“As Gay As It Is In The Media”: 30 Surprising Things About Prison, As Shared By Ex-Inmates

I’m a CO, I will say that it’s interesting how a lot of inmates have their own “sky writing” sign language to talk to each other while we are in the block.

Trusted prisoners often work as counselors and get training by The Samaritans. They save lives by helping prisoners cope, especially new prisoners. S*icides happen maybe once or twice per year. (Ireland)

Not prison, but I did some months in county jail and toothpaste is the go-to treatment for almost any skin issues.

jessipepper27:

Toothpaste is also a good adhesive. The amount of times I've escorted prisoners to fix up smashed up cells and there's toothpaste being scrubbed off all the walls because they've used it to stick up photos and whatever else. No wonder they go through it like there's no tomorrow.

Oh my God the corruption of the guards is SO prevalent!!! It's right out in the open clear as day. Watching female guards crying when certain inmates were leaving. Female guards when serious bling all pretties up at work. Female guards disappearing into cells.

Respect is a joke. No one gives it. If they think or say your p**o, your f****d. Doesn't matter if your paperwork shows you're not a p**o. The inmates will say you made your paperwork and it's fake, they got people on the outside saying you're a p**o. I spent 4 1/2 years fighting because they said all that and that I looked like p**o.

EVERYONE snitches.

Inmates believe if you're doing the f*****g or receiving head, your not gay. We all heard a guy who was married with kids being released in a week. Raping his cellmate every night

Guards don't give a c**p about you. A guard walked into the shower room and caught a bunch of inmates gangraping a small white inmate. The guard walked out and did nothing. It wasn't until 2 hours later another guard found the inmate barely alive covered in blood.

It's a lot more relaxed than people would guess, common knowledge of prison has come from media that dramatizes the conflicts and violence. There is conflict and violence, but unless one places themselves in a position to be targeted, it's unlikely they will be.

Prison is mostly boredom, trading items to get by, and staying alert to avoid trouble. The mental toll and overcrowding make it harder than people think.

You can make eyeliner from pencil.

Most of it has been said already, but a few off the top of my head. Im in the US:

If you dont have money or someone sending you money and you dont have a hustle, you are going to be hungry. The food is a*s, and will not fill you up. In my state you only get two meals on weekends.

Having a hustle is a good idea in general. Some folks write letters, make art, sell items they stole from whatever job they have(Clean/brand new clothes, bleach for washing said clothes yourself-in the sink so they don't get mixed in with the ones with s**t stains and stuff, any sort of items used to make a tattoo machine are highly valuable, food from the kitchen smuggled back.) Any job where you have access to certain things and aren't scared to steal can net you some good pull and money.

French prisons have all the d***s, all of them. The guards know it, the director knows it, the government knows it, they don't try to stop it, stoned prisoners are easyer to manage.

Also everybody has a phone even if it's forbidden, it reduces the pressure on the parlor wait list.

French prisons are horribly overcrowded.

Some prisons have Netflix etc. No choice as to what they put on, but still...

Some prisons even allow old xBox 360 or PlayStation 2 consoles. (Ireland)