Recently I started a thread where the questions were asked what prisons are really like, and I am hoping that ex-prisoners can help me here!!!!
For me as an officer, of course I have only my own opinion but I guess this thread once again will be contraversial and because of this I have asked a Moderator to follow me and tell me if I am doing anything wrong.

Well back to the question: What is prison really like?

Well, what can I say, the way you see it is what you will believe and it will differ from person to person . Prisons are hard for the newbie to the system he or she has to find out where they are in relation to the pecking order and they must follow the code amongst prisoners a code that in the past saved lives believe it or not, but the old code is gone and has now been replaced with a code of no honour mostly due to drugs.

I personally like dealing with the older type of prisoner , where honour is still alive and well, and when an older prisoner tells me that he is not guilty of a charge ,I believe him and suppport him, no matter what the other Correctional officers think.

Yes they do it hard, as do their families, revenge is not for me ,my job is to merely keep them in for the period determined by the courts and hopefully help them not only to identify the factors which contributed to the offence but how they can fix it.

Just for the information of a certain person that I won't name, but wants to know, I will say this, the average prisoner hates those who hurts women or children and it has been my experience that if given the oppportunity , those prisoners would Kill that person so he or she could do not more harm, right or wrong thats the code. Those people who rape and hurt or kill children alway have to look over their shoulder, and god help them if the guys get them in an unsupervised area.

I can only comment on facilities that I have worked in, but the treatment of prisoners has been fair, especially in the new prisons. I am from the old school and I have seen much hence my signature and for all the ex-prisoners out their, I wish you well, for I have seen what you go through and when you get out you really don't have support have you, Parole , well what is it , its a long lead which the Police use to track you and harrass, When you come back, which you will , because the cards are stacked against you, I for one will give you an even break!!!, not good blokeing myself here just telling you how it is.

For those who really want to know, ask, but before you do know this it is a violent world which most prisoners and officers don't like to talk about. but if you ask be prepared for the answer!!!! and it won't be nice. Hell!! you have a right to know!!!

I can't speak for prisons in Victoria, but here in Sydney I did time when there were a lot of stop work meetings by the CS union and a lot of redevelopment and construction in the prisons themselves so as usual it was the inmates who had to put up with lockdowns without notice. This was particularly the case at Mulawa when you would spend a whole day and night in your cell because there were not enough staff. It also meant that more than likely you didnt get any mail for that day. Emu Plains wasnt that bad but it is a very old prison and the facilities there looked like they hadnt changed much since the 1960s. Mulawa is medium/high security while Emus is low security but it doesnt really mean much - you get all sorts in both - just means there are less CS officers around at Emus when anything nasty happens because inmates have more freedom inside the enclosure. Its a bummer now that they dont allow inmates to have more than $100 deposited in their prison accounts. Most goods you can purchase in prison is above normal supermarket prices even though CS get them at discount rates. I dont think prisons reform people. Prisons are primarily just designed to placate the community that the government is seen in doing something. I am still the same person I was before being sentenced and I've met so many inmates who have been in prison multiple times its like a hotel. In fact I get the feeling it is sometimes better to be in prison than on the outside particularly for inmates if there is no money, assets, job, or family to go to.

It is good to see opinions from a officer .. at least when people want to know something about prison life they are getting the real facts .. My man is in a WA prison and I was also in a WA prison but I was only there for about 6 weeks on remand... Luckily I am back home with my family and son ... I don't know if you answer questions personally via email but I have a lot of questions about when my man gets parole as I don't really know much about it ... My email address is (removed email due to PTO policies.) I would also like to know why they have put my man in a maximim security prison when he is only classified as a mimimum security .. he has to wait a few more weeks before he can be transferred.. I don't know why he couldn't be left in the remand prison until he could be transferred.
I must say I don't know why people don't get along with officers .. I didnt have a problem I got on with all of the officers where I was .. I just looked at it as its just a job and someone has to do and all officers are just normal everyday people

ngelic

Thankyou for your comments , you can use the question and answer thread in the Aus forum where I am happy to answer your questions or you can send me a pm if it really private stuff.

