Former Inmates Are Sharing The Truths About Prison That Most People Don't Realize

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“Message from the other side of the coin: I was a mental health counselor in a maximum security prison in the northeast. First, many of those incarcerated didn’t think they would get caught. Denial can be used as a defense mechanism. Second, many inmates in a maximum security institution aren’t incarcerated for the first time. The term ‘been there, done that’ applies. They know the ropes and the rules. Third, getting mental health care can be seen as a sign of weakness to some other inmates. Fourth, lifers tend to be the least disruptive members of the inmate population.”

“Most want to get out of their cells, get an inmate job, and quietly do their time. Fifth, the younger inmates doing short sentences (called skid bids) sometimes have to establish themselves within the population and tend to fight more, engage in more inappropriate behavior, and get more disciplinary reports as a result. Street credibility within the inmate population is important but can be overrated. Life in prison isn’t easy for anybody, but it is ‘managed’ by most inmates who try to remain under the radar. In most cases, what you see on television does not accurately portray the daily lives of most inmates.”

—Anonymous