Cops use to be alright with teenagers before all the zero tolerance crap. I was probably 16-17 and I got caught walking down the street with whiskey or vodka. The cops were pissed at some other teens calling them names. I was put in my own cell because i wasn't an adult. My cell was next to a drunk guy. He woke up when they put me in my cell. He was hilarious . I had a little bong that the cops didn't find , I crochted it. He had some matches so we passed the bong back and forth until the weed was gone. He started taunting the cops,throwing water in the hall way trying to make them slip. He got drag out of his cell by about 8 cops and that was the last time I seen him. That is also how I lost my favorite bong. As soon as I blew 0 on the breathalyzer , they let me go and that was it.
My father told me he had a great time in there.
According to his stories, he was very respected in jail by all the prisoners and the guards, he had his own helpers who did chores (washing clothes, cooking, cleaning) for him, other prisoners brought him stuffs (mostly edible goods, tobacco, coffee and tea) that their family sent them to show him appreciation.
He spent his time (13 years no less) looking after other prisoners (to make sure they didn't slack off their works; doing gardening, fielding, quarrying) and making friends with guards.
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Now whenever he does chores or something isn't in his favour, he compares it to his time being in jail "I never had to do this type of stuffs when I were in jail" which I reply to "if it were so good, maybe you should just go back"
I was the target of an investigation, and then the charges were ultimately dropped. But I got a nice little tour of eight different jails and prisons. The people in there are idiots. There's no impulse control and they tend to get violent quickly. I stayed out of the drama. I don't do drugs, so I didn't get wrapped up in that crap while I was inside. I'm generally helpful, so I would help guys type different motions for their cases or give vague medical advice when people had cracked teeth or intense pain somewhere. The US prison system won't provide any medical assistance unless it's absolutely life or death. If you die, they don't get in trouble. It's a lot less rapey than I thought it would be, so that was a nice surprise. Beyond that, everything is uncomfortable. The food is disgusting. You sleep on a steel plate with a thick yoga mat on it and no pillow. Sometimes you get sheets or a blanket. Solitary confinement is pretty terrible; that's the only time I thought I was losing it.
Basically, just get a few books to read and keep to yourself. Help out where you can, and those alliances you forge will come in handy at the most magical times. Being in jail is just like reliving the same day over and over again. Your mind gets numb to it pretty quickly. Just remember that it's better to fight and lose than give in to any demands of other inmates but you shouldn't get backed in to a corner if you are always aware of who is around you. Also, remember that the guards don't care, at all, if you are alive or if you have been unalived. Stay away from the lifers. They have NOTHING to lose and tend to be Chaotic Evil. The whole hierarchy tends to give power and respect to the most violent offenders. I met several school shooters and other bad dudes while I was in the federal transfer center in Oklahoma and people tended to kiss their butts. (I don't know if people were lying about what they'd done though; I tended not to believe anything anyone said in there.)
According to his stories, he was very respected in jail by all the prisoners and the guards, he had his own helpers who did chores (washing clothes, cooking, cleaning) for him, other prisoners brought him stuffs (mostly edible goods, tobacco, coffee and tea) that their family sent them to show him appreciation.
He spent his time (13 years no less) looking after other prisoners (to make sure they didn't slack off their works; doing gardening, fielding, quarrying) and making friends with guards.
.
Now whenever he does chores or something isn't in his favour, he compares it to his time being in jail "I never had to do this type of stuffs when I were in jail" which I reply to "if it were so good, maybe you should just go back"