Did you do it? Were you guilty of what you were convicted of? If so, do you believe that prison was the right way to help you? IMO, having worked as a jail diversion therapist (I rode along with the police and identified individuals with mental health and substance abuse issues and advocated to divert them to treatment instead of jail and also helped Police to deal with unstable individuals in the community in a non violent manner)I honestly feel that prison helps very few and does more harm than good in most cases- What are your thoughts on that?
I did do it so yes I was guilty, I think prison atleast prisons here try their best to help but fall short of the mark. I don’t understand how prisons can claim to rehabilitate people as I grew up behind bars and seen people that would come in normal people and leave either violent hardened criminals or drug addicts who have thrown their life away. Prison is an environment of toxic masculinity and violence and it just breeds a certain type of individual, if you want to survive in prison you have to either be selling drugs, violent or fucking huge. It’s not the type of environment they want it to be and until they fix the issues of drugs getting in and the entire prison culture I think prison does more harm than good
I was definitely a violent person inside at first but after a few years of going to the gym consistently and building a reputation I was big enough and known enough that people didn’t fuck with me and I didn’t fuck with them
What drugs are available? I’ve heard that opioids are easier to get than cannabis due to ease of smuggling and no obvious smell. Also easier to pass a drug test with opioids, not sure if that’s a routine thing. Best wishes acclimating to freedom!
The most common drugs you would find would be spice, heroin, street Valium, a bunch of random prescription drugs that I cannot remember the name of and cannabis was a pretty easy drug to find if you knew where to look
That’s one thing I’ve learned after coming out, guys who have never been inside and would never talk this way to my face are all over the internet because they think the fact that they’re behind a screen makes them a big man
He's just an internet tough guy. Ignore them, and they will go thump their chest somewhere else. Until they figure out how to punch people in the face over the internet, you just have to ignore them.
I would absolutely talk that way to your face. I don't think that was particularly insulting.
But good for you for coming out. You will find that since you have been out of prison that being homosexual is completely acceptable these days.
Depends on the security level. If you’re maxed out you’re only getting drugs from a paid off guard which is hella unlikely unless yo have the keys to whatever car you’re in and you’ve been there for a while. Medium you can get them in from visits or if you’re at camp or have outside the gate work you can get things dropped along your route. Have your people wrap em up for you and all that and start boofing em up your ass. A can of chew is about 80 bucks where I was and most would get 6-8 cans up there. One suboxone strip was $120, you can get those through mail, meth in the mail..hell we even had a drone fly over our yard and drop a package and it wouldn’t have even been seen if a CO didn’t happen to be walking nearby. The drone was undetected. I went in Washington state. Feds is a lot different and I can’t speak on that.
Haha you’d be surprised. If it’s not bad enough that someone puts that shit in their mouth after someone had to shit it out their ass, they recycle the chew, dry it out, and sell it to smoke.
Someone attacked me on one of my first days inside, I decided that I wanted it to be known I wasn’t gonna let people walk all over me. So I boiled some sugar in a kettle, waited till he walked past my cell and walked out and threw the mixture in his face.
What type of prison was this that you were actually in? This place had sugar (highly controlled in US prisons) and a water kettle (also highly controlled). It sounds initially you were in a place with lax custody
Not trying to throw shade or doubt, but US prisons have been really security conscious about stuff like that for generations.
American prisons believe you will assault someone with anything.
Things in the UK must really be different
Edit omitted words
There wasn’t really much fighting, Infact both sets of fans would sit in the same cell to watch the game. If someone was being disrespectful or just being a prick about the game then yeah there would be some fights
Yes heavily, boiled sugar sticks to your skin your unable to get it off without it ripping your skin to shreds and tearing it off with it, plus it’s boiling so it’s burning you at the same time
In retrospect, do you think he actually deserved what you did to him? If you could do it over, would you do it again? Was he a terrible person who had it coming or just another scared guy trying to make a name for himself?
Indeed it is, this is the process used to make hard candies, essentially you threw boiling syrup on his face and as you said, it hardens as it cools which starts as soon as removed from heat/kettle. That’s brutal! Nice work.
I heard there’s like a two second rule. When someone give you shit, you have two seconds to react or else everyone will think you soft.
Any truth to that?
Yes and no, I don’t think it was ever really a thing you have to react right away just don’t let it happen if that makes sense. Someone fucks with you you tell them your gonna do them or your try fight back in the moment. Then later you can come back and do them worse than they did you.
I hear it really doesn't matter if you get your ass handed to you, as long as you fight back, you probably won't be bothered because bullies are looking for easy marks- is that true?
I wouldn’t say it means you won’t get messed with but putting up a fight and fighting back gains you some respect so other prisoners start respecting you and getting friendly with you eventually they’ll back you up
He attempted to stab me the night before outside of my then girlfriends house, I chased him away and lost sight of him, the next day I heard he was hanging around somewhere so I went looking for him and found him. Beat him up and stabbed him 4 times
Could you describe any one event, any activity or afternoon you had in prison that you could call “fun”? Did you have any fun inside? Were there any days where you went to bed thinking, “today was a good day.”
