Harsh realities of prison:

My realization:

Yesterday I was talking to one of the friends/ resources that I have in prison and it occurred to me that I have written so many blogs but never one on the true reality of prisons.  Don’t misunderstand, I have written so many stories that were unbelievably sad to hear about.  Some stories were of horrifying mistreatment and survival methods by the inmates.   What I am about to explain is a little different from those blogs in the past.

What does it mean to be incarcerated?

How did you get to this point of being sentenced to prison? You committed a crime the law found you guilty. You were arrested and sat in a County Jail for months to years fighting your case and trying to prove that you didn’t commit this crime. Your attorney and District attorney agreed on a deal because they hate going to trial. And here’s little secret they get paid to make deals. You have choices: a deal, a Judge trial or a jury trial. After your deal or trial, you get sentenced and off you go to prison for maybe the least amount or years or the maxim of years.  While you were getting sentenced the Judge should have stated your fines and restitution that you will have pay.

Prison offers you jobs, courses, and programs to take while being incarcerated. Are you obligated to take any of those programs or classes? No, you are not. Do you have to get a job? No, you can sit in your cell, on the yard, or in the day room the whole time you’re incarcerated.

Harsh reality # 1:Prisons only restricts a person movement!! Prison does not make you a better person, or make you do the right thing or make you want to be better. The prison can not make you take any programs or educational classes.

Why drug programs are not effective in prisons:

The number one reason is because you do not have to take them. Most prisons on both federal and state levels offer programs. All prisons offer drug and alcohol programs. Most inmates take these programs just to get a higher level. A higher level means more privileges.  It is unbelievably easy to get drugs in prison. Guards and family members bring the drugs in. Inmates pay for their drugs with their commissary money or they have family put money on someone’s books. Alcohol is made in their cells.

Harsh reality #2. People who are addicted to drugs and alcohol need to be in rehabilitation programs, not prison. They have an illness. Prison isn’t going to make it better or change it. They can still get what they want to get high or drunk.

Prison makes better criminals:

When you go into prison for the first time, you become very educated on things you never could imagine. And you learn these things very quickly because it might save your life there. The things you see, hear, and do haunt you forever, but it is more than that. You learn to fight, you want to run drugs you can, you want to run a store to make money you can, and there are so many things that you can do. Therefore, you just became a better criminal, How are you paying for the crime you committed to get there?

Harsh reality #3 Becoming a better criminal  means you will commit more crimes and you will end up back in prison at some point in your life. It means you will climb that ladder, you will be one of the top guys on that totem pole.

Teenagers who commit murder:

Teenagers who commit murder before 2012 have been convicted of murder have been sentenced to life without the possibility of parole, There are many studies and arguments that these teenagers should have a chance at life outside of prison for the reasons being that their brain w as not fully developed. The frontal lobe is the last part of the brain to develop in the brain. This is why teenagers are so difficult to deal with at times. The frontal lobe controls impulse, emotions, empathy, sympathy and decision making. With that said yes teenagers know right from wrong, however the impulse control doesn’t allow  for that right from wrong to play a part in that split decision making process until after the fact.

Many of the teenagers that have been incarcerated for before 2012 are now getting a second look and a second hearing/trial for a sentence reduction. Several organizations and psychologists feel that teenagers have spent years in prison getting an education, taking programs, and that the thought of murdering would not be there if they were released into society. Many studies have also included how the teenagers childhoods play an intricate part

Harsh reality # 4 In 2012 The Supreme Court made the decision that it is unconstitutional for teenagers to spend life in prison without the possibility of parole or get the death penalty. When that decision was made, it gave every teenager incarcerated that has a life sentence without parole or death penalty a chance at a re-sentencing trial.

LGBT community:

The guys who identify as women and the women who identify as men have a difficult time in prison. The prison tries to accommodate as much as they can. The prison lets the males buy make-up, bras, and provides them pills to grow breast. Women are allowed to keep their hair short -bald, and be manly as possible. The prions will not do any identity changing  surgeries, those can only be done when an inmate is released. These individuals get bullied,  physically and sexually assaulted numerous times. I’m all for being yourself. I don’t believe in hurting yourself to be yourself.

Harsh reality # 5 The amount of assaults is ridiculously high on these inmates. Some of these inmates have gone so far as to cut off their testicles with toe nail clippers just to remove them because the prison won’t.

Medical and behavioral health care:

The medical care is poor at best. People are going into prison healthy. However, by the time they are diagnosed it too late, now they have a fatal disease that will tragically end their life. This could have been prevented.

