A View From the Inside

Once again I have a blog entry from Matt. I have been encouraging him to write about his experiences. Not only is it therapy for him, it helps answer many questions that people have asked me about what it is like on the inside. I hope you enjoy his thoughts as much as I do.

Stepping into a Maximum Security Federal Penitentiary is a learning experience, and you must learn very quickly.  There are 4 custody levels in the Bureau of Prisons with penitentiary being the highest. Without question, they are the most dangerous as well.  In those types of places, the threat of violence is constantly looming - in fact, it is the glue that holds everything together.  After all, what good are rules and ultimatums without consequences for breaking them?  The punishments for all violations are physical; to what degree depends on the seriousness of the infraction.  Because of this, the United States Penitentiaries (or USPs) are places of utmost respect.  If you were to take a hundred inmates from all custody levels the USP prisoners would definitely stand out. 

For example, when I first arrived at an FCI Medium Security facility, I was about to take a shower.  As juvenile as it sounds, who has next usage of any given facility is determined by “who called it” - just like second grade.  There was one shower open and after inquiring about who was waiting, I got in.  As soon as I did, I saw an older Italian guy, maybe 65 or so, appear in his shower garb.  I wasn’t sure if he was waiting, and I hadn’t started bathing yet, so I got out and let him shower out of respect.  I was there first and in the right, but respected an older, seasoned convict. Later on in the evening the man came up and introduced himself as Anthony.  He said, “So kid, what Pen did you come from?”  Perplexed, I asked him how he knew that because not many people go down to mediums from maximums.  Anthony replied, “Respect.  I been doing this a while kid, and you can tell the Pen guys.  Plus, you were wearing your boots to and from the shower.”  In the USPs, all the inmates wear their boots to and from the shower for safety reasons.  If someone is going to attack you, the best time is when you have your guard down, like going to the shower in flip flops.  In really tense times, another inmate would escort you and stand guard while you washed off.  Crazy huh?  Anthony saw that no one but me was wearing boots to the shower. 

Because of that one small gesture of respect I gave him, Anthony could tell everyone he associates with that I was a stand up guy.  Because he is respected himself, his approval was as good as a platinum credit card.  As a matter of fact, on my way to lunch the next day there were no less than 15 New York and Boston guys that I had never seen or met who spoke to me.  “How ya doin’ pal?  You need anything, you let us know.”  Word travels fast, and it travels even faster when there is a negative report. 

So now you can see how crucial a positive image is in prison - it can be a matter of serious injury, even life and death.  Respect and one’s word are the only currency convicts have on the inside, and once either of those is compromised (even a little), they both fall away.   In here just like so many other places in life, anything worth having has to be earned.