Going to prison next month

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: gorsestar

The supermax, thats more isolation from other prisoners in the main yard. If you are in an individual cell you're safer than most.

If they tell you to do something, do it. if they offer you a job, take it. It will keep you from going stir crazy in your cell.

Don't complain about your lot, its prison. The guards will respect you more if you just do your time quietly.

The predators will look to take advantage of you by "fronting" you stuff thats hard to get. Thats how they get you in debt, a bad place to be. Get your stuff from outside and from the commissary if you got money.

Get in shape before you go, as much as possible. The lions look for weakness among the herd of noobs.

Good luck man.

You beat me to it. Don't take any "fronts" from anyone.

OP, make sure your loved ones get you money for commissary as soon as they can get it to you.

My little brother served almost 10 years (off and on) in some of the roughest prisons in KY and unfortunately learned this the hard way. It took me awhile to find out how and where to send the money. Some prisons only accept money orders and I had no idea until it was too late.

It was pretty hard on him but, he survived it and has managed to stay out for almost 7 years now.

I wish you the best of luck.

a reply to: gorsestar

Its what you get for crime. You knew that and didn't care.I do not have sympathy for you.You have to pay the price and do the time...and going to PRISON is pretty bad, whatever your crime....is really bad.

Time for you to take it...however bad it is. Sorry, but still...good luck to you.
MS

Also, do whatever it takes to never get put in the "hole"/ solitary confinement.

My brother got into a pretty bad fight with another inmate and was put there for 3 months. He said it nearly caused him to lose his mind....for real.

My thoughts are truly with you.

That sucks man I feel for ya. That's gotta be one of my biggest fears, going to prison. I just know I wouldn't make it on the "inside".

Keeps me on the straight and narrow...

a reply to: [ style='color:black; background-color:Lime;'>post=18635595] style='color:black; background-color:Lime;'>mysterioustranger[/post]

I'm sure that you've never made a mistake right? Just sit there on your high horse and admonish people who have the courage to admit when they're wrong. He's not claiming that he did nothing wrong, he admitted that he screwed up and now has to face the consequences making your post pointless.

to the OP as someone who hasn't been to stay at a FED resort, just a short stay at County i can only say what helped me there. The money in your ComAccount is a huge thing, don't accept any favors in anyway. realize everyone is a prison lawyer, that's why they're in jail- because they're so good. don't get into fights, if you do just say you fell no one likes snitches, do accept any job they give you as idle hands are the devils playthings. Try not to make phone calls when you first get there, it makes things so much more emotionally draining. DO NOT BRAG ABOUT ANYTHING, jealousy in jail can get bad, especially for those who have long sentences. Do not piss off the CO's, they will beat the everliving you know what out of you and get away with it. Solitary/ Protective custody is no fun even if slightly safer, if your in PC people assume your a snitch. Don't question the food, or complain-you don't know who around you may work in the kitchen and you know you don't want any additional "additives" in your food. DO NOT GET CAUGHT WITH CONTRABAND. do not, do not, do not, that's added time and a new charge.

Best of luck to you OP I don't know how long your going in for but if you try to just focus on a day at a time and not what you have ahead of you it might help a little from getting overwhelmed. This experience does not define you, only a part of your story.

a reply to: gorsestar

I met one guy that was in prison once.

He told me that he was approached his first day and his response was.

"Yeah, you can force yourself on me. But you got to sleep sometime."

Good luck.

prison is not a punishment for murderers and rapists, the worse gangster the better him in prison. Try Russian prison for a change in my city wrestling champion dropped 70 kilogramm and was released toothless tuberculous dystrophy

Good luck and stay safe. I know the most scared I've ever been was when i was facing the possibility of prison sitting in a courtroom. I've known a lot of people who've gone, some are gone forever. I know it's pretty devastating. I would lay in my bed in jail at night, wrap a towel around my head and silently weep for hours (everyone did it to keep the lights out of their face.. maybe).

I'd say stay silent mostly, never volunteer information to anyone (better to have secrets than everyone knowing your life story), and be yourself always when you are dealing with others. If you're seen as fake or trying to act hard it's not a good thing. Everything is gold. Whether it's toilet paper or toothpaste. You dont have much in there so respect what little others have and make sure they do the same to you.

If at all possible, i would try to take up some type of meditation as a hobby (i know it's often loud and unruly, that's why i said if possible). Maybe you can get a hold of a book on the subject and practice. I would think it would help a lot, i planned on doing it myself. I got lucky though and got long term probation and a suspended sentence.

Truly sorry to hear this. I never like seeing or hearing it about anyone. Unless they're police.

originally posted by: gorsestar

originally posted by: okamitengu

originally posted by: gorsestar
I've prolonged my vacation for almost 4 years now. I'm off to Stateville prison (Illinois) for a non violent crime. The same place was the site of the Blues Brothers movie so long ago and now it's a haunted house. The real horror is inside the new super max stateville down the road where I'm going. I've talked to many people and the consensus is a nightmarish R.L Stein world awaits. Sleep is impossible for the first few days because men must lay on each other (space issues), eating is lamentable because of rat infestations, and there is no segregation by crimes. Budget cuts statewide means I'll eat my breakfast & lunch together (brunch), then dinner and repeat. I won t be detailed about what the food is. Being a reception center (prison assignment center) means that I'll be in essentially solitary confinement for up to 3 months (couple hours out the 8x10 a week). Winter should serve to make the experience much worse. I'm also aware of rampant guard abuse and rape (regrettably).

I think I should become as cold hearted and aggressive as possible up until the point of bullying. I'm not trying to make friends or talk/visit with any loved ones just letter exchanges. I don't want this to become my life or manifest some of those desperate qualities of the jail within myself when I leave. I'm anxious and want to run but I wont. I'm sorry for the victim of my crime and wish I'd made better life choices.

can you advise more on what you did to earn your stay?
also do you think the punishment suits the crime?

is this a private run facilty?

