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Interview with Hugh, Cameron, Sarah, Roy and Janicki

JM: Did you find it difficult to get along with other inmates? Please give examples to explain why you did or didn't.
Hugh: No, not really. Back then they separated the violent from the nonviolent offenders. They also tried not to put white guys on the floors with mostly black guys. They still do this.
Cameron: I am an older white guy. WCJ is more black than white. Some of the young black guys tried threatening behavior. When I did not act intimidated it ended, even though there were some times we came close to blows. Once I was sent to the cell where I would stay for a while the make-up was 50-50 white to black. Some cells were all black. I think they tried to put the more reasonable black guys with the whites.
Sarah: With some. I am white educated person from suburbs most inmates were from the ghetto or the hood (their words) african americans. I could not understand their slang. I had to hear foul language all day, including the conanst MF and "nigga". Nothing in common. People used to crime as a job, a life style. There were a few I could make acquittance with. Sometimes I was the only white person. I learned to tolerate it stayed away from violent ones and young. Older inmates were better to talk to and more well behaved. Huge language barrier. Reverse prejudiced experience. Most deputies were african american also.
Roy: its an age thing to say the least,i was a white man in a jail of prodiminently black men,i grew up in neighborhoods which are similiar but jail is different,on the outside everyone potrays a non racial bias,in jail the young blacks are wild and unpredictable,the older black men look out for you and show you the way...........i got into a fight with the kid i mentioned earlier for snithcing me out and taking the police to my house.the older black dudes called me rocky after that,the younger ones wanted to try their luck and have a go,i had one that was involved ina jewelry store heist come up to me and basically tell me he wasnt the guy i beat up and if i felt froggy to let him know,i in turn told him i wasnt here to fight and that i didnt have a problem with him,this all happened within the 2 week span that i was locked up in wayne county in a quaratine cell with 12 black men and me and one other older white man who was lying about whatever conviction he had,but i wasnt going to bring it to anyones attemtion
: Yes. I'm pretty small so I'm always an easy target. The biggest issue in jail is always race related. There is always that one person who will always call someone a stupid white bitch as well as instigate fights. I'm white and I don't care if your skin in blue, I'm not gonna use the race card to fight with someone. I'm extremely passive aggressive so my battles are usually fought quietly and very successfully. When I'm in jail, I'm there to serve time for my infractions. I'm not there to make friends or fight unnecessary fights. I just don't care.

JM: What types of things did you have to do to avoid problems or fights with other inmates?
Hugh: Don't talk about your case, because there are people there who will turn around and testify against you in court. Stay to yourself, mind your own business basically. You never know who you are talking to. be observant, know who you are around. You can tell in five minutes who's doing what and who the idiots are, who isn't. Avoid the trouble makers. There are a lot of predators in there, guys that don't have anything try to hustle other guys for stuff.
Cameron: In the holding cells I had to act as if I would welcome a fight. That always seemed to dampen the enthusiasm of my tormentors. I also ate very fast when our meals were served. That eliminated the problem of having someone ask for some of my food. The asking was always done in a threatening manner.
Sarah: Stayed in my cell. Limited my interaction as much as possible. Stayed to myself. Stay away from troublemakers, which could not always be avoided. Tried to make "jail friends" with some with redeeming qualities. Don't talk about case or sentence. Never show fear. Give off aura of don't mess with me without having to act on it.
Roy: relate with people and discuss things that you and them were familiar with,places,food,women,drugs,shit like that.play cards and be honest,you start getting caught in lies and bullshitting people you lose respect,respect is key for anyone in a situation like this and shouldnt ever be toyed with,thesemen are serious about it.trust me
: The race card, seriously heated card games, commissary, and being obnoxious. A lot of the girls will share there medication for commissary and if someone doesn't follow thru with their end of the deal, that usually means trouble. Guards don't care if you are getting bullied or if you get beat up.

JM: Were you able to choose an inmate as your cellmate if you knew one? How often would your cellmate(s) change?
Hugh: Yes, I was able to choose a cell mate. They do it more for white guys than they do for black guys. They try to pair up white guys with each other. The jail is probably 80% black. Wayne County is a big county and most people in that jail are from detroit.
Cameron: No. I was in the old part of the jail. The cell contained four sets of bunkbeds in one big open area. The only vacant bed was a top bunk and that was mine. The cell had four blacks and four whites. Most of the were halfway sociable.
Sarah: Depends on the deputy at the time of assignment. Generally yes. I was there a long time in comparison to others and this is vital. In jail there is great turn around, I was there for months which is a long time. Some were only there for a month or two or a few weeks or a few days. It was always changing.
Roy: no they just threw random people in cells together,2 of my friends from the outside were trustees though and couldnt believe i was in jail,i was always the logically thinking one out of all of us and failed to use logic in this case
: I always end up with excellent bunkies. You might have the opportunity to choose your Bunkie only if the dep on duty is cool. You can pretty much do anything you want if you have a cool dep.

Read about time off for good behavior in the Wayne County Jail