JM: Did you find it difficult to get along with other inmates? Please give examples to explain why you did or didn't. Ron: No, I just tried to keep to myself. Candice: Not really because I basically just stayed to myself and I didn't
really associate or try to make friends with other inmates
unless they were people that I knew already Cliff: no. i minded my own buisiness, didn't gamble,
didn't get in anything that didn't concern me.
didn't bother nobody, left the t.v alone, if i
saw something getting ready to go down i went to
my cell
JM: What types of things did you have to do to avoid problems or fights with other inmates? Ron: I came close a couple times to having fights
because I had money on my account to buy stuff. I
was in an environment that I had never been in. I
was friendly to people which is taken as weakness
in jail. If you give someone something it is like
training them to come back for more. I was nice to
someone once and he kept coming back, and when I
refused to give him more he threatened me. I just
held my ground and we didn't end up having a fight.
I avoided trying to have any control over the
channel on the TV because this was a big source of
conflict on the block.
I announced whenever I was going to sit on a
community chair to make sure I wasn't sitting in
someone's assigned seat. Candice: Basically the only way to avoid fights is to stay to yourself and
try to avoid negative influences but you are always around
other people so there is really now way to completely avoid
trouble so most people stay in their rooms if they feel they
aregoing to have problems Cliff: stay out of peoples buisiness. don't gamble.
leave the t.v alone and mind your own buisiness,
if it don't concern you leave it alone. keep
your eyes open and your mouth shut. don't play
those sex games, don't diss anyone. don't try to
think youre the badest thing in there
JM: Were you able to choose an inmate as your cellmate if you knew one? How often would your cellmate(s) change? Ron: No, I didn't know anyone there. They don't give
people a choice on who they share a cell with. I
have seen someone complain about hygiene issues
and have their cell mate changed based on the
complaint. Candice: No u can't choose who you have as a roomate but you can
request to be in a room by yourself if the unit is not full. But it
usually is Cliff: no you get who they assign to that cell with you
unless you have beef. i stayed with the same
cellmate untill he left, then i had my cell alone