There’s a good documentary on Netflix about prisons for profit

Prisons are like hotels

DA’s are like Expedia eager to fill them up

Yes and No - Andy Dufresne

Well, I was drunk the day my mom got out of prison...

Anyone ever been in prison? Why, yes, many people have. Here in the US we have the highest incarceration rate in the world. USA! USA! "Land of the free" indeed.

Oh, you mean has anyone here on Pinside.

And which is it? You ask about prison in your thread title, but about jail in your poll. Two completely different things.

(edited)

Anyone else ever see this one (rehabilitation of addicts vs incarceration) ?

VERY interesting!

And I went, to pick her up, in the rain...

I had a couple stints in the drunk tank in my younger years. Nothing like waking up not knowing where you are with half your clothes missing. Thankfully I was the only one in there.

before I could get to the station in my pickup truck
She got run over by a damned old train

Wes Watson has been doing a pod-cast all about his time in prison. He's become a good motivational speaker to a lot of folks as his popularity has gained. Big Herc on "fresh out" is another interesting prison pod cast.

-1 for forgetting the "but" before the first line
-1 for doing the second line (hogging the fun for the next guy!)

But I'll allow it!

And I'll hang around as long as you will let me
And I never minded standing' in the rain

I've also spent the night twice at Eastern State Penn in Philly.

They're trying to build a prison for you and me!

System of a Down - Prison Song

Maybe a bit off topic, but...

Back in the late sixties and early seventies, I played on a Little League team called the Fledglings. Our home field was inside the walls of the prison at Missouri State Penitentiary. (The bloodiest 47 acres in America) We would play there 2-3 times a month. Our coach was a big Native American named Hill, but everybody called him Chief. He was the head guard at the prison.

Playing there was like playing in the major leagues! We always played to a packed house,(so to speak) and the crowd was always raucous and energetic, and pretty much respectful. The inmates considered us to be *their* team. And I guess we kinda were. They really looked forward to our games.

We had to walk through the prison to get to the field, just being escorted by Chief and my Dad, who was assistant coach. Never once did I feel threatened or scared, (well, maybe the first time) even with some inmates roaming around. I guess that was because 1. None of the inmates wanted to run afoul of Chief, and 2. Anybody that messes with a kid is considered to be one of the lowest of the low by the inmates, and would be dealt with accordingly.

Overall, it was a really good experience, plus it taught me, "I don't EVER want to end up here".

On another note, in my 20s and 30s, playing softball, we would go play practice games against the inmates at the minimum security prison in town. Those guys were GOOD. For some reason we never got a favorable call, though.......

Five days a week in max prison for 10 years. A handful of of escape attempts, one hostage situation, 3 executions and hundreds of fights. I was death row manager for the last electric chair execution in our State. It was an interesting job for a young person but I'm happy to be free!

yea, I will pass on the 7" inch banger up my ass

I was in county for one weekend. And they put me in with Wally Grimas who had murdered his wife, because the dog was barking. Then he did her hair so she wouldn't look bad. Then he called the police. He showed me a De Con ( rat poison ) letter he sent to the Judge. I slept with one eye open.

Got thrown in jail once because I allowed an "unauthorized driver" wash my car. The kid drove it from my parking space to the apartment car wash. About 50 yards. Thrown in the slammer for about 2 hours and did 20 hours of community service.

A life well lived should include at least one or 2 nights in jail.

One night in San Jose Ca. city jail for traffic warrant, I had been drinking at told them to f#ck off, so a night in the slammer! (8 year old parking ticket in Santa Cruz, lol)

One night in lausanne switzerland for drunk and vagrancy. I spent all my money at the bar and didnt have the 5 swiss francs minimum to prove I wasnt a vagrant (its a law there), Lol.

They let me out the next morning after I had coffee and croissant. No fine, I love that place!

Spent 3 weeks in The heathrow airport Customs detention for not having enough money to enter the country (there is no minimum...), I had $100 that would easily have taken me to a friends house in france, but it wasnt enough I guess.

I had to wait for my buddy to get back from vacation in france to vouch for me and pick me up.
No fines or penalties, just a weird, boring stay at the airport holding facility.

It was fairly nice and they provided 3 meals and tea in the afternoon with TV to watch.

Arrested on the street for 2 hours in Bangkok Thailand for throwing a cigarette butt into the gutter downtown (littering charge).

They didnt take me to jail, although I loudly and vociferously insisted they should. Obviously i had been drinking yet again...klong tipp whiskey.

