Going to Jail

death wish

Hi

Because of rules on boards.ie I cant disclose why I am likely to go to prison in August. My solicitor has told me that I will likely get a six month sentence and serve 3. Im just wondering has anyone ever been in prison and what should I expect? Im not looking forward to it to be honest.

tenchi-fan

I couldn't imagine it being very nice!

I'd say a lot depends on the reason for your going to prison, what prison you're going to, and just your general personality will decide on how you cope.

Obviously you can't discuss that on here.

LegacyUser

It really depends on which prison you are going to, to be honest. I have visited a few, and have a general idea of the others and they do vary a bit.

storm2811

I was talking to two gardai once about mountjoy,they used to work there and said that when a fight started they wouldn't try to break it up,just let it play out.
I don't know if that's the same in all prisons though.
I'd say just try to make a few friends or keep to yourself.

katie99

I remember reading somewhere about the sex life in prison and that new prisoners often become the 'queens' of gang leaders.

dan719

katie99 wrote: »

I remember reading somewhere about the sex life in prison and that new prisoners often become the 'queens' of gang leaders.

This is completely over played in relation to prisons. Any studies suggest the incidence of rape is far lower than people believe. And let's be honest, the OP isn't going to Rikers or San Quentin.

OP, I know you can't disclose why you are going to prison, but three months suggests assault or motoring offences.

I'm guessing you a) do not know anyone who has ever been to prison, and b) never expected to end up there yourself.

I've no experience of jail, but my uncle has worked as a prison guard.

It's like any other all male environment. There will be a well defined heirachy. There is no point trying to act the hard man when you go inside at first, simply because this will draw attention to yourself. Keep your head down, try not to offend anyone and do your time quietly.

best of luck with your upcoming case.

Eve_Dublin

katie99 wrote: »

I remember reading somewhere about the sex life in prison and that new prisoners often become the 'queens' of gang leaders.

I remember reading somewhere that they put ball and chains around the ankles of the prisoners and make them cut grass on the sides of roads all day in 45 degree heat. :mad:

Did you read this information specifically about jails in Ireland Katie? If not, then your advice is not helping set the OP´s mind at ease.

I´ve no idea what it´s like in there OP. I´m guessing it´s no holiday camp but it´s only three months, get your head down and behave yourself and it´ll fly by for you.

Nevyn

If you don't have any experience of the prisons here in Ireland then don't comment as your posts will not be helpful and

Unhelpful and off-topic posting will get you banned from this forum.
Do take time to read the charter which contains the rules and abide by them.
Have a nice day.
Thaedydal

greengiant09

a friend of a friend did a couple of months before for glassing someone.....said it was pretty handy....can't remember what prison he was in though. i wouldn't pay any attention to what goes on in american prisons....i'm sure it's totally different over there. just keep your head low and you'll be grand.

lynsalot

Hey OP,

I'm not personal experience of prison but I do know of someone who served time. 2/3 years in fact. All in all it was a long but quiet experience. He served his time and I believe caused some trouble in there too so the sentence was extended.



A father of my ex was a prison guard in mount joy and said he got along pretty well with the inmates, no major trouble at all.

Also I've recently done an information evening with the Samaritans and they have a network set up with the inmates, they visit prisons to do talks and train inmates to offer support to their peers. There's a lot of hype and sensationalisation in the soaps/films about prison but try and remember there are other guys just like yourself wanting to serve their time and leave.

Just keep the head down and get on with it. I wish I could offer you better advice but wish you all the best with it.

jkiss

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=302566

This thread may be useful to you OP.

LighterGuy

I'm sorry... i have to post this. lol.




lol.

i couldnt help myself.

ddef

heres what you do:
go to the guy who can get anything.
order a small pick axe that could fit into, oh lets say, a bible.
order a big poster of an early movie actress and put it up on the wall.
everyday chip a little bit out of the wall behind the poster.
fill your pockets with the debris and dump it in the yard every lunchtime you get.
keep the axe hidden in a hollowed out bible.
when you eventually break through the wall,you will reach a sewer system. crawl through that until you reach the outside and then make a break for mexico.
oh and befriend a blackman named red.
good luck,
Andy.