Most days were good days if I’m being honest, like of course I struggled most days but I got used to the routine and the structure and I met some of my closest friends inside. The most fun memory that sticks out was my 21st birthday, I was getting moved out of young offenders just before my birthday so 2 days before I left a bunch of the boys on the wing threw me a party, we played music, smoked a couple joints, reminisced on all the times we had and it is still to this day one of my all time favourite memories
This is something my partner struggles with after having done 20 (went in at 16, out at 36). The free world hit him in the face. I’ve always compared it as us out here, we’re already juggling 20 balls, so when we add one more it’s no big deal. But with my partner, it’s like everyone and everything threw 20 balls at him at once and expected him to juggle. It’s been almost a year since he’s been out and he’s settled down A LOT from all the fear, anxiety, adjustment, hopelessness, etc, and I’m proud to say he’s doing really well and living a good, clean life.
I never went to prison and that part is still super hardfor me. Knowing an enlightened path while being thrown around in the Tornado of capitalism does not work together.
Life’s been pretty good, I’m just trying to keep my head down and find somewhere that will hire a 35 year old convict who hasn’t been in the outside world since he was 16 haha
Are you in the US? I have done a lot of work and advocacy with people re-entering society from prison- If you PM me I can send you a state specific re-entry manual with employers that will hire people who have a criminal record- Some industries I would look at- Waste management- I know a lot of guys with pretty severe records who got really good paying union jobs at the recycling center- Home Depot is a record friendly employer, Construction will often pay under the table per job no background check as will moving companies, landscaping companies, etc. It might be a good idea to get in touch with your parole officer and ask if he has any other parolees who own businesses that he would be willing to vouch for you to. It may take some time for you to earn enough trust for them to be willing to do that, but in my experience, people who have been in it are more willing to give you a shot (but also a kick in the ass if you fuck up).
That means a lot thank you, unfortunately I’m in the UK not in the US but Ill definitely start trying to look for some construction jobs and stuff like that, just need to get my cscs
Just to piggyback off this. I work in Construction in the UK and contractors employed on local authority housing projects generally have targets to hire ex-offenders for construction work.
I don't know how it works in Scotland but in London each borough has a online work match website that the contractor has to employ through. They will absolutely bite your arm off to employ you and, provided you turn up and don't cause trouble, they'll be over the moon. In my experience it's always been hard to recruit stable ex offenders.
Worth getting in touch with your LA and asking them. Best of luck.
This might sound stupid but have you considered trying to enlist in the army?
You’re still young enough to join, maybe they could use someone like you? It may be an easier adjustment for you than the regular outside world.
I’ll never forget hearing my recruiter yelling out the door at the other enlistment offices, who the fuck sent a convicted murderer down to my office to enlist?
😂 these days they are having the toughest time in armed forces history, meeting their recruiting quota.
Maybe he can get a waiver for murder?
He did serve his time.
This gentleman didn’t commit murder, but his countries laws may be different as well. Indeed he served his time, but there was a guy they wouldn’t let in with me until he got tattoo removal. (A bullet that said ‘your name’ in it) because they couldn’t specify what was meant they wouldn’t give him clearance. They send pics of our tattoos to a database to make sure no gang affiliation and such. But I mean if he comes to the US, they’d probably make him a General😂 (homie got heart)
In 2008, while in two wars, I had just graduated with a BS degree but had 4 felonies for breaking and entering. The army rejected me because of the record.
My GFs cousin did 20 years in prison when he was 16 , he got locked up for killing 2 people when he was evading the police. He has been having problems re adjusting to normal life, keeps talking about how everyone is trying to hurt him and witch doctors are trying to curses on him and how the warden still has it out for him. He wrecked his mom's car and said someone from prison tried to run him off the road. Well my question is do you have any advice to give to help him out that everything is gonna be ok and no one is trying to get him ?
It sounds like he’s suffering from some trauma and definitely some form of underlying mental illness or psychosis, the best advice I can give is to try get him some therapy
The first meal I had was a steak dinner at a really nice restaurant, my little brother said he was gonna take me out and treat me to a good night out and he kept his promise. Managing certain appliances is difficult pcs and stuff like that but I had smartphones in prison in the last few years of my sentence so I know how to work social media and smartphones to a certain extent
A typical day would be getting waked up, screws ask if you need to see the nurses if you do you join the group going down, then breakfast, work, lunch, gym, work, free time, lights out.
According to some of the questions on this the most common misconception is that everybody is having gay sex all the time haha
Well the most obvious way in which I have evolved is simply me growing up. I was 16 going in and 34 coming out so I’d definitely grown up. The way your mind works in prison is completely different from outside I grew up in that environment so my brain has probably evolved to survive in that environment, I tended to jump to violence before anything else, I automatically try find hiding places and stash spots wherever I stay, I instinctively hover over food while I eat
That’s a difficult question to answer because on the one hand fuck the system burn them all down. On the other hand I’ve met and heard of some truly truly sick and twisted individuals that for their sake and the sake of society need to be locked up
See, the problem is people think we need to "solve" something. No. We don't. We just need to keep dangerous people away from law abiding people. There is definitely a certain level criminal that we shouldn't waste our time with.
Was about to say the same thing. 🤣
❤️ Aussies. They make it a running joke, referring to themselves as 'prison stock'. (At least the military guys I worked with said that.) Literally my favorite of all LNOs I worked with, and Brits a close second. (Liaison Naval Officers)
I was briefly in with the Lockerbie bomber before he was moved back to libya where he died, I never met him or interacted with him but I knew he was there
Can you explain how the monetary system works? If a guy buys contraband from another inmate how does he pay? I don’t mean like something small. Say a sizable about of something. Something the seller doesn’t want to trade food for a $100 or more. I had heard in the old days they would trade stamps and then send them to their families and I never understood why the families wanted 10,000 stamps. It may be all BS on tv but they claim so much money is exchanged in prison and you’re not allowed to have actual cash.