The prisons are nasty, dirty and extremely unsanitary. You can become very sick just from those conditions alone. There are bugs, rodents and diseases from the unsanitary conditions.

When you don’t follow the rules or you fail an urine drug test or you get in a physical altercation, the prison answer is send you to solitary confinement for 30 days to years. This method of punishment should not be used ever. It very damaging to the brain and the person. Studies show that solitary confinement can literally cause you to have brain damage, severe mental health issue, lack of social and emotional skills and communications skills. And yet the prions still use this as a form of punishment.

Harsh reality # 6 So many people have died from lack of care which could have been prevented. Several inmates wouldn’t have severe mental health issues and major PTSD if the prison had done their jobs correctly.

Harsh reality # 7 There are so many lawsuits of medical/ mental health care and mistreatment that the inmates are walking away with hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Treatment of inmates by guards:

Guards are paid off by other inmates to harass, intimidate inmates, physically assault inmates and abuse inmates any way possible. Guards make fun and ridicule inmates just because they can. It’s not ok or right. There is a shortage of guards in every state. The shortage is because of pay, the stress of the job, the dangers of the job and lack of training. Many states are closing prisons because they do not have enough to work in them and there’s to much  over crowding that they keep the prison open. The prisons are  not running safely for the inmates or guards. There are mass releases as well.

Harsh reality # 8 There aren’t enough guards.  Not many people sign up for this job. This job is very tough, and one that you literally put your life online everyday. The pay is very low. I know there is enough money to pay them higher wages and giving more training. If you have lost your heart and compassion for the job, you should move on to something else. These are humans beings. Yes, they are incarcerated for a crime they committed, but they don’t deserve to be treated horribly and less than humane.

Responsibility and accountability:

How is restricting someone’s movement and taking away their ability to care for themselves holding them responsible and accountable for the crime they committed? Sending them to prison has now made them incapable of working, taking care of themselves, making amends, or learning from the crime that they committed. Don’t misunderstand me, I wholeheartedly believe that anyone who commits a crime should have consequences.Taxpayers are supporting the prisons in turn paying for the inmates.

Harsh reality # 9 Tax payers are the ones who are really paying for the person’s crimes. Inmates do not have any responsibility while they are incarcerated. They do not cook, clean, do their laundry, go to a job or anything functional living things for themselves. Guards tell them when to eat, sleep and exercise.

Restitution and Fines:

When you get sentenced, the judge tells you how much time you will spend in prison. The judge also tells you how much money you will have to pay in fines and restitution. Once you get to prison, you will start paying on your restitution if you have money on your books. If you don’t want to pay your restitution while you’re incarcerated, then you don’t have anyone put money on your books. Which is a great way to get out of paying. However, you don’t get anything you need or any extra food. The restitution comes out of the commissary account. Inmates are very smart and clever, they have ways to get what they want.

Harsh reality # 10 Inmates will do just about anything to get extra food, they will tell their family to put money on someone’ else books, and pay a little to the person because they used their account. They will be a lookout while someone is tattooing,  making alcohol or using a cell phone. Sometimes they will be foot soldier or drug runner. It’s sad all the things they are willing do, just so they don’t have to pay their restitution.

Death Row:

Inmates on Death Row. Many inmates have been sentenced to death for heinous crimes they have committed. So inmates have been waiting years to be executed and some will never be executed because the state they are incarcerated in has changed to a no execution state. Here are some statistics regarding the death penalty.

As of July 1, 2024, there were 2,213 death row inmates in the United States, including 49 women. The number of death row inmates changes frequently with new convictions, appellate decisions overturning conviction or sentence alone, commutations or deaths  (through executions or otherwise).

• Male: 2,164 (97.79%)
• Female: 49 (2.21%)
• Comparatively, 50.8% of the U.S. population is female, and 49.2% is male (USCB 2018).

• 69.75% have less than a high school diploma or GED.
• Comparatively, 12.19% of U.S. adults have less than a high school diploma or GED.

• It has been estimated that over 10% of death row inmates have a mental illness.
• Comparatively, it is estimated that 4.2% of American adults have a serious mental illness.

• Median time, in years, a death row prisoner has been awaiting execution: 7
• Average time, in years, between imposition of a death sentence and execution: 12
• For 2020 : 22 years on average between offense and execution.

• 1.6% of death row prisoners since 1972 have been formally exonerated and released.

