2 Years in an American Prison - A Man's Story [Warning: Graphic]

Read ALL OF IT, possibly one of the best threads I've ever seen on this forum. (I know you re posted it and I THANK YOU SO MUCH.) I wish people were more open about prison like this man.

 

In the middle of the piece, he actually talks about his life before prison and it is quite amazing to read. He actually feels pretty ashamed and disgusted with himself because he has a University degree and was traveling the world and had a completely normal life until he decided to get involved in a stick up job.

You can tell once you get started that he isn't your usual convict story, or a victim of circumstance. He fucked up his own life and had to pay the price for it and learn to adjust to a cruel, violent, and inhumane environment. His story is very easy to relate to because he seems like such a normal guy. I can totally picture being in his shoes and being thrown into prison with no real preparation or idea of what you are getting yourself into, and having to adjust to such a fucked up environment so quickly.

I do a lot of reading and research on interesting topics like this, and occasionally find pieces like this that are complete must-reads. I can definitely send some links to your inbox in the future when I find things like this. Glad you enjoyed it as much as I did

Yeah, it is crazy with all the TV shows, movies, and even documentaries about prison that 'normal' society still really has no grasp of the horrors that occur every single day inside those walls. I like how he addresses some of the common "myths" of prison, or a few different movie's portrayals of prison that are completely false.

I hope I never have to do any hard time either. The thing is that you never really know where your life is going to end up or what kinds of mistakes you might make a long the way, and I think it is good to at least be somewhat mentally prepared in case you ever do end up in prison (god forbid).

And no problem Wulf, really glad you enjoyed it

Yeah man, that was actually one of the most shocking parts for me as well. In prison movies and real videos of prison shankings that I've seen, the guys always seem to clutch their short little makeshift shanks and stab repeatedly, extremely fast. But it is hard from a distance to see what they are really doing.

What he described makes perfect sense though if you are going for a kill with a dull makeshift weapon, and I was horrified when I read about how he actually witnessed a person being disemboweled right in front of his cell. That is one image that I doubt will ever leave his mind, and he will carry around for the rest of his life.

I apologize, but I do not agree with you.

He is not racist, and he is not gay, as he states a few times. He talks about the loneliness in prison and the very human need for affection, intimacy, and sex. He says sex with other males a few times and enjoys it, but if you have done any reading about prison then you wouldn't be surprised to hear this. Apparently many, many men indulge in homosexual acts while inside prison, and go back to being completely straight once they are out.

When you are locked away in a tiny cell every single day, surrounded by violent criminals and trapped inside your own mind, I don't blame a person for going crazy wanting some kind of affection or intimacy with another human being. I would like to think that I would never, EVER have sex with another male (personally, I find the thought disgusting for myself), but when you are inside prison you are really pushed to the limits of your sanity and deprivation of your basic human needs. Can we really blame this guy for engaging in consensual sex? He was even raped once, which I imagine was not pleasant for him.

Also - to address the issue about racism, I don't believe he is racist at all. Sometimes it may seem like it from the way he speaks, but that is just prison culture still engrained in his mind after being freshly released. No matter WHAT you think about yourself and about not being a racist, once you are inside those prison walls everything changes. Inside prison, association with your own race is everything.

I'm really, really glad you enjoyed it man

Thanks to everybody who has posted thus far! Like I said before, I was initially hesitant on posting this as I didn't think many people would actually take the time to read it. It took me awhile to compile everything so that it was organized and easy to read, and I'm really glad that so many of you actually took the time to read it, and immensely enjoyed it the same way I did

It is not to often you can find a raw, tell-all account of a person's experience inside a prison's walls. And even rarer that you find somebody as educated and well spoken as this man, who decides to share his story. I consider myself extremely lucky for being able to find this man's testimony. He is really inspiring and I truly wish that he never has to go back to prison.

 

Just finished reading the entire thing, great read. Thanks for sharing zerk.

 

I take it back, he isn't racist.

Blame him for engaging in the sex? No. Does this make him gay? Yes. I'm not even trying to denounce him by calling him that. But having consensual/non-consensual sex with another man, numerous times, is gay. No matter the circumstances.

He did give a good in-depth description of prison, but he is still an ex con. Hopefully he got his shit together or else he will make that place his home. Worth a read, but nothing exceptional.