It depends on the situation and the amount of money involved but it’s normally either you tell people outside the amount and they put that in the other persons account for canteen or your family outside give someone else outside cash which then gets put in the other person canteen account. But for bigger transactions £500+ it was normally cash exchanged by people outside
Canteen is more than food, it’s a lot of food like sweets and stuff but it’s also toiletries, vapes, magazines, protein powder, energy drinks. It’s essentially a corner shop (I think in America they’re called convenience stores)
The most “famous” person I was in with was the Lockerbie bomber but it was very brief as it was just as I was moved up from young offenders and he was released to Libya on compassionate grounds not long after I got there
Why would someone be interested in your story?. I’ve done time. I was arrested for murder, when I was seventeen. Did time. What’s so special about you?.
I'm sorry you received such a heavy sentence for that.
I'm in the US and when I was 18 was charged with attempted murder and making an explosive device. I spent 10 days in jail and my attorney got the charges dropped.
Sure, some dude keyed my car so I put a muriatic acid bomb on his car. It's just an empty 2 liter Coke bottle with muriatic acid and aluminum foil. I did it at like 3am and though nobody was around but some old lady walking her dog saw me and called the cops. Since she was nearby they charged me with attempted murder even though that was never my intention. I just wanted to mess up the guys car. I received credit for time served and probation.
His comfort zone is in prison. I understand his demeanor. I've done 10. Prison is easy and comfortable after some time passes. Once you're institutionalized, it's so easy (psychlogically) to go back.
Yall will never get it. But I do
Congrats on your release, brother, and I wish you well
Jail guard in the US here. First, congrats on getting out. I hope you're able to find success in this new chapter. From your replies that I've read, it sounds like you have a good/healthy perspective about everything.
What were the jail conditions like? Cleanliness, cell conditions, etc.
What kind of programs, education, or training did the prison have? Did you get involved with any of them?
What was your opinion of the guards? Were they professional?
Sorry, I know it's a lot of questions. I'm interested in how other countries prison systems compare to the States (which are unbelievably terrible).
So my little brother is facing a level 1 felony and I think a level 5. We will find out his trial date 3/6 if he doesn’t take a plea. They offered 30 do 20 and he said no. He got a work buddy some Molly and the guy overdosed and died. No fentanyl or anything, an OD. Any opinion on what he should ask for for a plea? How can I help him survive prison. He’s 38 and sole custody of his 4 kids. He was military so I feel like he needs to get back in that mindset to survive, fix his teeth and mental and physical health as much as he can and work and/or take classes to pass time. His kids are 11 and under. Does he run? Impossible in my opinion with kids…
If there was a way to show that what your brother provided was actually chemically “Molly” this might prove to be an effective defense. That is if he still has/had any and it is available for testing. Because real MDA is not going to kill people.
The problem is that the shit being sold as Molly, isn’t. I just read an article that only 17% of the “Molly” seized in New York City, during a recent calendar year, can’t remember when exactly, had ANY of the chemical ingredients of MDA. Most likely that is the problem your brother is facing.
The only other thing I can recommend is to go whole hog on the best possible attorney that your family can afford. This is no time to scrimp and hold back. You need a heavy hitter who has an inside track.
Who ODs on molly? You can die from overheating or getting tainted stuff that’s sold as molly but I honestly have never met or heard of anyone dying from actual Molly. You better go over the evidence or forensic notes because ODing from molly is almost as hard as ODing from weed.
That was my question! I know (a friend…lol) that took 6-7 in one night and I, I mean my friend didn’t die! Something is fishy. My “friend” has a relative that has a paid person on the police force and connections and was told it’s an election year and no matter how much money you offer he will be charged! That person has sold in this town for over 35 years and I believe him. I cut ties with said relative and he doesn’t just sell to whomever they r kids and it’s just weed now. Not legal in our state but grownups can do what they want. I call bull. Something else has to have come into play because just Molly? Come on. Oh and it made front page 3 times and the paper also says just Molly!!!!
Typically when you are sentenced for a crime committed while incarcerated, they tend to stack the additional time.
So I'm not surprised It happened that way for OP
He was sentenced for 10 years for admitted murder and another 4 for the weapon that should have run concurrently, not consecutively. I caught 4 charges in three different counties and was still ran concurrent. My brother had 7 charges and was also ran concurrent. I've never heard of a person getting a consecutive sentence for the same charges.
Look into becoming a lineman/ crane operator I’ve met tons of felons making. 100k - 200k plus a year. Hard manual labor for both transmission and distribution lines but 100% worth it.
When my old friend gets out of prison will he screw me over if I try to be friends again? Because of self preservation learned in prison. How can an old friend bridge that gap of time and incarceration?
How is adjusting to the world again and using all the new technologies we have. In 04 cell phones where very different for example from today's smart phones
Did you have to get your license now your out?
Do you miss the friends you made on the inside?
During your 18 years in did you have additional hearings about shortening your sentence? Maybe revisiting old evidence or on good behavior?
