Trip report/ask me about time in maximum (and minimum) security prison

[tuq]

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Your best bet is to make yourself as unattractive and uneffiminate as possible. Grow an unkept beard. Keep some body order on you. don't wash fully up, etc.

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So basically become Andrew Karpinksi.

[MyTurn2Raise]

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holy [censored], amazing thread.

MT2CR, I honestly feel very bad for you. I imagine it would be much worse for guys in your similar situation, who aren't good at poker 'cause they are [censored] for job searching.

Before you found poker, when you realized that you could never get a decent job, did you ever thing of just giving up on life and just end it all?

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for awhile on house arrest, after my girlfriend finally wisely dropped me, I wasn't the happiest person and some bad thoughts did enter my head. I don't like to think about that too much.

[MyTurn2Raise]

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I know you said that people don't discuss their crimes much but in the minimum security prison did you meet anyone who was in for tax fraud?

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nah....i believe that is more a federal crime and a convict would end up in the federal rather than state prison system.

I did meet a few guys who laundered money, etc. One guy admitted to being madly in love with a hot Brazilian made at the hotel chain where he was controller. He ended up stealing many thousands to court her and, later, support her. He said it was worth it despite the fact she never once contacted him once he went to prison ...it's a funny world.

While in county, there was a guy awaiting sentencing at the federal level for corporate espionage. He was a high ranking guy and sold secrets to the competitors.

[Hopey]

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Your best bet is to make yourself as unattractive and uneffiminate as possible. Grow an unkept beard. Keep some body order on you. don't wash fully up, etc.

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So basically become Andrew Karpinksi.

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LOL

I remember AK doing a thread like this about his experience in prison. I wonder if his "look" was as a result of getting raped in prison and not wanting it to happen a second time?

[MyTurn2Raise]

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mt2r, fascinating thread. ty for sharing.

el d asked a couple of q's i was wondering about. further to them though, as you weren't affiliated with any gang how were you treated by the rest of the prison population?

did they just leave you be, or would they f with you or make things harder for you, simply because they could with no fear of recourse?

did you walk around with head down (to avoid eye contact and possibly insulting someone)? or did you keep your chin up so as not to look like a weak target?

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no affiliation here

people would look for opportunities to mess with me, and I tried to not give them any

head up, but no eye contact. More like a constant awareness of my surrounding.

It was mentally draining to live in fear that much.

[MyTurn2Raise]

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Great thread, MT2R. Thanks for sharing.

What was the size of your iso cell at Joliet? Did it have a window? What was your workout routine there?

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6' X 8' when in the general pop decks. Isolation was 8' X 10'. If you look at the pictures in the OP, the cell doors go onto a deck. Beyond that deck was a brick wall with some thick, clouded windows. I could see a bit. Joliet didn't have two decks of cells facing eachother like the prison in Shawshank. It had decks that faced out from the building rather than in.
Isolation had a 2' X 2' window about 15 feet off the ground that would let natural light in on occassion.

[fish2plus2]

The 16 year old who killed his family - Why would no one sit with him? Was it because they were afriad he was Nutso and would shank them if he got the chance? Was he a punk or something like that? Did California have contact with him? What was that like?

What was showering like? Did you have to shower with the other inmates? Where do the guards stand to watch for fights/beatings?

Did you give any thought to trying to leave the country? If you had $50K in your bank account from poker, would you consider leaving the country?

You said that if someone gets their food stolen and then fights the person who is affiliated, they will become a target? To what extent will this treatment continue? I was under the impression that everyone in prison is afriad of someone shanking them, so they do not mess with people willing to fight back?

Did any gang members try to recruit you?

[MyTurn2Raise]

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Wow. Very fascinating read. Seems like you were able to take a very bad situation, learn from it, and moved on to more productive life. I congratulate you for it.

Having met you in real life, I never would have guessed this was in your past, though I see now that your love for late night Barbary Coast Pai Gow action should have tipped me off [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I hope to see you again next time SSNL hits up Vegas.

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All anyone can do is try to make the best of it. I expect anyone in my situation would've tried the same, but thanks.

Yep, I don't seem like a hardened thug IRL, Pai Gow exploits withstanding.

Looking forward to the next SSNL gettogether.

[fish2plus2]

If you were to join a gang, how does the process work? How do they treat you? What are your responsibilities as a new guy?

[RunDownHouse]

I'm not sure you'll have any special knowledge, but...

I drive by the Marion Fed. pen somewhat regularly. From what little I've read, that's where we (the US) puts its baddest-of-the-bad Federal offenders: terrorist guys, multi-state mass-murderers, etc. Its the same state but a completely different system. Do you know anything about it? Any thoughts, rumors, impressions?