fear of being raped again and often turn to self-destructive acts such as cutting themselves, becoming aggressive, or doing drugs in prison. Feelings of embarrassment, anger, guilt, panic, depression, and fear can continue for months or even years after an inmate has been raped. Sometimes they feel such rage about being raped that they kill their rapist. The Human Rights Watch (www.hrw.org) researchers recommend that prison officials take better precautions with potential rape targets, such as being more selective about assigning cell mates or not double-celling these inmates at all.
Most important to you, of course, is learning the problems that come from consensual sex with other inmates and also how you can protect yourself against being raped in prison. Here is what you need to know:
The American Civil Liberties Union
The ACLU was established in 1920 to promote the protection of all Americans from the violation of their constitutional rights. Among its staff members, most are attorneys who represent clients without charge. Often, an ACLU attorney focuses on violations of the First Amendment, including your right to freedom of religion, separation of church and state, due process under the law in criminal and civil cases, and your right to privacy. The ACLU also supports decriminalizing the use of heroin, cocaine, and marijuana. The ACLU frequently seeks to protect the constitutional rights of Neo-Nazi groups and the American Atheist Association. In contrast, the ACLU has fought to uphold a woman’s right to abortion in the case of Roe v. Wade and supported the end of racial segregation in the 1954 case of Brown v. Board of Education. The ACLU is very visible in cases concerning the constitutional rights of inmates. Most recently, the group has filed suit against the Montana Board of Corrections on behalf of an inmate who alleged that his Eighth Amendment rights against cruel and unusual punishment were violated when he was placed in segregation. The ACLU often works with similar groups such as the Human Rights Watch, the Second Amendment Foundation, the American Liberty Association, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights. The ACLU’s headquarters is located in New York. If you believe your civil rights have been violated, you can reach them via the Internet. Visit www.aclu.org/affiliates to find the nearest affiliate in your area.
Check Your Understanding No. 12
1. True or False: All alcohol in prison comes from “outside.”
2. True or False: Decongestants are the only drugs abused by inmates.
3. True or False: PREA legislation prevents all forms of prison rape.
4. True or False: Rape is mostly an act of power, not just a sex act.
5. True or False: The best way to prevent yourself from being sexually assaulted is to know and follow all prison rules about safety.
Racism and Hatred
Racism and hatred exist in prison just as they do on the streets, except it is on a much larger, deeper scale in prison. Inmates are not incarcerated for acts of kindness, but for violence, hate toward a victim, the use of drugs and alcohol, breaking society’s rules, and criminally reckless behavior. We have already seen how gangs, both in and out of prison, form around race or ethnic backgrounds. This is certainly a form of racism. Racism leads to hatred, and hatred leads to violence.
While you prepare to go to prison, do some serious soul-searching about what kind of family you had and what part of the country you come from. For example, if you are white and you were born and raised in a small Ohio town, you may have never seen a Native American. But if you were raised in Oklahoma, home of the Cherokee Nation, Native Americans are a common sight. To African Americans raised in South Central Los Angeles, Asian inmates are a bit of a culture shock. Consider your own racial and ethnic background, and then prepare yourself to meet inmates who look different from you, speak differently, worship a different higher power, and have different values and behaviors from yours. You must learn to tolerate those who are not like you in many ways if you want to stay safe in prison and do your time as quickly as possible. Most of all, be prepared for racist attitudes from some inmates. These are some very powerful feelings, and they lead to many conflicts between inmates, or among inmates and correctional officers or other staff members. If you go into prison expecting that other inmates and staff members will look, think, feel and behave like you, this will definitely be a problem for you. You need not join a prison gang that matches your race, religion, or ethnic background; just be aware that prison populations are very diverse and that you should try to at least make peace with everyone whether you like them or not.
One reason African Americans are angry and bitter about being in prison is that a large percentage of their race are inmates, compared to Caucasian or Asian racial groups. Looking back all the way to colonial America, huge numbers of Africans were taken from their homeland and enslaved or murdered. Caucasians outnumber blacks in America, but in prison, black inmates outnumber Caucasians in a four-to-one ratio.
As you are reading this, ask yourself if you tend to be an angry person. If so, you will probably greatly increase that anger in prison until it turns in to hatred. You will be angry all the time, and you will learn to hate other races, religions, and anyone who is different from you. You will learn to hate the correctional officers who enforce the prison rules. You will learn to hate the doctors who do not give you the exact type of medical care you want. You will learn to hate prison food because you are not given just what you want to eat. You will learn to hate the prison routine.
Most of all, you will learn to hate yourself for being in prison. This attitude will not help you get out of prison safely and quickly. It will keep you in prison longer because your learned hatred will cause you to rack up disciplinary actions and you will not be inclined to better yourself through the prison’s rehabilitation programs. It is easy to hate in prison. It is not easy to maintain your peace of mind and increase your chances for release on parole. Before you go to prison, think this over and make your choice about learned hatred because your future depends on the course of action you choose.