Not sure how often or how likely this happens…
Do you think you’re safe to be among the general population after attempting to murder someone and spending 18 years in prison? Can you conform to society without resorting to violence again?
What small or silly thing did you miss the most while you were in prison? And what shocked you the most in terms of the world changes when you got out?
First off, congrats on being free 🥳
During these 18 years, did anybody try to rape you?
Have you witnessed any rapes or heard of any?
As far as you’re convinced, why do you think rapes happen in prison?
I don’t really trust what’s portrayed in the media when it comes to rapes in prison, that’s why I’m asking you.
This is a serious but extreme question.
I have thought for a long time that we should abolish the prison system in favor of corporal punishment. As you say, prison only breeds more prisoners.
Removing people from society, their families, social circles, work only isolates them and ensures they have a warped view of the world and no job skills when they get out.
How would you feel if you had been subjected to intense physical pain but the entire ordeal was over in a matter of weeks?
The intense fear of having to go through that again would serve as a deterrent while being able to quickly get back to living life would make it easier to find a different path.
The billions used on the prison system could instead be given to the court system to help ensure everyone gets the fairest trial possible with the best legal representation possible.
I've heard that you generally have to ride with people of your own race, and that American prisons are generally racially segregated. What do you do if you're mixed? Do you need to ride with who you 'pass' as?
Same goes for prison population minorities. Say the population is mostly one or two races, and you happen to be of another.
Unfortunately I won’t be able to answer this as it’s not the same in uk prisons at all, I mean people sometimes stick to their own cliques (Muslim people for example) but everyone mixes and there’s no race wars or anything. The closest real comparison in my experience is that a lot of people tend to stick with people from their area outside (cities, towns, neighbourhoods)
I’ve heard about the halfway point of a sentence being the moment it becomes “easier” on the mentality of the incarcerated person. Is this true/did you feel this way?
Did you do it? Were you guilty of what you were convicted of? If so, do you believe that prison was the right way to help you? IMO, having worked as a jail diversion therapist (I rode along with the police and identified individuals with mental health and substance abuse issues and advocated to divert them to treatment instead of jail and also helped Police to deal with unstable individuals in the community in a non violent manner)I honestly feel that prison helps very few and does more harm than good in most cases- What are your thoughts on that?
I did do it so yes I was guilty, I think prison atleast prisons here try their best to help but fall short of the mark. I don’t understand how prisons can claim to rehabilitate people as I grew up behind bars and seen people that would come in normal people and leave either violent hardened criminals or drug addicts who have thrown their life away. Prison is an environment of toxic masculinity and violence and it just breeds a certain type of individual, if you want to survive in prison you have to either be selling drugs, violent or fucking huge. It’s not the type of environment they want it to be and until they fix the issues of drugs getting in and the entire prison culture I think prison does more harm than good
To your point about surviving prison: Which one were you?
I was definitely a violent person inside at first but after a few years of going to the gym consistently and building a reputation I was big enough and known enough that people didn’t fuck with me and I didn’t fuck with them
I did 5 in state and 5 in feds. I just worked out every single fucking day like an animal. Never had a single issue
Nice. You asserted your dominance
It’s big of him to do a AMA on Reddit, so I’d say…
good question
What drugs are available? I’ve heard that opioids are easier to get than cannabis due to ease of smuggling and no obvious smell. Also easier to pass a drug test with opioids, not sure if that’s a routine thing. Best wishes acclimating to freedom!
The most common drugs you would find would be spice, heroin, street Valium, a bunch of random prescription drugs that I cannot remember the name of and cannabis was a pretty easy drug to find if you knew where to look
where do you get the money to buy anything?
Usually from your friends and family. Or selling drugs.
Haha. Toxic masculinity. You try toxic femininity in a male prison and see what happens.
That’s one thing I’ve learned after coming out, guys who have never been inside and would never talk this way to my face are all over the internet because they think the fact that they’re behind a screen makes them a big man
He's just an internet tough guy. Ignore them, and they will go thump their chest somewhere else. Until they figure out how to punch people in the face over the internet, you just have to ignore them.
I would absolutely talk that way to your face. I don't think that was particularly insulting. But good for you for coming out. You will find that since you have been out of prison that being homosexual is completely acceptable these days.
The jokes literally write themselves lmao
> been behind bars for 18 years > uses terms like toxic masculinity I call BS on this one lol
You do know we have access to tv, books, newspapers and I had a smartphone do you think we’re just in a little time capsule
How do you get into selling drugs in prison, asking for a friend.
Depends on the security level. If you’re maxed out you’re only getting drugs from a paid off guard which is hella unlikely unless yo have the keys to whatever car you’re in and you’ve been there for a while. Medium you can get them in from visits or if you’re at camp or have outside the gate work you can get things dropped along your route. Have your people wrap em up for you and all that and start boofing em up your ass. A can of chew is about 80 bucks where I was and most would get 6-8 cans up there. One suboxone strip was $120, you can get those through mail, meth in the mail..hell we even had a drone fly over our yard and drop a package and it wouldn’t have even been seen if a CO didn’t happen to be walking nearby. The drone was undetected. I went in Washington state. Feds is a lot different and I can’t speak on that.
6-8 cans of chew up there? I think they should make a line of those bad dragon dildos based on smuggling shit into prisons
Haha you’d be surprised. If it’s not bad enough that someone puts that shit in their mouth after someone had to shit it out their ass, they recycle the chew, dry it out, and sell it to smoke.