I finally got bored with them and was a bit hungry. I offered to buy them all lunch (there were 7 cops sitting under an easy-up) in lieu of any jail time or fines.

They agreed that this would be punishment enough, so we had a pretty nice lunch that I paid for.
It was $10 for the lunch and $10 for 6 big bottles of Kloster Beer.

We had a great time!

Fun, weird times...

I ran a bar not far from the Nebraska State Pen in the early 2000's, had a lot of guards come in for drinks, they even helped out with some rowdy situations that popped up a couple of times. Good people, that is a serious job.

Only a Turkish one

I had a friend that went to school to be a prison guard. His first job was working at a mental health facility. One patient there apparently liked to hurt himself. He jammed a bishop (chess piece) into his pee hole. I'm not sure how far in it went but enough that you could see the shape of the piece from oustide.

What was the bar name?

But there are different types of federal prison. Were you in a minimum/low security situation? They aren't putting the violent offenders in there, at least I hope not.

It was "The Penalty Box Pub" back when I ran it. I believe it is now called "The Garage." I ran that bar from 2001 to 2006.

My 40 year career copier. printer , PC onsite service . Prisons , jails a fact daily life depending on whether the equipment needed service . PIA access . Do not drop a tool . Start on service call you have to do tool inventory, loose a tool and you do not leave . If you are nice person and respectful no huge issues . If you were a jerk Karma caught up with you quickly . Like life in general .

Enjoy the day Shane

I have not been inside, but had a buddy that did 3 of a 7 in Huntsville for some drug trafficking stuff. He was in his early 20s, well educated, and way too nice to be a hard con. Filled every waking moment he could taking classes and studying or working, to stay out of trouble. He never confided in me what all happened to him in there, but when he got out he was pretty different. Poor guy couldn't find a job to save his life. Lied on an application just to get a job at Target, and got fired when they found out he was on parole about a year later. He had to turn back to the drug game to survive. Got busted again and managed to make bond. Had a report date to be back in the system and go back to Huntsville and serve the remainder of his original stretch +10. He was looking at 5-6 minimum served.Had a goodbye party the night before he was going back into custody, said his goodbyes to the boys, went to the parking lot when the place closed and shot himself in the head. That's how much he wasn't going back into that place.

If somebody who was not cool decided they wanted you to be their boyfriend, and you were not receptive, how would you deal with that? Surely you don't just report them to the guards? Do you keep a weapon? Is there some sort of protection racket? Do you make yourself valuable in some way to a group who can protect you? Do you know folks on the outside they don't want to piss off? I don't doubt your experience, but the notion that people who could not conform on the outside are cool and rule following on the inside seems a bit idealistic.

I spent a night in jail and then down to the Tombs (about 30 hours total) for smoking a joint on the street. In front of an unmarked van filled with cops. Was pretty comical seeing them come out like a clown car. Was pretty stupid all around certainly taught me a lesson.

A bunch of stupid stuff happened that night...had some stones tickets in my pocket one got lost as they frisked me. Noticed it later and used my free phone call to call the bar where my friends were still at 3 hours later and they actually found the ticket on the street.

Good friend was a recently retired corrections officer, he called in some favors and I got my own private holding cell (they call it the Rapper cell cause that's where they put them when they get busted. i think actor Rip Torn spent a night there too). Missed a flight the next morning to miami had to call my mom at work from the rapper cell and have her fix my flight arrangements for me. Some friends showed up with lobster to feed me when I finally got out...made it to Miami and the stones show with all 4 tickets.

Hey live and learn! I remember my mom answering with IS THIS A JOKE I guess nYC corrections came up on her caller ID at work.

My corrections officer buddy said the whole process took so long because I was a noob and "not in the system" yet. "return customers" move through quick.

WIthout my buddy's help I would have been there the entire weekend. I JUST made it under the friday midnight cut to move on to the next holding cell and the courts. Thanks Charles!

I think I sent him a giant ham. Dude likes to eat.

I got a speeding ticket once.

Had to spend a whole day in traffic school.

Some of the tough guys in the class would smoke cigarettes during the breaks.

