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.
Michigan
Fighting the Coronavirus in Prison — And Giving Up
I watched my friend’s face with skepticism. No one in their right mind hoped for something so sinister. Yet his steady eyes only stared back at me, repeating what he had just said: “Seriously, part of me hopes I catch [...]
My First Cellmate Was An Axe Murderer
My first cellmate in one of Michigan's adult prisons was an axe murderer. More specifically, he was a serial killer who killed multiple people with an axe on one Halloween night. I didn't know his background when they moved me into [...]
Zombie Land In The Age of Coronavirus
Welcome to Zombie Land. Those are the words that rattle around inside my skull every time I step away from my cell during this Coronavirus meltdown. Here in the Great State of Michigan, some might argue that our Governor was a [...]
Chris Dankovich’s Dad On Raising A Son — In Prison
The situation, simply put: for families of the incarcerated, life is brutal. Sad. Devastating to family structure and closeness. Difficult financially. Painful. Wrenching, forcing families to drive six hours on Sundays to visit with no gas money. Getting rejected for a [...]
Absolute Power Absolutely Corrupts Cops in Prison Too
Every time I watch the news footage of that cop murdering Mr. George Floyd, I cringe. And not only because it resulted in Mr. Floyd's death, but because -- for the last twenty-five years -- I've been ruled over by evil [...]
Cerebral Palsy in Prison
"Hey, did you see that kid in the wheelchair today?" "No." I say. "When did he get here?" "I think he just rode in yesterday or today," said Greg. "He break his leg or something?" "No, he's, like, seriously in a [...]
A Prisoner’s Three Tips for Beating Boredom
When you're in the hole (solitary confinement), there's only three things that can alleviate loneliness and boredom: jacking off, taking a shit and pacing back and forth.
Why Prison Volunteers Change Lives
Throughout my 23 years of incarceration, many people have had a positive influence on my life, but none more so than the courageous volunteers who selflessly pour into American prisons each and every day, whether it be for religious purposes, substance [...]
How Art Saves My Life in Prison
There are two main emotions every convict locked away in America is forced to cope with during his incarceration: Anger, and Loneliness. Anger at the situation we've somehow brought crashing down upon ourselves, and anger at a system that refuses to [...]
A Juvenile In Prison Longs for the Night Stars
There is a distinctive "ting" when metal snaps: a sharp, high-pitched note reverberates through the air long after the metal stops vibrating. “Shit,” I grumbled under my breath. The small piece of metal had broken in my hand, not cutting [...]
When You Grow Up In Prison, Did Your Life Ever Really Begin?
Sometimes, after my roommate has gone to sleep (or has left the room, or when no one is looking), I grab my pillow and hold it tightly, pressing my face against it. I fall asleep with my arm wrapped around it, [...]
Only in Prison: A Pedophile Footrace
A few years back, some asshole came up with the idea to hold a pedophile footrace around the track here at our facility. (Pedophiles are at the bottom of the food chain in prison; hated by all, guards and convicts alike.) Originally, [...]
Guards Flee Fire in Prison, Leaving Inmates to Die. Enter: Hero Guard.
"Whaaamp ... whaaamp ... whaaamp ..." boomed the loudspeaker mounted outside my cell door. Above me, thick, oily smoke roiled, clouding my cell. The kind of smoke all the "survival" shows claim is necessary for a successful signal fire; a [...]
Juveniles Tried As Adults: Becoming A Man In Prison
My first visitor in prison was my dad. Looking back at the picture I have from that day, I realize that I must have smelled just awful. It was my second day in at Thumb Correctional Facility's Youthful Side, Michigan's prison [...]
How They Overmedicate Kids in Adult Prisons
We might have been crazy, and they certainly said that about us, though they said that about all the youth. Every child who came to prison was at least regularly seen by the psychiatrists, which really is a good thing. If [...]