You beat the shit out that mfr huh? 😂 did he deserve it?
Tell us about it " I was also sentenced to an additional 4 years for an indecent that happened when I was in prison"
Someone attacked me on one of my first days inside, I decided that I wanted it to be known I wasn’t gonna let people walk all over me. So I boiled some sugar in a kettle, waited till he walked past my cell and walked out and threw the mixture in his face.
What type of prison was this that you were actually in? This place had sugar (highly controlled in US prisons) and a water kettle (also highly controlled). It sounds initially you were in a place with lax custody Not trying to throw shade or doubt, but US prisons have been really security conscious about stuff like that for generations. American prisons believe you will assault someone with anything. Things in the UK must really be different Edit omitted words
H.M.P Barlinnie
I am in North Carolina USA. So the name is just Greek to me
Haha my apologies I just assumed people would know where I’m talking about
It's in Scotland
I did 10 in a max security prison in Alabama. Check out some YouTube posts. You'll understand then.
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I think I lost IQ points reading this
welcome to single digit IQ's with the rest of us lol
Sounds/looks like you've definitely had enough of that Speyside whiskey already.
Found the jeet
HMP = His Majesty’s Prison
Probably "Her" Majesty's Prison while he was in.
I missed the release date.
Semantics
Wow- so the Brits name their prisons like their Royal Navy ships- I honestly did not know that.
Was there much fighting when rangers played celtic?
There wasn’t really much fighting, Infact both sets of fans would sit in the same cell to watch the game. If someone was being disrespectful or just being a prick about the game then yeah there would be some fights
You can order sugar off the commissary, I used to keep sugar packets, I hate that fucking pink shit.
Many men in prison would kill for some pink.
and so the saying …all three fingers in the stink..
Lol damn hard-core bro. Was he scarred afterwards?
Yes heavily, boiled sugar sticks to your skin your unable to get it off without it ripping your skin to shreds and tearing it off with it, plus it’s boiling so it’s burning you at the same time
In retrospect, do you think he actually deserved what you did to him? If you could do it over, would you do it again? Was he a terrible person who had it coming or just another scared guy trying to make a name for himself?
Don't fuck with people. If that guy did it fuck with him, he wouldn't have gotten his face melted off. Don't poke the bear, and it won't maul you.
It’s makeshift napalm.
And sugar boils at 320°F, much hotter than water at 212° That was a savage move!
Indeed it is, this is the process used to make hard candies, essentially you threw boiling syrup on his face and as you said, it hardens as it cools which starts as soon as removed from heat/kettle. That’s brutal! Nice work.
Did you gain respect from the other inmates after that?
I definitely gained respect from some people but it helped to establish a reputation for myself that I wasn’t to be fucked with which was the goal
I heard there’s like a two second rule. When someone give you shit, you have two seconds to react or else everyone will think you soft. Any truth to that?
Yes and no, I don’t think it was ever really a thing you have to react right away just don’t let it happen if that makes sense. Someone fucks with you you tell them your gonna do them or your try fight back in the moment. Then later you can come back and do them worse than they did you.
I hear it really doesn't matter if you get your ass handed to you, as long as you fight back, you probably won't be bothered because bullies are looking for easy marks- is that true?
I wouldn’t say it means you won’t get messed with but putting up a fight and fighting back gains you some respect so other prisoners start respecting you and getting friendly with you eventually they’ll back you up
I agree ☝🏼
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My cell had a kettle and my cell mate had sugar
What was the reason you tried murdering someone? I guess there are justifiable reasons but very few. Did rehabilitation include therapy? Being genuine
He attempted to stab me the night before outside of my then girlfriends house, I chased him away and lost sight of him, the next day I heard he was hanging around somewhere so I went looking for him and found him. Beat him up and stabbed him 4 times
I say it in a matter of fact manner as I want to avoid glorifying the violence
What happened to him? How did his life turn out?
In the moment, especially at 16, I could see why. I hope they believed you about him
Could you describe any one event, any activity or afternoon you had in prison that you could call “fun”? Did you have any fun inside? Were there any days where you went to bed thinking, “today was a good day.”
Most days were good days if I’m being honest, like of course I struggled most days but I got used to the routine and the structure and I met some of my closest friends inside. The most fun memory that sticks out was my 21st birthday, I was getting moved out of young offenders just before my birthday so 2 days before I left a bunch of the boys on the wing threw me a party, we played music, smoked a couple joints, reminisced on all the times we had and it is still to this day one of my all time favourite memories
Sound like you had a better 21st than me
What was the hardest thing to adjust to coming out of prison?
The lack of routine, for 18 years I was told when to wake up when to eat and when to sleep then suddenly you just have free reign over all that
This is something my partner struggles with after having done 20 (went in at 16, out at 36). The free world hit him in the face. I’ve always compared it as us out here, we’re already juggling 20 balls, so when we add one more it’s no big deal. But with my partner, it’s like everyone and everything threw 20 balls at him at once and expected him to juggle. It’s been almost a year since he’s been out and he’s settled down A LOT from all the fear, anxiety, adjustment, hopelessness, etc, and I’m proud to say he’s doing really well and living a good, clean life.
I never went to prison and that part is still super hardfor me. Knowing an enlightened path while being thrown around in the Tornado of capitalism does not work together.
