15 Former Prisoners Share Their Real-Life Stories Behind Bars

1.

Man.. I’ve been in and out all my life and one thing never changed for me. It was always so COLD. Obviously the food is garbage but it doesn’t matter where I was. Processing, the tank, the box… FREEZING. -ChiefsNation__

2.

I work in a mixed med/max, one of the inmates told me the worst for him is the absolute lack of mental stimulation. Even with jobs they work 3 to 4 hours a day depending on where they are but those jobs are boring. I'd like to see them offer more ways to learn usable skills when released. -inquisitiveeyebc

3.

There’s opportunities to actually do things to better yourself, but you have to create those opportunities for yourself. I tutored GED classes and worked in education teaching basic computer classes, I did an apprenticeship for dental assisting, and I helped people get in shape (was a personal trainer on the streets). I also finished my associates in there.

I took out as many low interest student loans to go back to school to complete my degree. Those loans helped me not suffer while getting back on my feet. All I had to do was work full time and go to school. -Budget_Connection_32

4.

It was boring and I was almost always hungry. The food hours were weird. It was like 5am, 10am, 4pm for the three meals. -squaredistrict2213

5.

It's different than what you'd normally see on T.V. because you'll mostly see the worst examples of what a prison can be, and because the guards and administration want to make themselves look as good as possible for the cameras. I made a lot of friends in prison and I am still close with a lot of them. I even gained a brother who I still talk to and see on a regular basis. -I_Am_The_Only_Groot

6.

It’s actually pretty crazy the micro economies that exist behind bars, along with the ways people pass time. From barbers to trainers and tattoo artists and personal chefs, people without “income” or someone putting money on their account regularly definitely find their ways to earn an income. -Ok_Faithlessness5367

7.

In most cases the COs are scarier than the inmates. People forget that they can basically do whatever they want to you as long as you live - even in the rare case where they go too far, lock an inmate in a shower and scald him with hot water or something, they just barely face consequences.

At my prison if you got out of line, a couple of the COs would punish you by bringing a K-9 police dog into your cell to relieve itself on your face... -pocrik9

8.

They also didn’t give any sort of orientation so when you’d have to get out of bed for a headcount, another inmate had to tell me to get my ass up. I also didn’t know other protocols. There was a carton of milk in the toilet. I figured someone just threw it away, so I peed in the toilet and flushed.

Couple hours later, one guy walked up to me and said “did you piss on the milk?!” Turns out he was just keeping it in there so it would stay cold. -squaredistrict2213

9.

Let me answer this from a female perspective. Several things stick out. One, the sex. Sounds crazy but there was a crazy amount of sex. Fingering each other in line. Going down on each in the cell. It’s f*cking weird. If you weren’t a lesbian going in you became one. -Onlyfansnanny

10.

I consulted with women inmates at our state penitentiary. The lifers wanted peace and quiet. They would descend on any fresh meat that caused disturbances because they didn’t want guards cracking down on them too. -MidwestAmMan

11.

One of the shittiest things is also the divide between the races. All for one and one for all is the best way I can describe it. But the absolute worst part for me is that you are ALONE. Even with people all around you, you are alone. -ChiefsNation__

12.

Prison is obviously physical, but it is very largely a state of mind. If you can keep positive enough to make the best of a bad situation, it can be good. Plenty of time to learn a skill, study subjects, work out, meditate, learn religion, etc... -bstyledevi

13.

My obsession became tearing loose threads from my blanket every night. Chewing them and hoping to make the biggest ball of loose threads possible. One day they checked our mouths and I lost that big ball of refuse; it was heartbreaking to lose the only purpose I had in the entire world. -grond-grond-grond

14.

To get any privileges (letters, visits, canteen, books, cellmates...) you had to log 50 hours a week working in the barns. For a city boy it was intolerable. These were factory-sized hog barns and chicken coops. The stench was unbearable. I threw up so much my first month. -tyu821

15.

Feminine products. It was ridiculously difficult to get tampons, pads, and such. You know the joke that cigarettes are currency in prison? Yeah it’s like that with tampons and pads. I smuggled diapers in once. I was like a f*cking queen. -Onlyfansnanny