Corrections Officers
Corrections officers represent the other side of prison society. Before massive prison reforms that began in the mid-1900s, guards were nearly always white men, had only high school educations, and received no special training to work in prisons alongside inmates. Guards ruled their prisons with an iron hand, frequently using physical violence to subdue or punish unruly inmates. The federal prison that once sat on Alcatraz Island off the coast of San Francisco was home to America’s most violent murderers and gangsters, including Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelley, Doc and Fred Barker, and Alvin “Creepy” Karpis. Escape-proof Alcatraz was a federal prison that also relied on the guards’ abilities to maintain order among the most vicious criminals in the nation.
Times have changed, and so have prisons. Instead of guards, those who watch over inmates are called corrections officers. This clearly infers that today the focus of prison is rehabilitation, or correction of illegal behaviors that resulted in an inmate’s incarceration. COs not only have the responsibilities to maintain custody and control in the prison and prevent escape, they are also responsible for monitoring visitors to prevent contraband from entering prison, searching inmates and their cells for weapons, and breaking up gang fights and riots, among many other duties. Unlike the old prison guards, COs are now both male and female and are highly trained professionals. COs usually have college degrees in criminal justice or a similar field of study and must attend a special training academy before they begin their duties. Most state DOCs require that COs pass a civil service exam before they are job- or promotion-eligible. In addition, many states require potential COs to go through a psychological screening to prevent people who have unsuitable personality characteristics from becoming COs. The American Correctional Association Code of Ethics is located at www.aca.org. You will find that COs are held to very strict standards of behavior.
When you arrive at prison, the people you will meet first are the COs. They will conduct your orientation program, serve as your escorts to your meetings with the A&E team, and answer all your questions about prison rules and required behavior. It is in your best interests that you treat COs with respect at all times, but especially when you first arrive because you will be making an impression on the COs about who you are and how you will most likely act in prison. Will you be a troublemaker, or will you just do your time as quickly and quietly as possible? This is the first question the COs will ask themselves about you.
To get along well with the COs, refer to them as “sir” or “ma’am,” “Officer,” or by their name, such as “CO Jones.” If you need something, ask rather than demand. You do not need to suck up to the COs; just be polite, courteous, and respectful, and this is the way you will be treated in return. A sincere “thank you” to a CO goes a long way. Some of your COs will be women. Treat them exactly as you treat male COs. Do not treat a female CO in a sexual or disrespectful manner; this will earn you a serious disciplinary report, and the parole board will not like it either.
When the COs ask you to do something, just do it. Do not ask why or argue about it. These people have an entire cell block to oversee and cannot waste time engaging in a meaningless argument with you over a rule or procedure. In their training academy, COs are taught to disengage themselves from too much conversation with inmates, to not get involved in inmates’ affairs, and to stay emotionally detached from inmates. You may feel that prison life is stressful — COs have the same feelings.
Keep in mind that just because the COs have no desire to be your friend does not mean that they care nothing about you. On the contrary, COs really do want you to be rehabilitated. This includes learning to follow rules and obey authority figures. If you show that you can do this in prison, you can convince the parole board that you can obey laws on the outside. Your official prison file will contain information written by COs: things you have done correctly as well as problems you have caused. Prison overcrowding is a serious problem in America, so every additional inmate means one more person for the COs to manage. The more inmates who “make good” on parole and do not return to prison, the easier the CO’s job becomes.
Just as inmates have a “convict’s code,” there is also an unwritten “CO code” that can be summarized below:
Do corrections officers sometimes side with the inmates?
Yes. In 1994, eight COs at the Corcoran State Prison in California were indicted in a federal court on charges of violating the civil rights of inmates. The “Corcoran Eight” were accused of staging fights between rival gang inmates in the recreation yard and betting on the outcome. A CO killed one inmate in the guard tower during an inmate fight. It was the report of two other COs that prompted an intensive investigation of Corcoran’s CO staff. These two COs were constantly harassed and threatened by other COs at Corcoran and other prisons. They eventually retired and won a million-dollar lawsuit because officials at Corcoran failed to protect them under federal “whistleblower” laws. The Corcoran Eight faced possible lengthy prison sentences. All eight were found not guilty of the charges against them. Since that time, there have been no more reports of serious misconduct by COs at Corcoran.
COs aren’t the enemy
If you do your time without making a CO’s job even harder, you will find that the COs are the first staff members who will speak positively of you with the parole board. Avoiding common mistakes and poor decisions while you are in prison will help you serve your time and make parole. Unlike many new inmates, you have this book to help you understand in advance the mistakes and decisions that could cost you your parole. We can use Tom’s case as an example of this issue.
