Trip report/ask me about time in maximum (and minimum) security prison - Page 4

Stagger_Lee · #31 12-11-2006, 03:48 AM

Did you share cells or was it one to a cell?

What precautions could you take to avoid rape?

Did anyone warn you about protecting yourself from rape & assault or about not sharing personal details with others? (I suppose the question is - was there any sort of induction program for first-timers?)

Could your family give you other things beside $50 per month?

This is a very interesting post. Thanks for sharing and for answering these questions.

MyTurn2Raise · #32 12-11-2006, 03:51 AM

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Also, if you flashed your street cred in Sports you may win more arguments out of sheer fear and respect. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

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I already liked him from when I rode an NHL pick of his that I would never in a million years have made myself, I don't even follow hockey, needless to say it won.

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you must be lucky as my NHL picks have been pretty poor this year

udbrky · #33 12-11-2006, 03:54 AM

Thanks for the story, very interesting. One of the guys I work with did 7 years straight out of high school for armed robbery and shooting the guy. It's always interesting hearing stories of the real life doing time. I did 2 days a couple years ago for DUI and don't know how you could take that long of a sentence.

Does having done time make you more law-abiding now? i.e. don't want to go back?

Has having been to prison affect your gambling? Or was it more of a result of the difficulty finding a job? How long is the look-back time? My coworker was able to get an internship with Chase recently and his didn't show up.

What would you do differently if you could go back? - with regards to your time spent.

MyTurn2Raise · #34 12-11-2006, 03:59 AM

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Do you carry around a lot of biterness for the ordeal? Do you view it as a mistake you made or just bad luck and a crappy system?

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depends upon the day.... a bit of everything

I am still quite upset that I received such a punishment for what I perceived was a light crime. There were much more effective ways to deal with me, but I was a resume builder for a state's attorney.

Bitter, but I don't dwell on it. Whenever the parole boards asks me about it, I tell them that I honestly thought the punishment was unfair and a bit draconian (then again, what convict doesn't think that about their punishment). It's a sunk cost at this point, though. Dwelling on it doesn't change things.

I definitely made a mistake and was not living life in a way approved of by my peers. I don't regret my drug use, but I do regret how big it had become. I like to think that most people, given my specific case, wouldn't have been so harsh. A few years probation would've changed my behavior just as much as prison. Instead, my mind got totally crushed for 8 or so months. I still don't feel I've regained some of the confidence I had. However, I do have quite a perspective on things.

Today and before the arrest, I've been a pro-legalization warrior. However, because I know the risks inherent in drug use and chose to use them doesn't mean I can disregard the rules society passes. What gives me the right to be superior? I'd like to see a more 'enlightened' drug policy, but it still doesn't change the fact that I knowingly was breaking the law.

I will say that I thought the drug I was using would have similar punishments as marijuana. That turned out to be a very bad assumption.

seventwo · #35 12-11-2006, 04:06 AM

Wow thanks for sharing.

1) Were there any things from your past that you pretty much had to lie about to other prisoners like your upbringing, being a college student, potitical views, etc?

2) Your were never raped, but were you ever told by another prisoner it was going to happen?

MyTurn2Raise · #36 12-11-2006, 04:07 AM

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Did you share cells or was it one to a cell?

[/ QUOTE ] shared when I was with general pop

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What precautions could you take to avoid rape?

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stay away from potential rapists [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]
seriously, there was this lifer at Joliet who everyone called Lola. He could bench well over 400 lbs. Seriously, a man named Lola is a man to stay away from. When it comes to your cellmate, or in your cell, there is just too much supervision from the COs (correctional officers) for it to happen unwillingly.

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Did anyone warn you about protecting yourself from rape & assault or about not sharing personal details with others? (I suppose the question is - was there any sort of induction program for first-timers?)

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yep...everyone is warned about not sharing personal information. I made up a story that I was from Gettysburg, PN in oreder to share when that stuff came up. Other informal rules get passed down. For example, don't take the Little Debbie "Honey Bun" snack if it's left on your matress.

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Could your family give you other things beside $50 per month?

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letters and some softcover books

seriously, letters from the outside are so huge and just lift spirits so much. Those friends who chose to write to me are forever gold in my book even if I haven't hugn out with them or seen them since.

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This is a very interesting post. Thanks for sharing and for answering these questions.

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ty

DamitBob · #37 12-11-2006, 04:07 AM

Great Report.

You sound like you were good at keeping to yourself and not escalating problems. That to me would be the hardest part of a sentence. I enjoy a good fight and the fear of getting more time versus takin a beatin is a tough call I think.

What happened to guys that were eager to fight and didnt take any shyt? Would they need to worry about gang buds retaliating if you put a beatin on their bud or?

Lets say you beat Mister Cali up good. What happens then?

PokerFink · #38 12-11-2006, 04:09 AM

MyTurn,

Thanks for an enlightening read.

Do you think your assignment to Joliet was mostly based on your high test scores?

Would you have ended up in minimum security the whole time if you had scored average on purpose?

What positives, if any, did your sentence have on your life?

Reef · #39 12-11-2006, 04:09 AM

awesome post.

Is there any privacy in taking a dump or spanking the monkey?

MyTurn2Raise · #40 12-11-2006, 04:10 AM

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Wow thanks for sharing.

1) Were there any things from your past that you pretty much had to lie about to other prisoners like your upbringing, being a college student, potitical views, etc?

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politics and college don't come up, especially college. Most inmates are not exactly fans of education and/or those who had educational opportunities.
Yeah, I made up a whole story about being from Gettysburg, PN. I talked of being a 3rd shifter at a grocery store, which is something I had done before. It's the type of job that one would expect from someone with drug issues.

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2) Your were never raped, but were you ever told by another prisoner it was going to happen?

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people always tell this to the new guy...not sure how much truth there was. A few older guys told me to stay away from a few specific guys. Who knows? I stayed away from everyone to be safe.