Friends in Prison Part 2: What Life is Like Inside, and What Should be Done to Make Prisons Work Better

Having friends in prison has made me rethink what prisons are and what we use them for. Of course prisoners have virtually no freedom, and that's part of their appeal, that is, to keep these individuals away from society at large.  What is life like on the inside?  Even little things are big deals. Again, pseudonyms are used in this account.

It's said a man's home is his castle, but that doesn't apply to a prisoner, or even his or her own body.  As I mentioned in part one, Ron's cell was tossed because I inadvertently walked through a metal detector with my cell phone on, so they went looking for lists of phone numbers in his cell.  Cells are routinely inspected for contraband.  Contraband can be cell phones,colored pencils, tattoo paraphernalia, drug paraphernalia, alcohol, needles, pornography, or any number of other items.  No sexual materials or literature of any kind are allowed, not even the swimsuit issue of  Sports Illustrated. Suggestive movies or television are forbidden.  There are consequences for having contraband, and these infractions earn you 'tickets'. Disobedience to an officer is another path to a ticket, and enough tickets can add up to a loss of privileges, time in solitary, or even more prison time if you don't wise up. A search of the person or his living space can occur at any time.

Ron told me that some months ago their unit was locked down with no notice, and everyone was sent to their cells. Then they were called out by face-covered dressed-in-black guards. Inmates had their hands tied behind their backs with zip ties (locking plastic straps) and made to sit cross-legged on the floor with their faces down.  They were shouted at and threatened continually while their cells were turned inside out.  When some complained of discomfort they were hit.  After an hour and a half  they were released, but left in the dark as to the what had caused this event.  Several of the inmates filed complaints about their mistreatment. The result was a ticket for disobedience to an officer.

Tina told my wife about her first ticket.  She had arrived at the prison as a new inmate, and when she awoke in the morning she did her toilet duties.  Immediately afterward, she was summoned for a drug test. Because she wasn't able to pee, she was awarded a ticket, and a loss of privileges. In prison no reason is a good reason.

Mailing items to inmates can be difficult.  Just before Christmas last year I sent some books to Ron from Amazon.com. They were sent back because (this is my understand) although Amazon sends such items via the U.S. Postal Service, when they get jammed up, (as during holidays), the postal service will subcontract package deliveries to to outfits like FedEx.  However, shippers like FedEx won't deliver to a post office box, and since both Ron and Tina's prisons are post office addresses, the items were returned.

The correctional officers are a subset of people on the outside, which makes sense, since they are a part of the outside crowd.  They go home every night, just like the rest of us.  Some exert more power than they should, either because they can or because they operate with a cold heart. From my admittedly limited observation I would say the hard-nose types are the exception.  Most of them are regular people, just doing a job, albeit one with many of society's worst.  There's more of a rapport between the officers and the prisoners than one might think. Ron's unit is quite relaxed, and though structured, the relationship between guard and inmate seems respectful. That's not the case in units that hold violent offenders. Of course, I am speaking in general terms, and one bad correctional officer can poison the well for all of them.

There are two dress codes in prison.  The one for the inmates is: Orange--orange shirts, orange pants, no belts.  People coming to visit are welcome to wear anything they want except for anything the officers object to.  My wife visiting the women's prison has been turned away for wearing a knit top  (no way revealing), too low a neckline (must cover shoulders), and having clothes in an inappropriate color (passed the first time, not the second). Underwire bras are a cause for rejection because they set off the metal detectors.   I've been rejected for wearing off-white shorts (too close to the guard's khaki uniforms). No glasses except prescription.  I could go on for ever. Arguing with prison officials is of no value and should be avoided.

Medical treatment (or lack of) leaves much to be desired.  In the book Slumber Party from Hell, author Sue Ellen Allen recounts how her roommate suffered and complained of terrible pain to the officers and the medical staff, only to be repeatedly rejected and sent back to her cell.  She died of breast cancer within weeks.  Ron told me of an inmate who complained of chest pains and shortness of breath. The officers were were called and dithered about, and finally sent him to a unit with a working EKG machine.  The medical staff determined it wasn't a heart attack and sent him back to his unit.  Later that day, he again complained of chest pains, but since the medical team had already gone home, he was told he would have to wait until morning.  Around 4:30 a.m. an inmate found him on the floor of a toilet stall.  He died of a heart attack on the way to the hospital.

There are two recent books on life inside a prison, both by women who have served time.  Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman is a memoir about her time in the federal correctional institute in Danbury Connecticut (read the book, don't bother with the television series).  The other, less known but an excellent read, is the aforementioned Slumber Party from Hell  in which Sue Ellen recounts her six-year stretch in the women's prison in Goodyear, Arizona (Perryville).  Both books are a worthy read and give a glimpse into the frustrations of the incarcerated.

So what's the point of all of this?  Hey, I'm a conservative Republican, and I'm not soft on crime. I believe in long sentences for violent offenders, and for that crowd I'm not big on 'second chances'. I also believe the death penalty, properly applied, is of great value. In fact I would argue that it be expanded to include those found guilty of rape. But I especially believe that right is right and wrong is wrong, and after having read the books and heard the stories, I know there needs to be reform in our prison system.  In their present configuration, prisons breed hopelessness and despair, and in the long term that is neither good for the inmate or society.

Prison should do what they are presently not doing: Allow for prisoners to be rehabilitated and make restitution.  Therefore, I propose the following reforms:

--Prisoners should have access to proper medical care, not band-aid service.

--Punishment to fit the crime, i.e., non-violent or white-collar criminals should be given shorter in-house sentences and then be returned to society with appropriate electronic monitoring restraints and be made to make restitution to their victims.  This will allow those who have abilities to be useful to society and be far less disruptive to the families of both the offender and his or her victims.

 --Find businesses in the community who are willing to hire those who are newly released, along with perhaps a subsidy or a tax break, so these people aren't turned loose with no place to go.

--Prisoners must be allowed to have computer time and be able to access appropriate internet services.  Of course, inappropriate sites would be blocked.  By allowing inmates such access, they will be much more able to fit into the world they are returning to.  Many prisons lack any computer access for inmates.  Yes, this might be difficult, but it can be done.

--Education is a must, and inmates should be allowed to take mail-order or computer courses from colleges and universities or trade schools.

--A mandatory savings account for all prisoners, taken as a percentage of what they earn or are given while in prison.  I propose this not only for short-sentence people but also for long term.  A large number of freed inmates end up back inside because they leave prison nearly broke; they have little choice except to violate. This gives the prisoner a leg up on his or her return to society. If an inmate dies while inside, the money could be given to a relative, a victim, or a charity.

Prisons are a fact of life in every country in the world. They probably work as well or better in the United States as anywhere, but even here they are far from perfect--or even good.  I am a big proponent of  'better and cheaper.'  I believe we can do better and cheaper with our prison population.  It will be a win for  the people who have served their time, and it will also be a win for society.  It's worth a try.