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Prison


Max Quinn

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I saw this post on another forum (through a link from another forum haha) and thought it deserved sharing. It's basically a guy who got put away for armed robbery, but is well educated etc, writing about and answering questions on his time inside. I know, best of the internet blah blah blah, but I'd be interested to actually hear some thoughts and opinions on this, and hopefully start the kind of discussion I haven't seen in a while (without having to read ignorant Christians and arrogant Atheists repeating themselves to each other anyways).

Here's the link: http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=136858\

Does anyone know anyone who been locked up? Do you keep in contact with them? How well do you think you'd handle the thought of going to prison? Solitary's an interesting one as well and some of the questions and his answers on that subject are a good read, how well can you imagine yourself coping with solitary?

One of my best mates from way back when in primary school (but he was the year above me and we never really stayed tight after primary school) recently got in touch over facebook seeing if I wanted to go for a pint. I was chatting to him for a bit and he dropped that he'd done 2 years for drugs and firearms charges (wouldn't really go into detail) which didn't bother me at all, but did kind of interest me. I never ended up going for that pint, not because he'd been inside but just because he's got an ASBO on my area and going to where he lives was just long, for someone I hadn't been tight with in almost 10 years, and when I was we were 10 years old. But after reading some of this link I kind of feel like I shoulda, considering what he says about friends and family dissapearing, maybe my old mate just wanted someone to chat to who hadn't been involved with his immediate life before being locked up.

But yeah, trust me that links definately worth a read, discuss!

Edited by Max Quinn
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Pretty interesting read so far , albeit from an American perspective . I worked in ( Dutch ) prisons for 2 years and it's a pretty fascinating world with a lot of unwritten rules and invisible boundaries . Certainly made me think how I'd handle myself if I were on the other side of the bars . To answer one of your questions - how well I think I'd handle being locked up , depends on the nature of the offence and I'd pray to the Gods that the inmates never found out I used to be a corrections officer ! The 2 most hated groups are sex offenders and bent cops / guards .

With regards to solitary confinement , impossible to say as our lives are so filled with stimuli none of us has ever endured 2-3 weeks in a silent , white cell with no printed matter and no sense of time . Reading the rest now .

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I've known someone who's been inside, and I was pretty close to them and in regular contact during the 9 months of an 18 month sentence. I went to visit 2 or 3 times too, so got to see a bit of the inside too. It was a tough time for the person involved, but they are one of the strongest people I know so hasn't effected them long term (it's been 11 years since then now). Did it 'work'? I know full well that the person would commit the crime again if the situation arose in the same way again, because they believe they were right. Maybe they don't allow the situation to arise now though, I don't know how in control of the prior factors they could be so couldn't comment.

Sorry that's pretty wooly, but I wouldn't feel comfy going into any more detail. I'll give that link a read tonight I reckon.

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IMO he wasn't really moaning or whinging though. Just telling how it actually is.

Exactly, the response to the question about his past and how he so honestly replied that he's just a middle class f**k up gave an odd twist to it.

The 'Digging a Hole' thing is absolutely savage as well!

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Loads of my mates have been in the pokey, some of them said it was a laugh, some hated it, definitely changed all of them, non for the better.

I'd be f**ked if I went inside thats for sure, probs wouldn't come back out.

Interestingly I was on a Rig with a few old dudes from Glasgow (Welders obviously :giggle: ) and they were whinging that oil rigs "Were just like Prison, but there at least you d'nae have to work" the welsh boys that had been inside with me agreed, lolz

Having spent many years on oil rigs and hating it I would say prison must be a nightmare scenario, for me anyway, I really could not hack it, just being in the Police cells f**ks me up.

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A friend of mine who I've known for around 8 years now, used to ride trials, does bmx now, was sentenced last week for 15 months for doing graffiti.

Was quite lucky, at one point he mentioend it could of been upto 3 years. Think hes in a mid level security prison, half of the sentence is inside.

Going to write to him soon, see how he's holding up, one of the worst things was how long it took to sentence him, went to court about 5 tmes, had to put his life on hold for a year basicially.

That was a good read- Sounds horrible!!

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A friend of mine who I've known for around 8 years now, used to ride trials, does bmx now, was sentenced last week for 15 months for doing graffiti.

Was quite lucky, at one point he mentioend it could of been upto 3 years. Think hes in a mid level security prison, half of the sentence is inside.

Going to write to him soon, see how he's holding up, one of the worst things was how long it took to sentence him, went to court about 5 tmes, had to put his life on hold for a year basicially.

Prison time for graff is the biggest load of bullshit ever. I know, 'do the crime, do the time' an all that, but seriously, putting a writer in prison is only gonna lead him on to real crimes.

Are prisons in the uk the same as that though?

Nah, pretty sure they're nowhere near as bad.

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I've got a family member who was locked up for murder and got out about 5 years ago. He didn't really say anything about really bad shit, but I remember him mentioning once about there being a nonce that turned up new an he got both his hands slammed in one of those hefty metal doors. Apparently broke like every bone in his hands.

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Prison time for graff is the biggest load of bullshit ever. I know, 'do the crime, do the time' an all that, but seriously, putting a writer in prison is only gonna lead him on to real crimes.

Exactly what we've all said. He said it himself, he knows he's been a sh*t and that he has commited crime, but prison ( which could have potentially been up to 3 years) isnt right. Fine to pay for xx years and made to community service to clean it sounds a lot more appropriote.

( Day after he went in, I read about a lad who had been sentenced to 5 years for car jacking ( or somethign similar) that was something like his 50th offence and he was going down for the first time. Its a messed up system)

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