Families of Prisoners Support Group
This community is dedicated to families that have been disrupted by prison. Having a loved one incarcerated or having been incarcerated comes with its own unique challenges that require support and understanding. Join the group to find others who know what you're going through, and to seek advice or share your experience.
I have notice several posts lately by the ladies who are concerned about their son's, husband's, boyfriend's, or fathers safety while in prison.
There are really two scenarios one has to consider when any safety issue is addressed. Is the inmate serving time at a medium security prison or he is incarcerated at a minimum security prison? These two security levels are as different as night and day and the safety issue for each is different.
At a medium security prison, the inmates are in there for more violent crimes and serving much longer sentences than at a minimum. It differs from state to state, but generally if an inmate is serving longer than 15 to 20 years, he is classified as medium eligible. He can work that sentence down after a few years and be shipped to a lower security, a minimum.
At a medium security prison many of the inmates are serving such long sentences, sometimes as long as 100 years or life, and they know they will never get out. They will be there for the rest of their natural life. As a result, they have no incentive to behave or follow any rules. After all, what is a misconduct to them if they are already serving more time than they can possibly do? If they want to assault another inmate for any reason, they have no problem doing so. Any loss of good time will not bother them, as they are never getting out anyway.
It is at these medium security prisons where inmates get really hurt or even killed. I was at a medium for several years and they are no play house for sure. But the other inmates have to have a reason to hurt another inmate. Contrary to what you see on TV, inmates are not like crazy people who just go around stabbing and raping each other all the time. Usually serious injury occurs in one of the following situations: a drug deal gone bad, an inmate snitching, an inmate gets into debt and cannot pay, or because of the nature of the inmate's charges. Either of those reasons is reason enough in an inmate's mind to harm another inmate. I had a cellmate that was stabbed almost twenty times in the chest because he could not pay a debt. What was the debt? He owed a package of Ramen Noodles from a poker game. That may not seem like a reason to stab someone, but inmates have different values and do not see things the way you or I might.
Sex offenders or inmates with charges against children are often hurt at a medium security prison. Inmates do not like other inmates who harm children because many of them were abused themselves as children.
But if an inmate is careful and does not have such charges, he will do OK at a medium.
Even if a guy has sex charges, if the inmates like and respect him, they will tolerate his charges and leave him alone.
A cardinal rule: inmates DO NOT hurt other inmates they like and respect.
Now most of the ladies here have guys who will be doing time at a minimum security prison. Here, inmates are at the end of their sentence and about ready to go home. They desperately want to go home. As a result, they obey rules and will not risk a misconduct by committing an assault on another inmate. They certainly do not want to lose any good time credits which a misconduct might cause and they do not want to get shipped to higher security, a medium either.
At a minimum, snitching is still out of the question and not paying debt is frowned upon, but not to the extent it is at a medium. You might get into a fight or punched in the nose, but you will not get stabbed or hit up the side of the head with a lock in a sock at a minimum like you would at a medium. The mindset of an inmate is just very different at a minimum as it is at a medium.
The same goes for an inmate's charges. If an inmate has sex charges or charges against children at a minimum, he may get shunned, but he will not get seriously hurt. The other inmates don't really care about the charges, as they want to go home and are not willing to risk a misconduct.
So, ladies, I tell you this to make you feel more at comfort---it is VERY, VERY difficult to get seriously hurt at a minimum security prison. An inmate has to really work hard and do something monumentally stupid--snitch--- to even get into a fight. And I have never seen a stabbing at a minimum security prison.
So my advice is to relax. Most guys can take care of themselves at a minimum. While I probably saw at least a dozen stabbings at the medium I was at, I never saw anything more than a simple fist fight at the minimum.
All the TV shows you see and the movies you watch seem to sensationalize prison. I have watched MSNBC's "Lock Up" several times, and while it can get that hectic and crazy at a medium security prison, most of the time it is calm. Prison is actually boring most of the time. Most inmates work crossword puzzles, watch TV, or play Spades or Dirty Hearts just to pass the time until they go home.
So, unless you guy does something incredibly stupid like snitching, he will be OK and will never be harmed.
Just remember, thousands of men have gone to prison and came out fine. There is no reason your guy cannot do the same.
Also, there are all kinds on inmates. They are old, young; first timers or repeat offenders; tough guys, timid guys; big or small; etc. But no matter what your guy is like, he will find someone in there that is just like himself to pal around with.
I have seen many guys who only weigh 130 pounds do fine in prison. It is not the size, rather it is how a guy carries himself and how the other inmates perceive him.
Just though I would ease some of your minds.
rewdiazepam
There are really two scenarios one has to consider when any safety issue is addressed. Is the inmate serving time at a medium security prison or he is incarcerated at a minimum security prison? These two security levels are as different as night and day and the safety issue for each is different.
