Prison Inmate Talk

There will be times in the federal prison camp where you can volunteer to help other inmates, the BOP (bureau of prisons) prison staff and correctional officers.

My suggestion is that you know what you are getting yourself into before volunteering. I say that because other inmates are watching and suspicion is a doorway to a lot of bad and good things. It’s best to just not volunteer for anything until you have observed everything yourself for a while.

When you do decide to volunteer and help other inmates, make sure you follow through with your services because your word is very important. Inmates look for people who they can trust and those who honor their words will be the ones they respect.

Wait to be selected when it comes to helping a BOP staff member or correctional officer. Offering to help is admirable but when other inmates are watching, it can be a sign that you are looking for favor or as I mention in an earlier post, a rat.

If someone in the BOP staff happens to select you to help with something, just do it, be polite and keep quiet with no conversation unless they ask you a question. When you are finished with what they asked you to do, politely let them know you are done and wait to be dismissed. This will show the staff and officers that you respect their authority and you start gaining their confidence in you also. Remember that other inmates are still watching and this will be a testing time of your trust and honor to them because believe it or not, you are part of a family.

In regards to helping other inmates, someone new to the prison camp is a prime target for those wanting to take advantage of your generosity. You will be asked to help out by just simply sharing some of your commissary items, be careful because that is the first sign of a trap. Learn to say no from the beginning and just observe, the other inmates already know who is taking advantage of people and you will learn quickly who to trust.

Volunteering to help is good and eventually you will make friends and help each other with favors and exchanging of services. But the goal here is to survive the time you are incarcerated and get back to your family. So again be a man of your word to everyone, friend or foe, because in the end your word and how you act on it will become your strength and the best equipment to survive.

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In my earlier post of education in a federal prison camp I talked about what was available for self taught education and what was mandatory by the BOP through their education department.

Now I want to tell you about the education you receive by observing the other inmates and all their diverse backgrounds and cultures. Inmates in the prison camp came from all sorts of professions and the courts showed no partiality, drug dealers to corporate lawyers, truck drivers to business owners, pastors, insurance salesman, real estate investors, policeman, musicians, etc. I even met a man who had a license to catch snakes, frogs and other amphibians at night and sold them to the zoos for income. What an educational experience that was.

The majority of inmates were there because of drug related crimes and you couldn’t help but here about the drug industry and how specific and yet very diverse it was, even the language of drug dealers was coded and unusual. The valuable education here is to know and learn what to stay away from. Being aware of certain things can also protect you from falling into a trap of drug related conspiracy.

Religious faiths were another education because the BOP did not interfere with someone’s faith they followed. Therefore everyone was allowed to worship and because of the one chapel we had available, inmates of every religion left material for everyone to see. My Christian faith was strengthened by all that I witnessed.

The education from white collar crime individuals was endless, learning about real estate, tips on stock buying, the legal profession and the court system, the music industry, accounting practices and filing out taxes, publishing a book and learning about sports rules. I even learned something from a mortician, now that was interesting.

The camp was also full of highly specialized technical persons like pipe fitters and welders, diesel mechanics, electronics technician and various construction workers. The camp is maintained by these guys and I learned many things by just watching.

In conclusion, I write this post to give you hope and to encourage you or one of your family members to make the most of your time in the federal prison camp and that is to learn whatever you can from all the different professions available.

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Today I want to warn you of something you need to be aware of in the federal prison camp and that’s rats. I don’t mean the four legged kind even though there are a few of those as well but I am talking about the two legged kind.

Basically a rat is someone who tells on someone else to benefit their own agenda or comfort. They are the one’s who speaks or testify against a friend, a coworker or just looks for opportunity to inform the authorities for their own gain and shorter sentence. Sad, but this rat or rats is alive and well in every prison camp. The camp is sort of a protection for them because this person would not survive long in the high security prisons.