 

Started reading and couldn't stop.

Thanks for this awesome share man!

 

He committed homosexual acts but he isn't attracted towards other men, therefore it wouldn't be logical to call him "gay" or "homosexual".

He may have committed a homosexual act but that doesn't MAKE him a homosexual.

 

This taught me a lot about life and my viewpoint on it thanks for sharing it

 

read it all,really interesting. Id hate it.

 

Hey if you ever find any other interesting posts like this I'd also be interested so inbox me anytime, thanks!

 

I have a story just like his.
I spent 22 months in jail, normal guy, had everything handed to me, threw it all away for something stupid.
I can relate to all of this.

 

I respect your opinion, but I have to respectfully disagree once again. This guy sums it up quite nicely:

The definition of a homosexual is somebody who is attracted to members of their own sex. I do not believe he fits into this category. At the very most, maybe you could classify him as bisexual, but even then I don't think that is accurate.

He talks throughout the story about women often, and when he is asked about sex he even goes into depth in explaining the things he fantasizes about while in prison - all of which have to do with women. I don't think he is attracted to men whatsoever, but as he talks about what a cold environment prison is and the human need for affection, love, and intimacy, I think I can understand why he chooses to have sex with men inside occasionally.

I would like to think that I could get through 2 years without having sex with a woman and not have to resort to having sex with a man just to satisfy my basic human needs. But none of us can really speculate on that and truly say for sure, as prison pushes a man to the edge of their sanity and to a point of deprivation that is cruel and inhumane. I can completely see why some men choose to be intimate with other men on the inside, even though it is something they would never do on the outside, or something they never even considered before being put inside prison. Prison is all about survival, and I think some of these guys will go to any lengths to get some feeling of normalcy and an intimate connection with another human being. When you are locked in a tiny little concrete cell everyday, I imagine people on the inside hold on to whatever they possibly can and seek comfort in the only type of human intimacy and interaction that is available to them, just to survive and keep their minds healthy.

Wow, I would love to hear your story if you ever feel like you'd like to share.

 

Very interesting read, actually read the whole thing.

Edit: Also, my brother is 2 years into a 7 year sentence at the moment, and has spent another year prior to this. He pretty much describes it like this. The first time he went in he got into a fight and got a couple of ribs broken.

 

Read the whole thing, interesting story.

 

interesting read - just 1 stupid decision and you waste years of your life in prison. If i was in that position i'de probably try to get to Europe too, or Asia

 

Wow, I truly wish your brother luck and the strength he needs to make it through the rest of his sentence. I can only imagine what he must go through every day.

I always have this fear in the back of my mind that I will end up in prison one day. But I hope to god that I never do, I don't think I am a strong enough person to endure that type of hell.

 

If you're a big guy, you should do fine. My brother is pretty big (6'2, approx 200lbs), but he runs his mouth too much.

 

I'm just about 6' and 180-190lbs. I am less fearful of the violence and prospect of rape than I am of the deterioration of my mental condition and the insanity and the depression that you would have to endure. And I know that in prison I would certainly go back to using drugs, which could lead me to major trouble (debt, infections & disease, etc).

The fear is good in a way though, it makes me sometimes think twice about decisions that I make. It is incredible how fast you could make a mistake that puts you behind bars in a split second bad decision. For example, there was a story locally about 6 months ago about a young kid who was beginning a bright career as a firefighter out here. One night he got into a drunken fight outside of a bar, and the kid he hit went down and hit the pavement and subsequently died in the hospital a few hours later. Luckily, he had his charges reduced from murder to manslaughter, but he is still looking at a good 5-10 years in prison all because of a simple mistake. Two lives ruined because of one dumb decision.

 

Thank you for posting this, I read it ALL. Very interesting read. Although I'm not from the states, it definitely changed my perception of prisons. Hell I like the way the guy tells his story even, makes me want to know him. Makes me want to pick up a book again, didn't know I enjoyed reading...

 

damn... this is powerful. I havnt finished readying it all but it makes me really glad im choosing to go on the criminal justice side and doing something with my life as opposed to not having any goals and fucking my life up..

note to self: finished reading on #2

 

Amazing read thanks for posting.