• On death row: 40 (as of May 22, 2024)
• Total number executed: 50 (1927–2021)

REF: List of death row inmates in the United States – Wikipedia

Harsh reality # 11 Inmates on death row may never be executed. Some inmates that have been executed may have been innocent, and some may wait for execution for years to be executed. Is it justice to wait? Does it violate their rights when they have to wait years to be executed? What happens if you were innocent and you were executed?

Proving your innocent:

There are men and women who are sitting in prisons right now that are innocent. They have been there for years fighting for their freedom. You have to find all the evidence to prove that you did not commit a crime. You would think that once you found the evidence to prove your innocence you would be able to walk out of that prison and begin your life all over again.Right? Wrong, it takes years to get back in court to have a hearing for the judge to say that you’re innocent. Once you have had a new trial or hearing and the judge says you’re innocent then you will free to go.

Harsh reality # 12 Innocent people have been sitting in prison for years, sometimes half their lifetime or more. They have spent countless hours and several thousand dollars (if they can afford it) or rely on the public defender to find the evidence and fight their case. They have gone through many public defenders because they are pro bono so they move on after a certain period time. It takes years to prove your innocence and to be released from prison.

Being released:

Being released is not much better for many of them. They struggle with modern technology, finding jobs, adapting back into society and taking care of themselves for the first time in years.Halfway houses do not assist you with anyhting. They may hlep you with a job, howeer you start off owing them money because of “rent”. From the start you’re already in debt. Those houses take your as much money as they can from you.  I can see why many of them commit more crimes to go back to prison, commit suicide or become homeless. Sometimes when you commit another crime you end up with a much longer sentence than before. If you had a stacked case the first time you will have to do those years plus your new charges. That’s unbelievably sad that you will have spent most of or all of your life in prison.

Harsh reality #13 Many people have spent half or more of their lifetime in prison. Society does not help with employment, housing or programs. Prison doesn’t help you once you’re released. The programs that are offered to you after you’re released are not good programs, most of the time they just take your money.  Many return because it is easier than living out here in the real world where you have to be responsible for yourself after being taken care of by the prison system.

Parole and probation:

When you’re being sentenced, the judge states your length of time in prison, your fines, fees and restitution but he also tells you the length of parole or probation. If you do not have any prison time because of the amount of time you spent in county jail you then you will be on parole or probation for the remaining time. If you violate your probation or parole you will go back to jail unitl you see the judge and they determine what your charges are. At that time you may get prison time or  get more years on probation or parole.

If you have to wear an ankle monitor. You wear ankle monitor and the ankle is telling your PO that you are somewhere you’re not supposed to be, you will go back to prison. If you cut it off you will definately go to prison. You can ask your PO to go somewhere and they can adjust the machine to allow you to leave the county that you currently reside in.

Harsh reality # 14. The parole/probation officer (PO) is in total control of your life for however long you have until your time has ended. They do unexpected visits to your home, you’re expected to go get urine analysis test (UA’s), some inmates are required to call in everyday.

Harsh reality# 15 You have to pay a fee everytime you see your PO. When you PO calls and says come to my office right now, you drop everything and go right now. Your employer has to understand that you are owned by the Department of Corrections until you are off parole/probation and there is nothing that you can do about it.

Harsh reality # 16 Being on parole/probation also means that you have community service hours that you must complete every month until you hours are completed. You are required to attend classes as well. Those classes must be completed by a certain time or you’re in violation.  Once you have completed all your requirements and haven’t violated you can ask the judge to release from probation. It is not a guarentee that the judge will release you.

So many harsh realities. However, at this point it is matter of questioning the government. When will things change? Staying in the past about a 100 years is not condusive to anyone including the inamtes.  When will people who are incarcerated actually be responsible for their crimes and themselves? Inmates who cannot take of themselves inside prison certainly cannot be released and expected to take care themselves when time stands still for them on the inside.

Many have been released, many have lawsuits or have won lawsuits over care and treatment. Who pays for these lawsuits? We do the tax payers! Why because the money to pay these lawsuits comes from the State.  When will people take notice and realize these are still people? No matter how horrible or heinous the crime was, it was a person who committed it. I don’t agree, approved or  condone what they have done, but I don’t agree with torture either.

When will the Government see that the inmates are running the prisons? There are lifers and gang members who have the system under total control and they are the ones running the prisons from the inside and outside.

As always I love reading your comments. I appreciate all the positive feedback. If you have a story or comment you would like to share please let me know.  I would love to hear and write it.

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