How do you spot these rats? Rats are usually the ones who have a comfortable work detail that is closely related to the camp administration. They will also be the one who receives special favors in the form of extra privileges. They are the ones who will try to make friends with you in the first few weeks of incarceration. He can also be spotted easily by watching how other inmates associate with him because the inmates who have been there a while will already know who he is and the word gets around.

This rat will also be the one who is friendly with the camp administrator and other correctional officers because they rely on this rat to inform them of things going on in the camp. This rat can also be spotted when he is in an area that is not associated with his work detail but visiting, very obvious at times, especially when the camp administrator is near by. Be cautious because they may try to recruit you as well.

In the first month or so of your incarceration, keep to yourself as much as possible. I say that because the inmates are watching you to see if you are one of these rats. Be careful how you write things down for personal use because the inmates may interpret that as notes about them.

Now there are some rats that are more deceiving than others and more cunning but at some point they are still exposed. Your best gage to spot rats in the federal prison camp is the inmates. Without being obvious just keep to yourself and observe who the inmates are staying away from. Eventually you will make friends you can trust and it will be easier to spot these rats because you have more eyes to watch.

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The other people I want to share with you are the ones in administration, correctional officer (guards), chaplains and the warden.

Let’s start with the warden. The federal prison camp which I was in also had a high security prison next door where the warden’s office was. He was in charge of the camp and prison.

During lunch time the warden would come once or twice a month to oversee the inmates eating and the camp administrator would accompany him. This was sort of a time where inmates could ask him simple questions and be comfortable asking because the warden is responsible for all activities under him.

The problem with this arrangement was that the camp administrator would deter inmates from bothering him because any valid complaint would reflect on him. With that said, how can a warden know how to improve the camp if inmates were not allowed to express there concerns. I’ll let you ponder on that one.

The camp administrator is like an associate warden and handles all the camp related issues but not all camps have a camp administrator. The thing about camp administrators is that you really do not want to be on their list of bad people because he is the one who approves all your requests.

The chaplains usually visited the camp at random plus Sundays. They catered to all the needs of an inmate’s faith what ever it was. That’s right all recognized faiths in these United States. I’ll touch on this more in a later posting.

Education was also assigned to a person to over see the teaching of GED to inmates with not high school diploma and provided extra curricular classes for those with educations.

As I mention in earlier posting there was also officers in charge of recreation. These officers encouraged inmates to stay fit and to have something to past time.

Medical staff was also a group of people that catered to the inmates twice a day as routine.

The correctional officers or guards are the ones who interact with the inmates the most. There is only one officer that was present at all time in the camp but others would stroll in at random times. Some officers would take time to talk with the inmates to gain their trust and respect which did make the camp run more smoothly. Others would just keep to themselves and not mingle with anyone.

Then there was a selected few officers that were just plain mean (bullies) because they knew and took advantage of the fact that inmates could not raise a hand or harsh words towards them because camp was a privilege. Violating that privilege would be grounds to put them behind bars and inmates were usually threatened with that very fact.

Work details were supervised by different officers but these officers were usually skilled in other professions and actually appreciated the assistance of inmates who wanted to help in similar professions. I respected these officers because even though they were still over us in authority, they treated us as coworkers.

Now there were some officers who treated the inmates as expendable personnel and they are quickly identified because they are the ones who have a big turn around in inmate personnel.

In conclusion, being in a camp is no different than working for a large company because the people’s attitudes are no different. In other words a federal prison camp is a business and the administration is the ones running the business.

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People who are incarcerated quickly go from modest citizen to prison inmate. No matter if you have been falsely convicted of a crime you did not commit, part of a conspiracy, pled guilty due to intimidation or just plain guilty. The minute you step foot into the federal prison camp you are labeled as an inmate and given a number identifying you as such.

The prison system shows no partiality, whether you are White, Black, Asian, Mexican or American Indian it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters to them is that you are in their custody for a number of years and you are an expendable commodity.