How You Act in Prison is an indicator of how you will Act in Society
Tom and Randy both attend a group discussion on rehabilitation and criminal thinking three times a week with Jane, a mental health counselor. During one session, Jane asked the group what they had learned about common mistakes and poor decisions that some inmates make.
“I’m asking you this,” said Jane, “because if you can recognize errors in thinking while you are in prison, you should be able to do this on the outside when you are paroled. How you act in prison is an indicator of how you will act in society. Your manner of thinking on the outside is what got you to prison; if you want out, you need to change the way you think.”
Randy, who was nearing his parole board hearing, said, “I make mistakes when I act on impulse. I do not think things through, like what could go wrong and what my consequences might be. I just do stuff because, at the time, I feel like it.”
Jane asked, “How did this type of thinking work for you?”
“It didn’t,” said Randy. “That’s why I’m in here.”
Derek, another inmate, said, “There’s nothin’ wrong ‘bout my thinking. The white boys just want all us brothers in prison so they don’t have to deal with us.”
Tom said, “Man, you don’t get it. You’ve been kicked out of the world. We all have. Now this is our world, and I want out.”
Jane said, “Tom, you recently had a disciplinary write-up for being disrespectful to a medical staff member. Do you want to talk about it?”
Tom replied, “I was tired and pissed off that day. I kept thinking about wanting to go home. I felt bad about the girl I hurt. It was a really bad day, and when Dr. Jensen said I couldn’t keep my headache medicine in my cell, I got frustrated and called him a bald (expletive). He wrote me up and I went to the hole for three days so I could adjust my attitude.” Jane said, “So you took your anger out on another person.”
“Yeah,” Tom said. “Before I came here, I would have had a few drinks and just gone numb if I was feeling bad. Here, I can’t do that, so I just got mad and ran my mouth.”
Sanchez, another inmate, said, “I did the same crap; I was pissed all the time and in and out of the hole. This cost me my first parole. No more, dude. You gotta find another, better way to be angry without being a jerk.”
Common Mistakes Inmates Make
These are some of the most common mistakes and errors in thinking that inmates make in prison:
These are just a few of the mental errors that can lead you to make poor choices and decisions while you are in prison. Remember, if you make these mistakes on the inside, you are going to make them on the outside, too.
It is time to check your understanding about this material.
Check Your Understanding No. 13
1. True or False: Corrections officers today have no formal training in their jobs.
2. True or False: Just being polite and respectful will help you get along with COs.
3. True or False: Extreme thinking can lead to poor choices and decisions.
4. True or False: Learning racism and hatred will not help you be released from prison.
5. True or False: Thinking about your own background can help you become more tolerant of people who are different from you.
Privacy in Prison
Privacy in prison is difficult — if not impossible — to come by, so do not expect any. The reason for this is simple: Monitoring the prison for custody and control means personal privacy is lost. You must prepare yourself to have the mind-set that staff members, usually COs, are monitoring everything you do. In most prison cell blocks, there is a “cage” that is bulletproof, shatterproof, and electronically sealed. Only the cage CO can open and shut doors on the block or unit. The cage has mounted camera monitors that continuously provide visual views of every part of the prison where inmates are allowed to go. The cage officer can immediately alert a nearby CO if a conflict or rule violation occurs in the block. You must be prepared to eat, drink, shower, visit with friends and family, watch TV, read in your cell, play cards in the common room, or go to the commissary, recreation yard, gym, group therapy, and infirmary, all while being watched by a video camera and cage CO. Your cell contains a sink and toilet. If you need to brush your teeth or relieve yourself on the toilet, you will most likely be in full view of other inmates and staff.
Federal courts have decreed that inmates have no right to privacy. Thus, COs can, at any time, search your body and your cell. From a simple pat-down search to a full body cavity search, a CO has the right to examine you for any type of contraband. When your cell is searched, this is called a shakedown. A “universal key” can unlock any cell, and the cage CO can open electronic locks. In our civilian society, police officers cannot enter our homes and look through our belongings without a search warrant signed by a judge. In prison, COs can conduct a shakedown any time they wish. Be prepared to have your books and magazines examined, your hygiene items tasted or smelled, your bed stripped and searched, your clothing examined, and every inch of your cell’s walls and floors inspected. A shakedown can take place in one inmate’s cell, or in an entire cell block or unit. If contraband is found, the inmate who had it is seriously disciplined by spending up to 90 days in segregation and losing several privileges such as going to the commissary or the recreation yard. Contrary to Hollywood stereotypes, COs do not like to do shakedowns because they are difficult and extremely time-consuming. The unit is usually in lockdown status during a shakedown, which means that no one goes anywhere until the shakedown is complete.
As you prepare to go to prison, keep in mind that there is nothing you can do to regain your privacy or prevent body searches and shakedowns. As long as you are not in possession of contraband, you have nothing to fear from these searches. You will not like it, but you will get used to using the toilet and showering in full view of others. Remember that these are security measures by the prison that may someday save your life.