Silverfish

LighterGuy wrote: »

I'm sorry... i have to post this. lol.




lol.

i couldnt help myself.

LighterGuy and ddef, banned for 2 weeks.

Blackdrag

My brother has spoken about this a lot. went down for 6 months for a violent crime (he beat up 5 Turks in a pizza shop but the cams didn’t pick up them hitting him first)

1) I know they don’t stop fights that often unless it starts in to a riot so keep your head down.

2) My brother also got put in the cell with a drug addict. Now his advise on this was to keep yourself away from said person as the dealers will likely come to you for payment. (food, bacca, toiletries)

3) Tobacco is a nice trade in there as well.

4) As for the bad parts he said watch out for smalls cans in socks (tuna, beans etc)

Try to get as job in there to pass the time and watch who you talk to.

Oh and if you get the chance try to apply to the Timpson’s training program in there if they have it. They will give you some training and odds state that you will get a job when you come out.

girlyhappyface

I would agree with other posters around keeping your head down. Be polite, say hello, but don't get involved with anyone else. In the Joy, AFAIK they have certain wings where they keep people serving similar length sentences. This means that you could be in with people serving shorter sentences for possible similar crimes to yourself. I don't know if this makes you feel any more at ease...

I know someone who spent a while in prison, he's moved around a bit and said MJ was the least nice one! The first thing he did was started asking for a job. Do this through prison officers and request a meeting with the govenor. The days will be long and boring, so prepare a lot of books, magazines, puzzles- things to occupy your mind. Even if you want to learn something new, buy loads of books on that subject so you can use your time produtively. A job will keep you busy, seen as you won't be in there long enough to start an eduational/ training programme.

Good luck.

LegacyUser

OP, being honest here alot of my family have been to prison for am crimes,firstly keep to yourself or other quiet inmates .get a job in there keeps you away from the trouble and honestly prepare for the worst.dont want to scare you now but sexual attacks always do happen so just be weary, and anyone who says it wont happen are fools my relatives have been close to sexual attacks in prisons so they prepared and sticked to exercise everyday kept the bad predators away.all same i hope you ll do ok inside

LegacyUser

You could start a PhD while you're in there. I know a man who has just come out of prison and he did precisely this inside. If you have no desire to read, then the thought of six months behind bars should be a huge incentive to develop that desire now.

LegacyUser

OP, back in 98' I done 6 weeks of a 4 month sentence in Cork prision. I wont say what for due to the rules but due to personal circumstances, im not ashamed of it, but what I am ashamed of is the shame it bought to my mother, even though what I done turned out to be a blessing for my family.

It was a long time ago, but i imagine it would be pretty much the same back then as it is now. I arrived at the prison shaking with fear, but the minute I got in there and into my cell I was lucky that my two other cell mates were from the same side of Cork as me so we could relate to each other in that way. It was boring but you get used to it if you have the right mentality. But my main bit of advice would be to try and get too know 1 or 2 fellas, I certainly would have been lost if i didnt get pals in there.

Make no mistake, there will be scum in there trying to fight you, wheter it to be for a fag or to build up the "crazy" image, but dont provoke them, if they do start DO NOT back down.

Other than that i thought it was pretty much as holiday camp. So all in all, make a small few pals, head down and dont do anything to piss anyone off and itll be over before you know it.

Wacker

This is from Reddit, and it is based in the US, so bear that in mind. It might be useful though, if long:

Your jail survival guide:

1)Stay away from tattoos. Prison ink is guaranteed Hepatitis.

2)Don't fall into the Mentor/new guy trap. Some dude will try and "help you out" as the new guy. Politely decline. You will end up HIS b*tch, or he will sell you to someone as a b*tch.

3)Don't f*cking do drugs while in jail. You'll probably have an easier time finding drugs in jail than you could in the streets. You get into bad debt real fast with a drug habit.

4)Get all the money you can together, get your family to put it on your books as soon as you get there. Little luxuries like packaged food and cigarettes(if they allow them) will keep you sane, not to mention they are de facto jail currency. Don't be ashamed to bribe someone with luxuries to get in good favor, or ease a hurt ego. If you think anyone has beef with you, pay it off.

