Looking In

Looking through another person’s eyes is truly difficult to do if the person is not in his shoes.

An inmate in a prison or jail has a unique outlook on life. Outlook is exactly what he has. He is cut off by society by the choices he has made. This paper will look through the eyes of inmates. This paper will try to discuss what goes on in a mind of an inmate looking out while being incarcerated.

Introduction

As a man approaches his last minutes of freedom, the individual looks out the window as the car drives by a park. In the park he views families playing and being together, knowing that this will be the last time this view will cross his mind for a long while. The car approaches the prison where the individual will be serving his sentence for raping a 16 year old girl. The individual future is about to change. The car drives in and the gate closes behind him. As the individual looks one more time at freedom, he can only think know about the horrible choice that he had made. No more turning back, have to make this work, I will survive he tells his self. Little does the individual know what goes on behind the bars of a prison?

My understandings about prisons haven’t changed too much. Understanding the inmates’ language was quite difficult to interpret. Their language was dated. It seems as if most of the language that inmates used was from the 1950s. The name square is used to ask for a cigarette. That term was used in the 1950s. Describing different races was truly racist. The prisons did have options to inmates to better themselves. The prisons have opportunities for inmates to complete their GED or learn a trade. The first day the inmate starts his sentence everything changes. A man may struggle year after year, phoning, writing letters, sending cards. He may tell those around him what day it is, what special occasion it is, what memorable occasion he has coming up .Yet most men in prison don’t care about someone else’s special day (Carceral 2004). Inmates are usually caught up in their own world. Friends are truly hard to come by. No one wants to deal with anyone else’s problems.

Sex in prisons happens. Whether right or wrong, the need for physical contact is a necessity for some inmates. Some inmates will try to focus on the individual being a female. In female prisons it happens less than in male prisons. Sex in prison is just another part of life. Probably 90% of the people pass through the prison doors masturbate. The other 10% have sex with other inmates or with staff members. Out of the 10% that have sex with another person in prison, about 99.5% of them have sex with other men (Carceral 2004).

The economics in prison is a life and death situation. Many inmates trade and buy items in order to survive or to have more comfort. From stamps, cigarettes, new t-shirts, shoes, jackets or pants, trading or buying these items are truly important to the inmates. These items can improve an inmate’s time served by making it more comfortable for them. A service can also be a bargaining chip. For example, some men will do another man’s laundry for a price. I had my small fan cleaned once or twice a month for a couple of sodas per cleaning. Others will cook for a group if they are eating together. Many times I have allowed another man to eat a snack with me based on the expectation that he would wash the dirty dishes (Carceral 2004). Many inmates will pay for sex or protection. So having the right items or money will save a life or at least his humanity.

Getting free medical doesn’t mean the best service is given. The misconception is that the medical is just fine in prison. Since the medical is free the prisons use less for more. Medical in prison is not what everyone believes it to be. One is given the least costly, least care possible. If you have long-term treatment needs, you will get little and be told to deal with it. You will have to beg for any and all types of care. I remember reading in the newspaper about

some prisoners who died from lack of medical care. Some doctors and medical staff in prisons reportedly have restrictions on their medical licenses (Carceral 2004). The inmates get what they pay for is true with the free medical they receive in prison.

Prisoners have what is known as a prisoner’s code of conduct. Although differences occur between facilities and are somewhat dependent on both prisoner characteristics (such as age) and management philosophy, common features of prisoner conduct include:

• Loyalty to convicts over staff;

• being a stand-up character, paying debts, honesty with other convicts;

• doing your own time, maintaining your reputation, not whining;

• No “snitching” or “ratting”;

• Willingness to use force to protect your interests or reputation;

• Lack of trust for the guards (Carceral 2004).

Other codes that might occur are don’t do any favors for anyone and don’t volunteer for anything.

Officers have their own code of conduct. Kelsey Kauffman (1988) has described an “officer code” among line officers that stresses group solidarity by such norms as:

• “Always go to the aid of an officer in distress;

• Don’t вЂ?lug’ drugs;

• Don’t rat;

• Never make a fellow officer look bad in front of inmates;

• Always support an officer in a dispute with an inmate;

• Always support officer sanctions against inmates;

• Don’t be a white hat (supervisor);

• Maintain officer solidarity versus all outside groups; and

• Show positive concern for fellow officers (Carceral 2004).

Even though the code exists many officers try to help and try to be