I did about 60 days in the Pearl Harbor Brig a few decades ago. It wasn't fun, but not unlike boot camp in many ways. On about the 2nd meal of the 2nd day I reached across some guys tray to get a spoon of whatever we were eating, he took offense and offered a personal insult in retaliation, we ended up on the ground with lots of food and just a little blood before the Marines grabbed us. I spent the next three days in private accommodations, discovering how many slices of bread it takes to get filled up.
Had a friend come see me about week in - we had discussed how he could sneak me in something to smoke. At that time, prisoners (that's not what were called, but I can't recall the term) were searched after every visit (thoroughly...) so what we did was he would come in with a couple of joints and a piece of tape, and they would let us talk across from each other at one of the lunch tables. He would tape the weed under the table, and after pleasantries he would leave, and I would get searched - but I didn't have anything. Then, at dinner that night, or breakfast the next day, I just had to sit at that same table, grab my stash and I was set. Primitive system, but it worked. We were allowed to smoke (cigs) in our cells (after asking "Sir, may I have a light please?" "Thank you sir" etc...so I'd put a pinch of weed in the cigarette about a half inch down, get my light from the jar head, and when the fire hit the weed I'd just hold the smoke in, so there wasn't any smell.
That was a long time ago...

I was a frequent customer and was going to guess this bar. I remember hearing about a crazy customer ramming his vehicle through the building one night and some of my employees pulled him out of the truck and 'held him down' until the police came.

As a Juvenal I did about 20 days in an adult jail because they thought I was older. A few years later I got a job as a Deputy Sheriff at the same place. Both great personal learning experiences that I'm grateful for but really glad I moved on from both.

My claim to fame however, is swimming from Alcatraz to the San Francisco shore twice to celebrate consecutive birthdays.

https://serc.com/alcatraz-invitational/

rapegame1 (resized).jpg

Once I had the entire Lakewood Colorado police force converge on my apartment for playing “Cat Scratch Fever” a tad too loud. They wanted to know why I had no furniture and just a stereo, tv and a beach chair. Told them I didn’t like furniture. My saving grace was my Florida Id. Once they saw that, they decided to leave. Guess I wasn’t worth hauling in. 1995

Cheers to you and your pals! They certainly "held him down" quite well. That was hands down the craziest thing I've ever seen. A fucking mini van bursting through a brick wall. All over a pool game.

Worked in a Ma. county jail in the mid 90’s. Worst job I ever had, wanted to be a cop at the time and thought it was a good foot in the door . I lasted maybe 6 months, I don’t know how people can do that job it was beyond stressful dealing with the dirtbags both in the jail and out of the jail.

True story:
When I was eleven, I spent a total of twenty mins locked up in the office of the Bradley’s™ store detective until they located my panic stricken mom.
The crime?
Using slugs in arcade & gumball machines.

You just enjoy it if you keep doing it.

You had protection. They knew who you were. You may not be anybody, but somebody you know is, to them anyway.

As others have said, jail and prison are different. Looking back on my life, I’m glad it happened, because it was eye opening, and even though I had to suffer the consequences, I was able to take the second chance I was afforded and do a lot with it.

When I was 19 I went to jail for 90 days. I was a freshman in college and a buddy said he could score a 1/2 LB of weed if I drove him into the city. I was one of the only freshmen with my car there, and it was slammed prelude, rims, 220whp, typical early 2000’s fast and furious style ricer. It was specifically 2004 so weed wasn’t as accessible as it is today. Make the 3 hour trip to the city, get the weed, on the way back I wanted to swing by parents house and grab some things (they were at work and wouldn’t know I came home). Racing down the back road trying to get to my parents house before them, I’m doing 15 over on a backroad and a sheriff is going the other way. He flips it around and turns on the lights, but I’m so far ahead I feel like I can outrun him and dip off some sidestreet. It’s a relatively empty road so I really open her up and get her over 130 mph and put some real distance between me and the officer. I turn down a side street that runs parallel the opposite way with the road I was just on. I slow down and wait to see If the cop will drive past. Sure enough, He spots me, locks up his brakes and makes the turn to come after me. I hammer it again, But now I’m on a road that I’m not super familiar with and going way too fast. It didn’t help that my buddy in the passenger seat was crying about were going to jail forever. I’m flying down this backroad and get to the point I don’t see the officer anymore, and I’m only about 2 miles from my parents house. I stay in it pretty hard, but brakes are starting to fade, and coming around a big turn, I get on the brakes and pedal goes to the floor. I pump them, get them to sort of work and slow down, but spin the car around. The car was ok, but it stalled out, and wouldn’t start again. I try for 10-20 seconds but here the sirens coming over the hill and decide it’s time to run. The guy with me gets out too, but says he isn’t running, and I should take the weed. I didn’t argue, I just grabbed it, ran, and was about 50 yards away when the cop pulled up. The cop gets out and is screaming at my buddy who is standing off the side of the road. At gun point, the cop is making his way towards him, slips in some mud, and ends up tossing the weapon at my buddies feet, amazingly enough. I’m sort of watching what’s happening as I’m running away, and hear the cop yelling “DO NOT TOUCH THE GUN!”. The cop takes him into custody, and I’m about 150 yards away heading into the woods. I’m in the woods for about 2 hours, dumped the stuff, and come out into parents neighborhood. I hear police cars seemingly everywhere, but only about half mile from my parents place. I’m a mess, dirty, sweaty, disheveled and I’m walking the wood line through my parents neighborhood. A guy mowing his lawn stops me, asks me what I’m doing and since I know the neighborhood I said I was hurt bike riding and walking home. He then just flat out asks me, “are you the one the police are looking for?” And I admit it. He tells me he’s an off duty sheriff from the neighboring county, and let’s go to the road and face this. We walk to the road, there is two officers patrolling the road and they stop. They ask if I’m the guy, I say yes, and they get out, pull their weapons and yell “get on the f’ing ground or I’ll blow your head off”. Roughed me up a bit, drive me back to the scene with my car. It’s on a flatbed at this point, and there is seemingly 30 cop cars around. My dad even told me later when he was driving home he saw all these cops in the neighborhood and thought to himself, shit, something crazy must’ve happened. Never had any idea his son acted like a dumb asshole and had half the police force after him.