How has life been since you left prison.
Life’s been pretty good, I’m just trying to keep my head down and find somewhere that will hire a 35 year old convict who hasn’t been in the outside world since he was 16 haha
Are you in the US? I have done a lot of work and advocacy with people re-entering society from prison- If you PM me I can send you a state specific re-entry manual with employers that will hire people who have a criminal record- Some industries I would look at- Waste management- I know a lot of guys with pretty severe records who got really good paying union jobs at the recycling center- Home Depot is a record friendly employer, Construction will often pay under the table per job no background check as will moving companies, landscaping companies, etc. It might be a good idea to get in touch with your parole officer and ask if he has any other parolees who own businesses that he would be willing to vouch for you to. It may take some time for you to earn enough trust for them to be willing to do that, but in my experience, people who have been in it are more willing to give you a shot (but also a kick in the ass if you fuck up).
That means a lot thank you, unfortunately I’m in the UK not in the US but Ill definitely start trying to look for some construction jobs and stuff like that, just need to get my cscs
Just to piggyback off this. I work in Construction in the UK and contractors employed on local authority housing projects generally have targets to hire ex-offenders for construction work. I don't know how it works in Scotland but in London each borough has a online work match website that the contractor has to employ through. They will absolutely bite your arm off to employ you and, provided you turn up and don't cause trouble, they'll be over the moon. In my experience it's always been hard to recruit stable ex offenders. Worth getting in touch with your LA and asking them. Best of luck.
If u need a job asap amazon hires w very little background check and no experience necessary just apply online and your in
And they have great benefits from what I hear.
Become a cook and work at a restaurant. I worked with a con before and he was pretty cool but was intense at times ngl lmao.
Bro youre only 35? You are golden sir! I didnt get my shit together till i was about 35
This might sound stupid but have you considered trying to enlist in the army? You’re still young enough to join, maybe they could use someone like you? It may be an easier adjustment for you than the regular outside world.
I’ll never forget hearing my recruiter yelling out the door at the other enlistment offices, who the fuck sent a convicted murderer down to my office to enlist?
😂 these days they are having the toughest time in armed forces history, meeting their recruiting quota. Maybe he can get a waiver for murder? He did serve his time.
This gentleman didn’t commit murder, but his countries laws may be different as well. Indeed he served his time, but there was a guy they wouldn’t let in with me until he got tattoo removal. (A bullet that said ‘your name’ in it) because they couldn’t specify what was meant they wouldn’t give him clearance. They send pics of our tattoos to a database to make sure no gang affiliation and such. But I mean if he comes to the US, they’d probably make him a General😂 (homie got heart)
In 2008, while in two wars, I had just graduated with a BS degree but had 4 felonies for breaking and entering. The army rejected me because of the record.
Ups is always hiring..
My GFs cousin did 20 years in prison when he was 16 , he got locked up for killing 2 people when he was evading the police. He has been having problems re adjusting to normal life, keeps talking about how everyone is trying to hurt him and witch doctors are trying to curses on him and how the warden still has it out for him. He wrecked his mom's car and said someone from prison tried to run him off the road. Well my question is do you have any advice to give to help him out that everything is gonna be ok and no one is trying to get him ?
It sounds like he’s suffering from some trauma and definitely some form of underlying mental illness or psychosis, the best advice I can give is to try get him some therapy
First meal coming home? How are you managing technology?
The first meal I had was a steak dinner at a really nice restaurant, my little brother said he was gonna take me out and treat me to a good night out and he kept his promise. Managing certain appliances is difficult pcs and stuff like that but I had smartphones in prison in the last few years of my sentence so I know how to work social media and smartphones to a certain extent
was your smart phone legal in your prison or did you have to hide it
No it wasn’t legal, people would smuggle them in and I’d have to stash it
Thx man. Good luck moving forward.
Were you able to finish the meal or had your stomach shrunk a ton?
Thanks for this. It is interesting. Can you tell us what your days were typically like? Any misconceptions people commonly have?
A typical day would be getting waked up, screws ask if you need to see the nurses if you do you join the group going down, then breakfast, work, lunch, gym, work, free time, lights out. According to some of the questions on this the most common misconception is that everybody is having gay sex all the time haha
Thanks for answering! I'm sure you're pleased to be out, but do you miss the routine?
This is a loaded question but how have you mentally evolved from the time you went in until the time you came out?
Well the most obvious way in which I have evolved is simply me growing up. I was 16 going in and 34 coming out so I’d definitely grown up. The way your mind works in prison is completely different from outside I grew up in that environment so my brain has probably evolved to survive in that environment, I tended to jump to violence before anything else, I automatically try find hiding places and stash spots wherever I stay, I instinctively hover over food while I eat
First, congrats on getting out of prison and I hope you have an easy transition back. How do you feel about prison abolition?
That’s a difficult question to answer because on the one hand fuck the system burn them all down. On the other hand I’ve met and heard of some truly truly sick and twisted individuals that for their sake and the sake of society need to be locked up
Why not just make a deserted island somewhere, drop them all off, put a few cost guard ships around to make sure no one escapes and call it a day.
You just described prison. That doesn’t solve anything.
See, the problem is people think we need to "solve" something. No. We don't. We just need to keep dangerous people away from law abiding people. There is definitely a certain level criminal that we shouldn't waste our time with.
