An O.G. Explains “The New Convict Code”
Tex McClain had nothing but his word. Old and sick, having outlived anyone in society who might help him, he had to live by his wits to earn coffee and cigarettes. Old Tex’s word was good. If he told you [...]
Going to Prison
A Hitman’s Hopes for Redemption
I don't think I will ever be able to understand what could make me do all the shit I did when I was younger. I'm mentally fucked up over my actions. The lady I killed in Wisconsin was a good hard working mother. Her name was Kim Smith and she worked for the county in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
Tip #3: Never Walk Away From a Fight
Never walk away from a fight. Never back down. Lock eyes, stand firm, and don't bow to anyone but God or a badge. You may win, you may lose, you may even have to draw, but in the end you will not be stolen from, lied to or bullied.
Tip #2: Prison Hacks with Maxipads
Maxipads. The world of Kotex. Their use is obvious, right? NOT! It turns out they are incredibly versatile tools.
Prison hacks are how we survive in prison with so little. When your door won't close and you don't have the key to shut it, slam it on a Maxipad!
Heather D’Aoust With Prison Tip #1: Things I Wish I’d Known
I wish I had known what it was like to wear chains while walking to court appearances; the fact that if you don't wear several pairs of socks your ankles will get raw, the painful friction cutting to the white meat.
All You Need To Know About Prison Tattoos
I was a tattoo artist for years, even though it’s not allowed in prison. It’s the most lucrative hustle in prison that doesn't involve drugs or body-cavities. You can make about $20 an hour.
Prison Writers Staff2020-12-08T10:47:11-05:00Daily Survival, Going to Prison, Violence & Corruption|
Life in Prison When Prison Gangs Run the Show
Most people join gangs just to be accepted or needed. Or they want the feeling that they’re someone important. Or they want to be a part of something because they really had no real friends growing up.
Prison Writers Staff2020-11-22T09:25:46-05:00Fellow Inmates, Going to Prison, Hope & Change, Juveniles in Prison|
The Miracle Man Who Gave My Worthless Life New Meaning
I kind of figured I was destined for prison. I'm dead serious. I was born a realist and knew that the life I was born into meant there was little to no hope for a prosperous future. When I was [...]
RealTalk: Prison Tattoos with Gabe and Chris
Rule number one of prison: the tougher you look, the easier your ability to choose the person you want to be while inside. Be labeled or perceived as a punk, a b*tch, a weakling, and you will have your public perception on the inside chosen for you… and it will not make for an easier time. So... you can lift weights, learn to fight, practice snarling in a mirror. You can do all these things, but none of them can accomplish as much as getting a good old tattoo.
I’ll Never Forget Going To Prison
"Seven-Block, fourth tier, get ready for chow," booms the lady voice over the intercom. Try making up every day to that, I think. It reminds me of the lead juror's voice at my verdict reading, "Guilty." Maybe this whole sentence [...]
How Will I Survive With My Son In Prison?
Today marks four years without him -- son, oldest brother, grandson, USMC honor graduate, lifelong friend, 25 year-old with a laugh you can’t resist and a way of looking at you so intently that when he was a baby, strangers [...]
Tragedy in Sing Sing’s Visiting Room
When I saw Snake stop near Smokey’s table, right behind Smokey’s wife, and rear his arm back, I said to myself, “He wouldn’t do that.” Then I heard a FWOP!
A Primer on the Security Levels in Prisons
In Virginia, there are 6 levels of security, Level One being the lowest - with the most privileges -- and “Level S" is the highest level of security. Level S is a super maximum security prison, which houses the most violent [...]
33 Lessons I Learned in a Women’s Prison
The people in the position to help the most have the power to hurt the most. People who go around pushing buttons will eventually break one. "I'm sorry" should not be the intermission between disrespectful acts. Every prisoner represents multiple [...]
39 Lessons Learned in Prison
The people in the position to help the most have the power to hurt the most. "I'm sorry" should not be the intermission between disrespectful acts. Every prisoner represents multiple victims and many represent lives lost. If you think that perfection [...]
What Is It Like To Get Life in Prison?
I spent the first few years of my natural life sentence muttering incoherently to myself and chewing my fingernails to bleeding nubs while I contemplated the most painless methods of suicide for American prisoners. How’s a 23-year old kid supposed to [...]