If I were the victim of my crime I'd want that person to go to jail. I think that's the first t I've ever said that.
Luckily my crime is not one of those frowned upon by my new peers.

I'll say that my punishment is unique and would be treated differently in other jurisdictions of the same state. I could've had a weapon and aggravatedly assaulted my victim and got probation in CHICAGO

I am also betting that whatever you did, had you been a politician anywhere in Illinois, you wouldn't be going anywhere except to your next fundraiser.

Good luck in any case. You're living my worst nightmare.

originally posted by: gorsestar
I think I should become as cold hearted and aggressive as possible up until the point of bullying.

Keeping to yourself and being a strong but silent type might work better. You don't need to make any new enemies in there. Also, stay on good terms with the guards, they're worse than prisoners.

It sucks man but you have to pay for your crime. Good luck.

How is everyone so certain that the OP is telling the truth ? its the interwebz ,trolls and attention seekers every where , sorry just seems like a weird thing to do , come here and say you going to jail, story sounds suspicious with Blues Brothers and all but I could be wrong .

How long is your sentence, if I may ask?

Here is what I will say for you....

1) Start eating as much as you can and bulking up, working out every day if possible, from now until you get there.

2) If you have money to spare, take a mixed martial arts class of some kind with a lot of 1-1 time with a trainer. Just a few skills that you get familiar and comfortable with can save your life.

3) Make arrangements with someone you trust, and give them money to bring to you. Anything that you can write to someone to bring to you that isn't contraband is worth gold inside.

4) Read. Read. Read. Then read some more. Because what is most important is number 5...

5) Keep your mind busy. There is no prison worse than being stuck in your own head, filling it with anger, resentment, fear or angst.

Focus on yourself, and no matter how hard it might seem, stay focused on doing everything possible to make forward progress on yourself each day, improving something in some way and keeping your mind off of the negative thoughts. You don't want to add more time on to your sentence for fighting, or worse, getting an extended stay at a state mental facility. Use your time to prepare yourself for moving on with your life after you get out.

I know it's easier said than done, but please don't let the system make you a product of what it's become.

Prove it wrong.



~Namaste

originally posted by: papazen
How is everyone so certain that the OP is telling the truth ? its the interwebz ,trolls and attention seekers every where , sorry just seems like a weird thing to do , come here and say you going to jail, story sounds suspicious with Blues Brothers and all but I could be wrong .

In Joliet, firefighters battled a fire Thursday at the old prison best known from movies like ''The Blues Brothers'' and several TV shows....The prison opened in 1858 and closed in 2002.

link

I didn't post this to seek sympathy nor validation, nobody should ever want to be in my shoes. I've had time to think about those thing.

No way to tell but to me it reads like someone that has done wrong and shows remorse but fears the brutality of prison which has nothing to do with punishment and everything to do with violence abuse and unneeded suffereing.

I think it is a testament to ats that on the whole most posts appriciate the OP has done wrong but do not condone the fact that he will have to endure things that are intollerable in the outside world.

A good friend of mine worked at a maximum security mental institution and after a few beers an 18 stone man would weep at what happened to some of the inmates.

In the end he was placed permanantly on disability due to the horrors he had to cope with

a reply to: papazen

a reply to: gorsestar

Hey man don't let anymore negativity into your life, if someone doesn't believe you then screw them. i think if your making this up in a month or so when your still posting we'll figure it out then. Good luck in there man seriously. Don't let where your going change who you are. We've all made mistakes, and chances are most of us haven't gotten caught. for those of us who think you deserve to go to jail, without knowing why your going i can say this: most Americans commit 3 felonies a day, most don't even realize. The spectrum of reasons one could wind up in prison is vast and trivial. A woman kills someone driving her car she gets 3 years of probation- A man stealing to provide for his family gets 6 months, there's no rhyme or reason to it other then how much money you can throw at the court system.
mic.com...

a reply to: SonOfTheLawOfOne

24 months with the possibility of good time that can shave my sentence down to 14 months. Bruce Rauner recently won the governors seat as a republican and he has been campaigning against early release so good time will likely be gone next year.

Honestly, I've dropped alot of weight in anticipation of eating the bare minimum calories I need to survive which is all I'll be getting (no commissary orders in receiving). I used to be 200 lbs and seriously ripped not to long ago. I won't work out and bulk up until I have my out date.

originally posted by: papazen
How is everyone so certain that the OP is telling the truth ? its the interwebz ,trolls and attention seekers every where , sorry just seems like a weird thing to do , come here and say you going to jail, story sounds suspicious with Blues Brothers and all but I could be wrong .

It doesn't really matter whether the story is true or not. What matters is that the people that read it have looked within themselves. Some found compassion. Some found indifference. Some found anger.

I appreciate when people post their stories of personal experience with hardship or life altering events. They put me in that persons situation momentarily and cause me to reflect on myself; to evaluate myself as a person and a human being. Whether the story is true or not is not significant.

a reply to: gorsestar

That's probably the last thing you want to do, no need to look like Terry Crews but also don't go in looking like Stephen Hawking. Be too big and people will want to fight you to show dominance, be too small and people will automatically take every advantage possible without fear of retribution. Eat as much as you can and work out as much as you can before going in, you don't know what they will be feeding you or when you'll be able to work out.

a reply to: tranquilone666

I'm spending a couple hundred on drinks and a last meal before I leave

a reply to: gorsestar

lol just don't pick up another charge on your last night out there my friend. That would be an awkward conversation with the arraignment judge the next day.

"Your honor i was only trying to have a great last night before I head off to Prison".
probably wouldn't go over too well