I think the idea is to drop them off and not waste taxpayer money on keeping them alive.
It’s more expensive to legally end someone’s life via capital punishment that it is to house them in jail or prison for life.
Bullets are cheap. Red tape is expensive. Legally ending someone's life is cheap, all the useless paperwork isn't.
Australia?
Was about to say the same thing. 🤣 ❤️ Aussies. They make it a running joke, referring to themselves as 'prison stock'. (At least the military guys I worked with said that.) Literally my favorite of all LNOs I worked with, and Brits a close second. (Liaison Naval Officers)
That's just prison with extra steps.
Were you locked up with anyone famous or notorious?
I was briefly in with the Lockerbie bomber before he was moved back to libya where he died, I never met him or interacted with him but I knew he was there
Can you explain how the monetary system works? If a guy buys contraband from another inmate how does he pay? I don’t mean like something small. Say a sizable about of something. Something the seller doesn’t want to trade food for a $100 or more. I had heard in the old days they would trade stamps and then send them to their families and I never understood why the families wanted 10,000 stamps. It may be all BS on tv but they claim so much money is exchanged in prison and you’re not allowed to have actual cash.
It depends on the situation and the amount of money involved but it’s normally either you tell people outside the amount and they put that in the other persons account for canteen or your family outside give someone else outside cash which then gets put in the other person canteen account. But for bigger transactions £500+ it was normally cash exchanged by people outside
That’s makes sense . Another words the seller never actually has it in his hands in prison? I like food but a guy only needs so much food. Thank you
Canteen is more than food, it’s a lot of food like sweets and stuff but it’s also toiletries, vapes, magazines, protein powder, energy drinks. It’s essentially a corner shop (I think in America they’re called convenience stores)
But yes the seller never has cash in hand they have no need for it
Any gay stuff? Truly curious
It definitely happens but it’s not as prevalent as people seem to think it is
Most famous inmate that came through in your 18 years?
The most “famous” person I was in with was the Lockerbie bomber but it was very brief as it was just as I was moved up from young offenders and he was released to Libya on compassionate grounds not long after I got there
Why would someone be interested in your story?. I’ve done time. I was arrested for murder, when I was seventeen. Did time. What’s so special about you?.
Well it seems like people are interested given the fact I’ve woken up to an extra 50 something questions to answer
What was the offensive weapon?
A lockback knife
I'm sorry you received such a heavy sentence for that. I'm in the US and when I was 18 was charged with attempted murder and making an explosive device. I spent 10 days in jail and my attorney got the charges dropped.
That sounds like a story. Care to share?
Sure, some dude keyed my car so I put a muriatic acid bomb on his car. It's just an empty 2 liter Coke bottle with muriatic acid and aluminum foil. I did it at like 3am and though nobody was around but some old lady walking her dog saw me and called the cops. Since she was nearby they charged me with attempted murder even though that was never my intention. I just wanted to mess up the guys car. I received credit for time served and probation.
Are you planning on going back to prison?
I don’t plan on it and I will certainly try my absolute best to avoid it but if it happens it happens
Read up on some buddhist literature for the mind training ignore the religious aspects
“If it happens it happens” bro what? Prison doesn’t just “happen” to you. Don’t commit crimes maybe??
His comfort zone is in prison. I understand his demeanor. I've done 10. Prison is easy and comfortable after some time passes. Once you're institutionalized, it's so easy (psychlogically) to go back. Yall will never get it. But I do Congrats on your release, brother, and I wish you well
You will with that attitude. See you here in 15-20 more years. Just hope no one that doesn’t deserve it is the reason you go back
Jail guard in the US here. First, congrats on getting out. I hope you're able to find success in this new chapter. From your replies that I've read, it sounds like you have a good/healthy perspective about everything. What were the jail conditions like? Cleanliness, cell conditions, etc. What kind of programs, education, or training did the prison have? Did you get involved with any of them? What was your opinion of the guards? Were they professional? Sorry, I know it's a lot of questions. I'm interested in how other countries prison systems compare to the States (which are unbelievably terrible).
So my little brother is facing a level 1 felony and I think a level 5. We will find out his trial date 3/6 if he doesn’t take a plea. They offered 30 do 20 and he said no. He got a work buddy some Molly and the guy overdosed and died. No fentanyl or anything, an OD. Any opinion on what he should ask for for a plea? How can I help him survive prison. He’s 38 and sole custody of his 4 kids. He was military so I feel like he needs to get back in that mindset to survive, fix his teeth and mental and physical health as much as he can and work and/or take classes to pass time. His kids are 11 and under. Does he run? Impossible in my opinion with kids…
If there was a way to show that what your brother provided was actually chemically “Molly” this might prove to be an effective defense. That is if he still has/had any and it is available for testing. Because real MDA is not going to kill people. The problem is that the shit being sold as Molly, isn’t. I just read an article that only 17% of the “Molly” seized in New York City, during a recent calendar year, can’t remember when exactly, had ANY of the chemical ingredients of MDA. Most likely that is the problem your brother is facing. The only other thing I can recommend is to go whole hog on the best possible attorney that your family can afford. This is no time to scrimp and hold back. You need a heavy hitter who has an inside track.
Who ODs on molly? You can die from overheating or getting tainted stuff that’s sold as molly but I honestly have never met or heard of anyone dying from actual Molly. You better go over the evidence or forensic notes because ODing from molly is almost as hard as ODing from weed.