Please don't get offended because your email address was edited its for your own protection and the Moderator who did this is a really great person so don't take it personal they are just protecting you that's all.

Love to hear from you again, I am happy to help!!!

i know that you probably want more of an answer than im gonna give, but its pretty easy to describe prison. SUCKS! it sucks no matter who you are. no matter what color you are and no matter what your beliefs are. your in a world were normal human standards and morals dont exist. everybody there is the enemy. its never quite. NEVER! if your lucky, you get a cell with your own race. if not, you sleep with one eye open. having your bunk a foot away from the toilet doesnt help the situation either. what makes it worse is that you have to watch your cellmate use the bathroom. thats real pleasant. most guards are just as guilty as some of the people in there. the ones in texas are anyway. privacy, you will not get any from day 1 until your paroled or released. the food just sucks. however, there are a few activities you can take part of if your interested. riots, drugs, gangs, gambling, and even sex. those are just a few that you can pick from. pretty much your scum and thats it.

hope this helps. if you want more, send a check and ill send you enough to write a book....lol.

later

seenitall
Please don't get offended because your email address was edited its for your own protection and the Moderator who did this is a really great person so don't take it personal they are just protecting you that's all.

awww thanks for the compliment :D

ngelic, the reason the email address is removed, is that you would be surprised how many people come on and collect information and email addresses for spam purposes, thats why we remove them. You can feel free to use the private PM system on PTO if anyone wants to email you. :)

MissedYouth, I have seen Texas prisons, as well as Australian prisons, and I can guarantee you that they are 100% different.

seenitall
MissedYouth, I have seen Texas prisons, as well as Australian prisons, and I can guarantee you that they are 100% different.how much different can one prison be from another? they all SUCK! your locked up. limited if any communication with your family. and if you dont have family, then your just screwed because your really going in alone. i dont care what state or country your in. there is nothing good about prisons.

MissedYouth
You have a good point there, I agree, there is nothing good about prisons for the reasons you listed.

MissedYouth
You have a good point there, I agree, there is nothing good about prisons for the reasons you listed.
thank you. greatly appreciated!

i just dont want somebody that hasnt been to prison yet to think that there is anything good about it. because in reality, there isnt anything good at all. it destroys the inmates life. it destroys his/her families life. i did a little over 3 years flat here in texas and it was a never ending nightmare. that was awhile back and its still haunts me today.

anyhow, i could go on forever but ill quit here i guess for now.

take care

I am not offended at all ...I will pm seen it all to ask what I need want to find out ... thanks

I really like your thread, especially seeing everything from a different perspective that isn't "American". The facilites that I have worked in have been really decent. I don't know if I am just lucky, or if the State of Wisconsin for the most part is just decent.

If you've read anything on our supermax or our California prisons, it doesn't sound good. Abuse, corruption and malice can happen anywhere. It is just a shame that it happens here. It is a shame that it happens anywhere. America...the land of the free and the brave has lately gone along the wayside of....America, the land of torture and corruption. Not a good feelng.

One can only hope that things will be better sometime soon....

Lisa

ngelic,

I will help you where ever I can, and I will do this because even though you have been in prison yourself you are open and honest and seek the truth, you seek help from those who can give it ,regardless of what they do , and you have not been judgemental.

For that , I am really greatfull because without that the forum is nothing, your attitude is great and can be built upon, this is how to effect change , not telling us what we already know!! or by complaining but by letting us know how you feel!!!

Your are the greatest ask what you want and I will help!!!! if I can.

Medea - Can you tell me more about day to day life in Mulawa. My Fiance is there but she doesn't tell me much about it because she doesn't want me to worry about her (yar yar etc etc like I don't worry every day)
Can you tell me what's it's like, day to day activities, conditions anything.... seems like a hole based on the visitors area which was undergoing redevelopment when I was there recently (i couldnt even find the bloody entrance 6 months ago)
Seems the lock downs are still an issue because some days i get no calls at all then others I get like 5 or 6 (10 mins at a time bloody annoying that) Lock down seems to be about 3 pm.
Can you tell me the daily routine there......... thanks heaps FianceInside