The inmates also come from different walks of life and age groups. I witness men with ages ranging from 21 to 71 years, men with families and some business owners. There were also sons, fathers and grandfathers from a variety of states and professions from the simple truck driver to corporate lawyers.

Stepping into a prison camp environment was no different than starting a new job. It was still a matter of finding out those that were trustworthy, the ones who lied, who the supervisors were and all the rules and regulation dictated by the organization. It still came down to the conduct and manner of a man and what he made of the situation.

The positive side to all the different people you meet is the education. You receive a variety of insight into all sorts of backgrounds, knowledge and experience people have. Like all men they enjoy talking about their accomplishments in life. Basically men are still men weather in prison or not, there is no difference, he is still a person.

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Weekends are one of the most boring times in a federal prison camp and at the same time it can be one of the most exciting because of visitation.

During a five day week an inmates work detail keeps him occupied and the evening is a time to just rest for the next day so the time passes quickly. When the weekend comes there is nothing to do but hang around the camp and find something to past the time.

Some inmates choose to sleep the entire 2 days while others use the time to catch up on their reading and writing. A lot of the inmates wash clothing and those with hobbies are working on finishing that special projects or items to send home to family. Other past times were playing cards, board games and watching TV for hours.

One of the interesting things that inmates did for long three day weekends was engage in friendly tournaments of all kinds. These tournaments were also encouraged by the recreation department by supplying rewards to the winners by the means of commissary goods.

The games involved for these events were usually card games like spades, dominos, volleyball teams, ping pong matches, foot races and many other inventive games to bring interest.

The problem with games and tournaments is that eventually they got just as boring after a number of weekends. The most rewarding pastime for inmates was writing to family, reading and studying new literature and getting a hobby.

The key to surviving long boring weekends was to either have regular visitors if possible or finding something that would keep you interested for long periods of time.

I my case I took advantage of writing a lot of letters to my wife, studying God’s word, reading books and doing artwork as a hobby. For me the weekends were a time to better myself in anyway possible for when I was released. Basically it’s what you make of it.

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Competition was very much alive and well in the federal prison camp. Getting involved in sports was one of the primary activities which brought escape to an inmate because for an hour or two they focused on winning the game and nothing else mattered.

The prison camp administration knew this very well and always encouraged the playing of sports by providing the necessary equipment for the events. There were officers in charge of the recreational department and seemed to have an endless budget to work from, it was that important.

The camp I was in had a baseball field that was very well maintained, an outdoor basketball court, a combination handball and racket ball court, an open field for flag football and soccer. They also had an outdoor volleyball court with sand that was raked before each game.

There were always a fair number of inmates to have a minimum of 4 teams for great physical competition. Baseball was one of the favorites that really brought out the competitive spirit in every one, even the spectators.

The Recreational department would reward the winning teams with commissary goods such as Gatorade drink mixes and name brand sodas, but the real reward was the pride and recognition of being on the winning team by other inmates.

I was always impressed at how well organized the teams were and how well they respected the rules for everyone to follow. Even the men who volunteered to be officials were respected. The Inmates who signed up to play agreed to honor the decisions of the officials and by doing so showed that their words can be trusted, very important to a prison inmate.

Sports were a great way to relieve tension and stress of being away from family. It also brought friendship and value to a man’s life at a time when male bonding was needed most for support in the months and years ahead. Sports became a good thing by making the days past quickly and something new to share with family members back home.

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Exercising and staying fit was the choice of each inmate. The prison camp recreational department did provide some equipment for exercise but not all camps had the same. The camp I was in had a stair climber, type of thread mill and stationary bike but that was it because it was a small camp.

There was also a walking track behind the camp which all inmates took advantage of by walking daily at some point. Some used the track for routine jogging and others would walk around doing exercises like push-ups and sit-ups of various types along certain location around the track.