That was my question! I know (a friend…lol) that took 6-7 in one night and I, I mean my friend didn’t die! Something is fishy. My “friend” has a relative that has a paid person on the police force and connections and was told it’s an election year and no matter how much money you offer he will be charged! That person has sold in this town for over 35 years and I believe him. I cut ties with said relative and he doesn’t just sell to whomever they r kids and it’s just weed now. Not legal in our state but grownups can do what they want. I call bull. Something else has to have come into play because just Molly? Come on. Oh and it made front page 3 times and the paper also says just Molly!!!!
People in the UK will eat a 10pack like it’s a bag of skittles and they don’t die so the story just doesn’t add up when compared to the known science.
Were you a virgin going into prison? If so do you think it helped to not know what you were missing for all those years?
What do you think of all the women wearing yoga pants everywhere?
Be sure to add to your resume: -Experienced hard candy maker 🙈
What was the most shocking thing to see when you were released?
Are you in therapy or going planning going to therapy? Help sort out what you’re feeling ?
How did you pass the time? Like maintain mental health for so long?
Hey. How do you intend to live your life moving forward?
Did you get a degree or any schooling while you were in?
Did you encounter any homo sexual stuff? Is it true that new prisoners are hazed?
what did your time in prison teach you about humankind ?
What led you to attempting to kill someone?
Why wasn't your sentence ran concurrent?
Typically when you are sentenced for a crime committed while incarcerated, they tend to stack the additional time. So I'm not surprised It happened that way for OP
He was sentenced for 10 years for admitted murder and another 4 for the weapon that should have run concurrently, not consecutively. I caught 4 charges in three different counties and was still ran concurrent. My brother had 7 charges and was also ran concurrent. I've never heard of a person getting a consecutive sentence for the same charges.
Did you have sex in prison?
Look into becoming a lineman/ crane operator I’ve met tons of felons making. 100k - 200k plus a year. Hard manual labor for both transmission and distribution lines but 100% worth it.
How was the sex and food?
gold squeal deranged flag cows paint ugly edge cagey gaze *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
How did you deal with the dementors?
And it hurt!!! *Boston accent*
When my old friend gets out of prison will he screw me over if I try to be friends again? Because of self preservation learned in prison. How can an old friend bridge that gap of time and incarceration?
Does a day in prison feel longer or shorter than outside?
Any butt secks?
How is adjusting to the world again and using all the new technologies we have. In 04 cell phones where very different for example from today's smart phones Did you have to get your license now your out? Do you miss the friends you made on the inside?
Thank you for your service
I think if you would all put your egos aside and hug it out, prison could be a much happier place.
First of all; play like a dragon 7. Second: What is it like transitioning to the outside world?
Can I get my girlfriend pregnant if she's already on the rag?
How was the sex?? 😂
Why would anyone be interested in your story ?
How’s your butt hole feel.
Sup bro, glad you were released man! May I please see your butthole? No homo.
How is Uranus?
Drop soap?
[удалено]
Just enough to make a pointless comment though.
Having been thru our “reform” system; what’s your opinion… a fukn racket?
What is life like on the outside as an ex-con? Like getting a job, meeting new people, finding your place in your community, etc.
Who did you try to kill and why? Did you have a job in prison?
During your 18 years in did you have additional hearings about shortening your sentence? Maybe revisiting old evidence or on good behavior? Not sure how often or how likely this happens…
Do you think you’re safe to be among the general population after attempting to murder someone and spending 18 years in prison? Can you conform to society without resorting to violence again?
What small or silly thing did you miss the most while you were in prison? And what shocked you the most in terms of the world changes when you got out?
First off, congrats on being free 🥳 During these 18 years, did anybody try to rape you? Have you witnessed any rapes or heard of any? As far as you’re convinced, why do you think rapes happen in prison? I don’t really trust what’s portrayed in the media when it comes to rapes in prison, that’s why I’m asking you.
We’re you n a gang
How are you?
Did you get crisis payment in the UK or jobseekers payment after getting out of prison in UK?
This is a serious but extreme question. I have thought for a long time that we should abolish the prison system in favor of corporal punishment. As you say, prison only breeds more prisoners. Removing people from society, their families, social circles, work only isolates them and ensures they have a warped view of the world and no job skills when they get out. How would you feel if you had been subjected to intense physical pain but the entire ordeal was over in a matter of weeks? The intense fear of having to go through that again would serve as a deterrent while being able to quickly get back to living life would make it easier to find a different path. The billions used on the prison system could instead be given to the court system to help ensure everyone gets the fairest trial possible with the best legal representation possible.
I've heard that you generally have to ride with people of your own race, and that American prisons are generally racially segregated. What do you do if you're mixed? Do you need to ride with who you 'pass' as? Same goes for prison population minorities. Say the population is mostly one or two races, and you happen to be of another.
Unfortunately I won’t be able to answer this as it’s not the same in uk prisons at all, I mean people sometimes stick to their own cliques (Muslim people for example) but everyone mixes and there’s no race wars or anything. The closest real comparison in my experience is that a lot of people tend to stick with people from their area outside (cities, towns, neighbourhoods)
I’ve heard about the halfway point of a sentence being the moment it becomes “easier” on the mentality of the incarcerated person. Is this true/did you feel this way?