At a medium security prison, the inmates are in there for more violent crimes and serving much longer sentences than at a minimum. It differs from state to state, but generally if an inmate is serving longer than 15 to 20 years, he is classified as medium eligible. He can work that sentence down after a few years and be shipped to a lower security, a minimum.
At a medium security prison many of the inmates are serving such long sentences, sometimes as long as 100 years or life, and they know they will never get out. They will be there for the rest of their natural life. As a result, they have no incentive to behave or follow any rules. After all, what is a misconduct to them if they are already serving more time than they can possibly do? If they want to assault another inmate for any reason, they have no problem doing so. Any loss of good time will not bother them, as they are never getting out anyway.
It is at these medium security prisons where inmates get really hurt or even killed. I was at a medium for several years and they are no play house for sure. But the other inmates have to have a reason to hurt another inmate. Contrary to what you see on TV, inmates are not like crazy people who just go around stabbing and raping each other all the time. Usually serious injury occurs in one of the following situations: a drug deal gone bad, an inmate snitching, an inmate gets into debt and cannot pay, or because of the nature of the inmate's charges. Either of those reasons is reason enough in an inmate's mind to harm another inmate. I had a cellmate that was stabbed almost twenty times in the chest because he could not pay a debt. What was the debt? He owed a package of Ramen Noodles from a poker game. That may not seem like a reason to stab someone, but inmates have different values and do not see things the way you or I might.
Sex offenders or inmates with charges against children are often hurt at a medium security prison. Inmates do not like other inmates who harm children because many of them were abused themselves as children.
But if an inmate is careful and does not have such charges, he will do OK at a medium.
Even if a guy has sex charges, if the inmates like and respect him, they will tolerate his charges and leave him alone.
A cardinal rule: inmates DO NOT hurt other inmates they like and respect.
Now most of the ladies here have guys who will be doing time at a minimum security prison. Here, inmates are at the end of their sentence and about ready to go home. They desperately want to go home. As a result, they obey rules and will not risk a misconduct by committing an assault on another inmate. They certainly do not want to lose any good time credits which a misconduct might cause and they do not want to get shipped to higher security, a medium either.
At a minimum, snitching is still out of the question and not paying debt is frowned upon, but not to the extent it is at a medium. You might get into a fight or punched in the nose, but you will not get stabbed or hit up the side of the head with a lock in a sock at a minimum like you would at a medium. The mindset of an inmate is just very different at a minimum as it is at a medium.
The same goes for an inmate's charges. If an inmate has sex charges or charges against children at a minimum, he may get shunned, but he will not get seriously hurt. The other inmates don't really care about the charges, as they want to go home and are not willing to risk a misconduct.
So, ladies, I tell you this to make you feel more at comfort---it is VERY, VERY difficult to get seriously hurt at a minimum security prison. An inmate has to really work hard and do something monumentally stupid--snitch--- to even get into a fight. And I have never seen a stabbing at a minimum security prison.
So my advice is to relax. Most guys can take care of themselves at a minimum. While I probably saw at least a dozen stabbings at the medium I was at, I never saw anything more than a simple fist fight at the minimum.
All the TV shows you see and the movies you watch seem to sensationalize prison. I have watched MSNBC's "Lock Up" several times, and while it can get that hectic and crazy at a medium security prison, most of the time it is calm. Prison is actually boring most of the time. Most inmates work crossword puzzles, watch TV, or play Spades or Dirty Hearts just to pass the time until they go home.
So, unless you guy does something incredibly stupid like snitching, he will be OK and will never be harmed.
Just remember, thousands of men have gone to prison and came out fine. There is no reason your guy cannot do the same.
Also, there are all kinds on inmates. They are old, young; first timers or repeat offenders; tough guys, timid guys; big or small; etc. But no matter what your guy is like, he will find someone in there that is just like himself to pal around with.
I have seen many guys who only weigh 130 pounds do fine in prison. It is not the size, rather it is how a guy carries himself and how the other inmates perceive him.
Just though I would ease some of your minds.
rewdiazepam
I think they will be glad to hear this from you. Thanks.
It is truly an asset to have your perspective and expertise on these topics.
Hopefully when I see Hub on Saturday I will find out how he is doing. I don't doubt that he will have difficulty in finding others he can get along with - hopefully a prospective new cellmate.
Most of your guys will be at a minimum, so the chances of them becoming seriously hurt---stabbed or beaten badly---are very slim.
I am trying to give you ladies some comfort by giving you the facts from someone who has been there. Do not rely on TV or what you read to give you an accurate portrayal of prison. Those shows are not accurate.
It is hard enough waiting on your guy to come home without having to continually worry about his safety or if he will get hurt.
Actually, the inmates at a minimum security level prison get along amazingly well. Most have not become hardened like you see at a medium and the minimum security inmates realize that everyone has to work together so they can go home soon.
If anyone ever has any questions, feel free to PM me.
rewdiazepam