This is really a barrage of questions. What did the other prisoners think when they learned the nature of your detainment? Did you tell them you were in for armed robbery to toughen your rep? How would you rate Hollywood's penchant for prison portrayal, accurate, or way off the mark? Also, were you able to follow developments in computing through books; were you granted such a right?
I've been to prison. I can tell you that Hollywood is way off the mark.
It is mostly just massive amounts of boredom and repitition with idiots yelling and making noise all the time. It is never quiet.
As long as you don't call attention to yourself, as long as you don't act like a dumbass, as long as you stay away from gangs and drugs, people will usually leave you alone.
In my six months in the arizona penal system I never saw or even heard rumours of anyone being raped, although homosexuality was somewhat common.
I did see lots of fights but they were mostly among gang members.
Yep, that's exactly the way it is. Shame that he has to post anonymously when the odds are the he is just another poor victim of our great war on drugs. However, in my two years in the Colorado DOC I did once come across a rape (I didn't see it, but it was in the same pod), so my experience was a little different.
But being a bit more on topic, being a geek is actually a good thing in prison, at least for me. First, teaching the GED classes is a great job and beats the hell out of picking up rocks and moving them. Second, every con in there can't get enough of 'how to do [blank]' lessons. Biochemistry is a big hit with the meth cooks, hacking is respected as much as robbery, and jacking up the electrically controlled doors, forcing the guards to keep the cellblock free until the wee hours of the morning? That'll make you a hero;)
Dogg
If a thing's worth doing, it is worth doing badly.
-- G.K. Chesterton
Prison Life (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Prison Life (Score:1)
is it even possible, as a geek, to "toughen your rep" ??
Re:Prison Life (Score:1, Informative)
It is mostly just massive amounts of boredom and repitition with idiots yelling and making noise all the time. It is never quiet.
As long as you don't call attention to yourself, as long as you don't act like a dumbass, as long as you stay away from gangs and drugs, people will usually leave you alone.
In my six months in the arizona penal system I never saw or even heard rumours of anyone being raped, although homosexuality was somewhat common.
I did see lots of fights but they were mostly among gang members.
Re:Prison Life (Score:1)