They take me to county, charged with multiple felonies/misdemeanors, no bond, and 5 days later in court, the DA levels with my dad. They sort of know each other somehow, and he says since I had never been in trouble, he will cut me a deal on one condition. My court date is in 88 days, and if I stay in until my court date, he will drop the charges to a misdemeanor eluding. If I choose to bond out, there is no deal, and I will have to fight it in court.

I was so delusional, the first morning in the holding cell I asked the guard if I could have a paper. He and the other guard laughed at me and said “this dude thinks it’s the Hilton”. I wanted to go home, but my parents refused. They said I f’ed up and I had to deal with the consequences. I could tell It broke their heart to leave me in, but that a felony charge would be devastating on my future. In the end I appreciated it, but it was almost tougher knowing I could bond out if I wanted. Obviously looking back I’m appreciative They took the stance they did.

So 88 days later I’m released, kicked out of college, and 2 years on probation. Jail sucked, but it was mostly dui, child support, drugs, etc. it was an eye opening Experience and I learned a lot of life lessons from the whole thing. It’s been about 15 years now, and I’m so incredibly blessed, it’s crazy to think I did that.

After getting kicked out of school, I had worked for 2 years and decided to backup Europe for 6 months. I was detained/arrested for about 3 hours in lucerne Switzerland. We were skinny dipping in front of the “grand casino” and an officer stopped the half dozen of us. I was stopped a few times by police on that trip, but mostly nuisance stuff and it was good to get the debauchery out of my system in one big trip. I came home afterwards ready to buckle down and figure out my life.

I obviously regret a lot of things, but my experience was eye opening, and I was fortunate no one got hurt while I acted like an asshole. Those 88 days made me grow and appreciate a lot of things, and lessons I still take with me to this day. Luckily I had great parents who always knew when to be strict, when to be lenient, and when to force me to grow up. I owe a lot of my success to them and was incredibly fortunate for their guidance and support.

Been arrested 2 or 3 times, but it was for bullshit and never did any time. Thank god, I'm way too pretty and not nearly big enough

My brother did 30 days in county for robbery. His stories were pretty good, but he mostly bitched about having to watch 106 & Park every night.

what happened to the weed?

only as a visitor, multiple occasions and locations

Hahaha it was in a big vacuum sealed bag. When I ran, I was worried they would bring dogs out and wasn’t sure how good they were at sniffing stuff out. I also had some shrooms on me, so when I got to a creek I lifted one of the rocks on the side and put the backpack under it. I felt pretty confident that I hid it well.

First weekend I was allowed visitation my friends from school came up to visit me and the conversation went like this:

“Hey man, really shitty this happened. I can’t believe you’re in here”
Me- “Yea, it was stupid, I should’ve just stopped”
“Yea, they probably wouldn’t of found anything...btw, where did you dump it. We tried to follow your tracks through the woods but didn’t find anything. We looked for hours before we came over”
Me- “I don’t know what you’re talking about man (wink wink)”

He finally figured out my drift. They wrote me a letter and I basically drew a treasure map to it. I drew the map and sent it to one friend, and the map key to another friend. They did end up finding it on 4-5 trip out there. I always found it funny how it was “hey man, sucks this happe—where’s da weed?”. Back then, If the roles were reversed I would’ve done the same, so I can’t blame them, haha.