Hey guys, Noah here.
There are many things to know about prison of which I will talk about over the next several posts.
The first is how you communicate with the other inmates, which brings up the golden rule in prison, don’t call someone a “bitch”, unless your intent is to fight them. If you do want to fight them, go right ahead. You may hear certain inmates or groups talk to each other in harsh tones, and to the untrained ear you are probably going to think a fight is about to break out, but many times they are just playing around.
As you get time under your belt you find out who plays around and who doesn’t, but initially be careful how you talk to the other inmates, as some can be very aggressive and confrontational if provoked. If you treat everyone with respect you will be fine regardless of any situation.
If you are respectful and stay out of the way you will always be given the opportunity to remove yourself from any situation.
On the other side, if you walk around talking crazy to everyone, eventually someone will take it the wrong way and you will probably be dealt with. The thing about prison is you should be yourself, because when you are yourself you will attract other people like you to befriend, but initially it’s always good to error on the side of caution.
You want to be direct and assertive but not aggressive or confrontational. In prison, you have people from all different parts of the country and generally, people group together based on their region and each of these groups talk differently. For example, people from Michigan always say, “what up do,” and people from Chicago call everybody “Joe and Charlie”.
So if you have one of these names, there is a good chance they are not talking to you, so carry on. Don’t try to talk like anyone but yourself and don’t mock the way anyone talks because it can get you in trouble.
The thing about communication in prison is it’s an amazing tool that can be used for comedic purposes but there is also a line that you have to be careful not to cross, because once that line has been crossed you may not be able to take it back.
For example, you might say something to another inmate that was meant to be a joke but he was in the presence of other people that look down on the comment, and he is then forced to take action such as a physical or verbal altercation with yourself. If you get yourself into any trouble in prison there is probably a 75% chance it will be your word that leads to it.
Another thing about prison is there is no topic that is off-limits, prison isn’t the place for sensitive people, and limits will be pressed.
Homosexual people will be called “f@#$” and “p@#$,” white people “white trash,” black people “n@#$*and,” Asians “ch@#$s,” Mexican people “be@#$s” and “w#$b@#$.”
Inside people know no boundaries.
How you react is completely up to you, you must always ask yourself in prison, is it worth it?
Many times it’s just easier to avoid it when it comes up and try not to get involved. People here are very critical at times and think they need to voice their opinion, even when it’s not their place to speak. Racism and segregation is obviously another topic I will cover in the near future because it’s still very much alive and well in today’s prison system.
Thanks for listening!
Noah
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