Welcome to Prison, Sucker! - Yahoo

Basic Guide to Prison

V Saxena,Yahoo! Contributor Network
Mar 21, 2007

Welcome to prison. It may take you a little time to realize the circumstances that have come upon you. This is NOT a joke. You are about to experience a tremendous amount of isolation, loneliness and confusion. In addition, the separation from your friends and family will slowly tear at you. You made the wrong decision and it is time to pay. Let's start with the basics.

Correspondence With The Outside World

Letters and phone calls are one of the few vital links that remain between you and your family. The precious contact you have with them will make it easier for you to integrate into mainstream society upon your release. Keep in mind that your letters are thoroughly checked and censored. That means that everything you or your family writes will be read by a prison staff member. This is done to prevent contraband from entering the prison and also disturb gang activity. Furthermore, guards possess the right to listen in on your conversation if they deem a security threat.

Work and Education

Did you happen to be unemployed on the outside? Perhaps you enjoyed lying about and hustling to survive. No more of that! In prison, you will be required to maintain a job. These jobs help to minimize the cost of holding you behind bars. Typically, prisons are involved in various industries, anywhere from furniture construction to making clothes. The bit of money you make will come in handy with purchasing commissary such as extra food or brand-name soap. Quite honestly, the meals you are fed are just not enough to fill up your stomach. You will definitely need the commissary.

If you do not have a diploma or GED, you will be required to attend fifteen hours of education. Even if you are not required to seek education, you should. Some prisons even offer Associate, Bachelor and Master degrees. You should be ready to do anything that can help you better yourself. Not to mention that studies show that work and education oftentimes help reduce re-conviction by opening up new avenues that were not available before.

Stretching Your Muscles

The majority of prisons offer basic recreational facilities to help prisoners relieve stress. These typically include weight lifting rooms and basketball courts. Do not expect to find a swimming pool at your prison.

Your Penitentiary Bill Of Rights

The rules you follow in prison are enforced by everybody from the CO to the Warden. General regulations are constructed and reviewed by the warden and a third party known as the Board of Visitors. Discipline includes, but is not limited too, increasing your sentence, reducing your overall privileges and placing you into a segregated unit. The worst prisoners oftentimes end up spending most of their sentence in segregation. Segregation, also known as the hole, is not a place you want to spend your time. The best thing to do is keep to yourself, defend yourself when necessary and just follow the rules.

The overall procedure of discipline is fair and oftentimes allows you the opportunity to seek legal counsel. Suppose an inmate attacks you and you end up injuring that inmate. The inmate was at fault. However, you will have to prove that in court. In case that you feel injustice has been perpetrated against you, you can attempt an appeal with the Prison Ombudsman.

You also have the right to receive, send and hold onto letters. In addition, as stated earlier, you can make phone calls. You may also EARN privileges such as reading books, getting a radio, reading newspapers and even watching television. It is all based on how you act. Act bad and you will be treated badly.

Conclusion

So now you have a general idea of what to expect. But, this is just the beginning. Depending on your attitude, this experience can either help you grow or can destroy you. It is your choice.

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