5)Don't try and be a badass, but don't be a b*tch. If someone mouths off to you, walk away. If someone pisses you off, walk away. If someone instigates with you, walk away. There is always someone bigger and more dangerous than you in jail. That being said, don't just roll over for everything. You need to be exercising EVERY day, as much as you can. It will make the time go faster, and you'll "look" and "be" better able to defend yourself. Hold you head up, act confident, if you find yourself in a fight situation that you can't buy out of/escape from. Put your back to the wall, make ALOT of noise so the guards will notice, watch for secondary threats. (Most prison attacks are group affairs, you fight with one guy, and his friend that you've never said a word to shanks your ass).

6)Stay the f*ck awake. Most newbies will try and sleep their time up. All this does is make you more of a target, deteriorates your physical and mental health, and wastes your time. Your incarcerated, not dead. If your jail doesn't have a furthering education class, enroll in drug counseling....or mental health counseling, or whatever. Keep your mind busy. Start working on your job resume so you can hit the streets ready to go. at the very least, File a damn appeal. Most likely nothing will come of it, but it will keep you occupied with a goal to accomplish, and you may luck out and get a resentencing.

7)If you get the opportunity to become a trustee, take it, no matter what it is. The highest sought after jobs are Kitchen workers, but even working a chainsaw clearing trees off of power lines is better than sitting in a cell all day. Once you become a trustee, DON'T F*CK IT UP. Somebody will always try and get you to smuggle them sugar from the kitchen, or extra socks from the laundry, or pickup some smack off the side of the road you are picking up. DON'T. Politely decline, tell them you were going insane sitting in your cell all day, and you can't risk losing the job.

8)Don't narc on fellow inmates. Shut your damn mouth and say, "I didn't see anything", or "I don't know what happened". The guards will make nice with you, and clap you on the back for helping them find that hooch. But then they are going to leave, and you are going to stay in your cell with some very pissed off inmates. Unless it directly involves you and your safety, it doesn't involve you. The only time you should narc on an inamte is if they have made an attempt to harm you. Not just talked about it, actually attacked you or pulled a shank.

9)Shanks are great, if you're an accomplished knife fighter that doesn't care about spending a month in 23 hr lockdown if you get caught. Don't bring a weapon to a fight if you can have it taken from you, because it will be used on you. Even if you get into a shank fight with another inmate that has one, and you win, you still lose. Because you WILL get cut up just as bad, or worse case, you kill someone, and now you just slapped a 25 yr prison sentence on the back end. To defend against someone with a shank, extend your hands outwards with a slight bend in the elbows directly in front of you. Turn your palms to your face ( a knife slash across the back of the hand is better than your wrist or palm) Get into an open area and move constantly away from your assailant, trying to get as close to the main door as possible, because that's where your only help is coming from. Swat downwards at the hands and arms of your attacker if they try and slash or stab, to knock the blade away from your torso, head, and groin. Keep moving backwards, but don't turn your back. Keep moving.

10)Don't...f*ck..up...again. Despite your idealogies and beliefs, Marijuana is still illegal. Getting caught with it will result in the same sh*t as before. As soon as you get out, Move. Move as far away as you can from where you were living before. Get a job, get new friends, start school, leave every negative influence in your life behind.

11) Don't be a d*ck. Be nice to your fellow inmates. Talk to them, respect their culture and heritage. Since it's jail, you probably won't get as much pressure to join a gang, but decline if you are offered. Give them **** from time to time, share cigarettes, toss them a hostess cake, whatever. Don't gamble on card games. Play only friendly games. If you lose, you lose. If you win, you lose, because now someone's pissed at you for winning. Don't try and be an aloof loner, but don't get to cozy with anyone. These are not people to hang out with on the outside. Don't believe a F*CKING thing they tell you, and don't pry into their personal lives. If they say they're in jail for burglary, they're in jail for Arson, aggravated assault, and burglary. If they say they're in jail for murder, they're in jail for DWI. IF they say they're in jail for Embezzlement, they're in jail for raping two nine yr old girls. Keep it on the level of coworkers that you aren't friends with. Talk nice to them when they are around, don't talk about them when they aren't. Discuss neutral things like sports, health care reform, the hotness of actresses, etc. Don't get locked in to discussing criminal activities, family problems, other inmates, or religion.

death wish

thanks for all the advice guys. i'll try and make the most of it and look into the phd. sure t might be worth writing about. i'll updat yee when i get out.

tbh

death wish wrote: »

thanks for all the advice guys. i'll try and make the most of it and look into the phd. sure t might be worth writing about. i'll updat yee when i get out.

best of luck man.