One of the things that impressed me about all the inmates was how creative they were in finding ways to exercise. For example, there were no weights or barbells to work out with but that did not stop inmates who wanted to engage in weight lifting. I saw rocks being used as barbells in each hand. Five gallon buckets with rocks piled inside and even water jugs tied to a metal pole for lifting.

There was always someone exercising during the day which motivated others to exercise and some would do it as a group for accountability, like a coach or team player. The exercise equipment was very handy on rainy and cold days. Inmates were good about taking turns when the equipment was available, it was first come first serve and each respected the time of others.

It was also unique to see all the different types of individual exercises that were being used and created. In other words, staying fit was something every inmate made an effort of doing even if it was just walking.

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Among the clothing provided as I mention in an earlier post. Basic toiletries were also provided, items such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, comb, soap, shampoo, cheap razors, shower shoes, toilet paper, washing detergent and towels along with bed linens.

These items however were off brand and generic to say the least. Thank God for the commissary. The commissary provided name brand toothpaste, quality toothbrushes and razors, an assortment of shampoos and deodorant soaps. Hair and other body products were also available. Inmates maintaining proper hygiene was not a problem, in fact inmates who didn’t follow proper hygiene would find toiletries on their beds as a reminder from the other inmates.

The federal prison camp I was in had private showers and restrooms facilities. Showers and restroom were always cleaned during the week except for the weekends they would begin to look like some gas station facilities with spit and pieces of toilet paper on the floor.

Remember the shower shoes I mentioned, they are a must in the showers and restroom facilities. Fact is shoes were always worn by the inmates from the moment you stepped out of bed to the time you turn in at night.

Toilet seats were always layered with toilet paper before each use and some inmates would actual have spray bottles of a diluted simple green cleaning solution to clean them before each use. Excessive flushing was also common to minimize the odor.

Now with all those inmates and a limited amount of toilet seats and showers waiting your turn presented a problem. With that said it was just a matter of observing times when they were used the least. That meant waking up a little earlier to shave and use the toilet. It also meant taking a shower early or later after the hot water had been replenished.

Bottom line, I was actually surprised by the prison camp and how clean it was and how the inmates took pride in themselves on cleanliness and holding others accountable to keep it clean.

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One of the things about clothing in a federal prison camp is that every inmate wore the same color of pants and shirt each and every day. Each camp or prison may vary in color of inmate uniforms but it was still polyester/cotton twill.

The unique thing about clothing was that the uniforms were made by the inmates, either at that location or another prison location. I’ll have to give the prison system an A plus on that one because as a business owner, I considered that very efficient and practical.

So what type of clothing does a first time inmate get issued? My answer is based on one federal prison camp but I assume that it’s the same with others. Inmates were issued 3 uniforms which consisted of pants and shirts, 4 to 5 cotton t-shirts, boxers and socks, 1 winter coat and a pair of work boot. I was glad to see that the uniforms we got were a dark teal or forest green color.

If you feel that you would like extra clothing like underwear. No problem, the commissary does carry an assortment of men’s underwear, shorts and a selection of sneakers you can buy. You can also get second hand clothes from other inmates who will be leaving the camp. Trust me clothing will not be a problem, there is plenty of it.

Another thing about the clothing is that each inmate is responsible for keeping his clothes clean. So if you don’t know how to wash clothes, make a point of asking someone before going in or as I did learn by watching another inmate. Remember to wash colored clothing in cold water and whites in hot water. Don’t mix colored clothes with the white unless you want a pastel colored t-shirt.

Time for washing clothes is important as well as keeping an eye on your clothes in the wash room. Be observant to when the washing machines are vacant and set a pattern of twice a week to wash clothes. I always found the best time to wash clothes was during movie times or early weekend mornings.

Also make a point of not waiting till the last minute to wash clothes because it may take a while. You will want to monitor the time it takes to wash clothes and transfer them to dryers yourself because even though some inmates will be courteous and do it for you, there are still a few who will shuffle your clothes like rags to make room for their own.

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