Most people’s perception of what goes on in a prison is shaped by movies and media. But the truth is…
Most people’s perception of what goes on in a prison is shaped by movies and media. But the truth is much darker.
Article written by Alexander L. Carson
The prison environment is, by design, one of the most secure and secretive environments in the world. It’s virtually a self-sustaining ecosystem that’s meant to house, feed, rehabilitate, even entertain a population, albeit a bunch of felons convicted of heinous crimes.
Because the population are considered extremely dangerous and unpredictable, the prison environment consists of high security protocols where everything is controlled and supervised at all times.
To maintain a secure environment, inmates cannot freely move around when they want, heavy duty doors typically open one at a time, and activities like eating and recreation run on a strict schedule. Even information is closely monitored. Phone calls are recorded and outside mail is read and searched before getting into the hands of inmates.
Because of the strict and necessary security protocols, many everyday Americans really have no idea what goes on in the prison system. Why would they?
But we at HDM know. I’ve spent nearly two decades behind the walls, working in a variety of institutions that housed the virtually uncontrollable young adult population, the violent gang population, even international criminals while conducting detainee operations in the military in Iraq.
Within that time I’ve seen and done it all. And here are the 7 most surprising facts about prison life.
Here are all seven sections combined into one cohesive piece, with the tone and structure kept consistent.
Drugs are smuggled in a variety of ways. Often through legal mail and through contact visits programs.
The unfortunate truth is that many family members and friends of inmates are willing to smuggle in drugs to pass off to the inmate they are visiting, which makes them part of the illicit trade and business.
One common and disturbing method involves female visitors concealing contraband inside their bodies (use your imagination). Once in the visitation area, they may go to the bathroom, remove it, and later make the exchange to the male inmate. The inmate may then discreetly conceal it in what is commonly called a “prison wallet”—a slang term for the rectal area. This usually requires the assistance of other inmates creating a wall of privacy, often when the inmates are lining up before returning to the housing units.
Inmates do get strip-searched before returning to the units after visitation is over, but searches can be rushed, and concealed contraband in that area may be extremely difficult to detect anyway.
What that means is that inmates are not generally separated in housing units by which gang they’re in. They’re intermingled, and members of traditionally rival gangs may work together for the sake of business.
For example, if one gang member has a female on the outside willing to smuggle drugs in and is housed on the same unit as members of other gangs, they may work together for the sake of making money.
So there can be far more cooperation among traditionally rival gangs while in prison. Out on the streets, of course, it can be a much different story.
One of the worst labels an inmate can carry is being a snitch or a child sex offender. If an inmate is raped, more than likely, they will not tell anyone to avoid being labeled a snitch.
Sometimes officers can tell when an inmate is acting unusually, strangely, or displaying behavior that is out of character. Sexual assault could be one possible reason. But there may be no way to know for sure if the inmate does not report it.
Officers may recognize changes in behavior, but the system is generally structured to respond when an inmate actually reports an assault—which is rare.
Having a cell phone gives an inmate far more freedom and the ability to communicate with the outside world unmonitored. They can conduct business from behind bars or can arrange violence or other criminal activity out in the streets.
But cell phones are hard to come by because items entering a prison are subject to security screening, including metal detection. Drugs are one thing, but sneaking in a cell phone is especially hard – but not impossible.
Which leads to the next reality.
Civilian staff usually work in specific areas of a prison and don’t see inmates the same way correctional officers do. Civilians are not trained in security matters, but only in whatever field they work in; medical, library, kitchen, social service, etc. Civilians often view inmates more as people and not from a security perspective, which is understandable. However, these lines easily get blurred and civilian staff develop inappropriate relationships with inmates, whether sexual in nature or involving special favors, such as bringing in contraband—including tobacco, drugs, or other prohibited items.
Officers can also be corrupt, which is viewed by other officers as the most heinous. They may be manipulated over time and may even develop romantic feelings for an inmate. A corrupt officer can pose an especially serious threat because an officer may have greater access and more opportunities to bypass security than a regular staff member.
In cases involving inappropriate sexual relationships between staff and inmates, the inmate is generally treated as the victim in the legal sense because of the inherent power imbalance and the laws governing custodial relationships.
Internal Affairs investigators monitor phone calls, but much of their information can come from networks of informants. Most prisons have systems through which inmates can privately submit confidential information or otherwise. In most institutions, an inmate can pick up any authorized phone on a housing unit, enter in a specific phone number (dictated by IA), and get connected directly to an investigator and start telling or singing (other slang words for snitching).
If one rival business knows a dirty secret about another rival business operating inside the prison, that information may be passed along to internal affairs. Or if inmates want to get rid of another inmate from the unit, they may submit a false tip (which comes with a penalty if the caller is caught lying).
When IA does get information they feel is credible, especially involving corrupt staff, the challenge is—and always has been—proving it. Investigators have methods for catching corrupt correction officers, (that’s a separate article altogether), but investigations take time, sometimes years.
Trained canines can detect most drugs. They can and occasionally are brought into visitation programs. Once a civilian visitor notices a canine, they often turn around and usually leave the grounds entirely.
Taking a canine into a housing unit can also cause inmates to quickly dispose of drugs they possess by simply flushing it.
So, in theory, administrative staff could take far more aggressive measures to reduce the amount of drugs inside a prison.
Some theorize, however, that completely disrupting the drug trade could also disrupt the existing balance among drug users, sellers, and all the supporting roles within that underground prison ecosystem – which exists.
A prison is its own little world. According to this theory, administrative staff may sometimes prioritize maintaining order and stability over pursuing a completely drug-free environment because their primary institutional focus is not rehabilitation—it is safety and security.
No warden wants violence in their institution. They’d rather let addicts continue to get high if it’ll keep the peace.
And that’s the dark truth.
Note: Images are either AI generated or copyright free from unsplash.com