Blackdrag

Good luck dude!

paperclip2

Used to work in Portlaoise, and below is some of what i picked up from the lads.
All of the prisons have education units. Taking classes is a really good way of passing the time and keeping out trouble as well as out of your cell. I'd agree with what the others have said about keeping your head down, be friendly but don't get involved with other lads issues. Also don't get overly friendly with the prison officers as this could cause you problems with the other lads. Use the time productively, use the gym, it will help keep you sane and help you find common ground and stuff to talk about with the others. Don't hide, don't be aloof, don't be arrogant unless you want someone to think of you as a target.

Good luck OP.

LegacyUser

I did 5 nights on remand in Limerick prison when i was 21 while i was awaiting sentencing for road traffic offences. Id never been in one before and arrived in with this other guy who had just got locked up for armed robbery.

To be honest i was absolutey ****ting myself i thought i was dead but its actually not that bad. On arrival i had to have a shower with the guards present, (curtain pulled accross) then they gave me some food and brought me up to B3 the sex offenders and mild offenders landing. I was put into a cell with a dude who had done 6 years of an 8 year sentence and was due to be released soon. He had pictures of his kids etc all over the walls so i felt fairly safe, and i got the top bunk.

Showered everyday in a private cubicle, all that dropping the soap is completle bull**** in Ireland, i think anyone who attacked anyone in a homosexual sense would problady be murdered themselves.

Spent the first couple of days hanging around the landing all day chatting and listening to stories. As most of the other prisoners were in for sex offences and werent allowed mix with the other prisoners. Hate to admit it but there was a guy there who used to be in my class in school and who was locked up for raping a German tourist some years ago. Bought me fags and biscuts and all sorts of crap and looked after me even though i never saw him since.

Most of them seemed sound enough although i tried not to think about what they had done. Third day the screw says to me 'Right down to the excerise yard with you, ul be getting sentenced Friday so you might aswell get used to it' and a few of the other prisoners immediately said not to send me down there as i would problady get chopped up!

Anyway he insisted and out into the yard i went. All i had really was the odd couple of fellas asking me what i was in for and i just said motoring offences. Think they just persumed i was a joyrider like most of the prisoners in there. Had a couple of travellers asking me for tobacco but told them id nothing and they went away again.

Most alarming thing i saw was when a prisoner started beating up this other prisoner and the Screw just stood there reading his paper. Fight ended and everything carried on but i realised then just how at risk you are in there, if someone starts on you ya have to fight back because nobody else will break it up. Theres loads of drugs inside, everynight you would hear loud music comeing from a cell sometimes until 5am in the morning. Normally started off with tunes and then rap earlier on in the night. That 50 cent song 'In da club' was just out when i was in there.

best advice to you is just be sound, chat away to people but dont give too much away and NEVER give anyone a smoke or they will see you as soft. As for the boredom you just have to put up with that and you will prob end up masterbating at least 3 - 4 times a day everyday.

I was fortunate enough to be let off with a non custodial sentence when i re appeared and have never been back since thank god!

Tender Hoop

Have never being inside myself but my mate has. He tells me that if your not on gear you will avoid most of the trouble. Most of the fights are between gear-bags over gear.

No body is going to rape you either.

good luck.

shelly1234

hi OP, 2 people i know went to prison a couple of weeks ago for motoring offenses. one lad got a 4 month sentance and was out in 3 days another lad got a 6 month sentance and he was in there for a weekend only!!! its a joke really because why give the sentence if they arent gonna do the time anyway hopefully youl only be there a couple of nights so best of luck with it!