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Interview with Nicole, Toby, Donald, Manuel, Jimmie, Jack, David, Rhonda, Paul, Mike, Barbara, Leo and Liz

JM: Did you find it difficult to get along with other inmates? Please give examples to explain why you did or didn't.
Nicole: no they were pretty easy to get along with but i did get into a couple arguements that almost ended in a physical altercation.
Toby: Jail and prison is constantly LOUD... These people truly act like animals most of the time. You will actually see people climbing bars and screaming to talk to another gang member four cell blocks away. County jail is actually much worse than prison as far as doing hard time and the noise level. All hours of the day and night, you have wannabe rappers and percussionist banging on the glass windows at DLM and you will get 10 or so sometimes that get together to sound out a BEAT.. Just the sheer sound of the bass on the windows drives my blood pressure up. Constant noise, constant lights 24/7, constant AC blowing in your cell freezing your tail off. David L. Moss was truly hell for me, I really hated it.
Donald: No I didnt have any problems with the inmates. I didnt talk to many people. I just wanted to do the time then get out. The inmated were ok there.
Manuel: It isn't hard to get along as long as you are respectful and use a lil common sence about what you do and how you act it is a stressful situation no one wants to be there respect is a big deal in jail
Jimmie: No it was not hard to get along with other inmates some people were real nice and others not so much just like out in the world some people are easy to deal with and some aren't don't look for trouble and keep to yourself
Jack: I got along with other inmates. I just mostly stayed to my self. Did a lot of walking and played cards with a few inmates. I also made sure i stayed out of my cell mates belongings.
David: No I did not find it difficult I,didnt interact with any inmates much I just went to sleep and then was released but yes ive had a difficult time before and not so difficult time with other inmates its jail theirs all kinds their.
Rhonda: I am bi polar paranoid skitzophrinic some days where worse thsn others for the most part I stayed to my self but, there is always one in every crowd who pushes you over the edge.
Paul: It was actually very easy to get along with the other in,ages. There was an unsaid mutual respect for everyone and they enjoyed a laugh as much as I did. They each had very interesting stories and I found that it was just a college for street life with career criminals the professors.
Mike: I did my best to try and homogenize myself with the other inmates. I have a formal education. I was a professional, and I had led a decent honest life. I got caught up in a nasty divorce and my child support and medical responsibilities were more than I could afford. I fell behind on my child support and failed to appear for the review. Thats a no no and I paid for it. The other inmates looked at me like I was a white collar crime person. Most of the inmates I encountered were drug/dui related, or assault or just plain thieves. I was certainly out of my element. I was very intimitated.
Barbara: Yeah i didnt interact with other inmates
Leo: no, because I stayed to myself
Liz: I was not physically around other inmates long enough to have to get along with them. . I did not talk to any one when I was around other inmates.

JM: What types of things did you have to do to avoid problems or fights with other inmates?
Nicole: phones not working, laundry room, various frustrations.
Toby: I would not advise truly doing anything you can to avoid a fight. It is going to happen sooner or later and you will do nothing but compound your problems by constantly backing down. Backing down and avoiding a fight is not seen as civility or intelligence by inmates. It is seen as weakness and cowardice or as you may hear, "softer than medicated cotton" I am not saying find the biggest guy and punch him in the throat... but do not be afraid to take an ass whipping if it comes to that. You do not have to stand tall but you damned well better stand!!
Donald: I kept to myself. I didnt talk to anyone unles talked to first. Some of the inmates talked to me. I didnt go looking for conversation. I thought it best that way. I didnt think I would be there too long so I didnt need to make friends. I slept most of the time.
Manuel: It is best not to mess with people who are loud in there they are trying to prove they aren't scared and usually are the ones that end up in fights most people buddy up or click up there is strength in numbers but once again respect is big in there
Jimmie: you just have to avoid situations that present confrontation some people want to fight these people are the ones to avoid the fights i seen were over stealing and name calling kinda of obvious to avoid if you don't want to fight while your in jail kind of funny how much thief's hate to be stole from
Jack: I really did not have to do much. I respected the other inmates. I Stayed out of other inmates cells. I did not really have any confrontations while i was in Tulsa county. All all in all most people in there don't want to catch another case and have to stay longer. I didnt have any problems
David: To avoid fights in,jail I just mind my own bussiness it is not a good place to be and alot of tension in,their alot of silly drama but that drama is,a serius problem leads to violence so just bieng in the frame of mind that this isnt my life this is just a bad place im bieng temporarily locked up in helps.
Rhonda: I stayed on my own rack and in my cell, and took my meds.
Paul: Be quiet, understand others space not disrespect any inmates in any way. I had to keep to myself and watch what I said and asked. I also friended many inmates of all walks of life.
Mike: I tried to keep to myself and read alot. I mean 12-16 hours a day and stayed in my cell more often than not. I avoided the "hard core" loud rowdy types altogether. I basically tried to assimilate myself with the lesser charged or similary charged inmates. People skills and being very unassuming were an essential part of survival.
Barbara: I slept
Leo: just watch tv or work out
Liz: To avoid problems or fights with other inmates I stayed to myself completely and did not talk to any body while I was there. . . I am a very private person and prefer to stay to myself to avoid any kind of issues, arguments or fights with any one.

JM: Were you able to choose an inmate as your cellmate if you knew one? How often would your cellmate(s) change?
Nicole: no.
Toby: In teh county as well as in prison, you are not allowed to choose who you live with. If you refuse assignment because you do not want to bunk with a homosexual or a member of another race you simply go to the hole but sometimes that is what you have to do. In county you can expect your cellmate to change quite often, in prison, the only reasons for cellmate changes are being sent to the hole, a write-up decreasing your level, release dates, trasfers to another yard etc.
Donald: I was kept in the center of the pod. There was no cells open to go to. They were saved for the long term inmates. That was fine for me.
Manuel: No you don't get to choose your cell mate they are assigned and chances are you won't like all of your cellys you could have one cell mate the whole Tim or you could have many different ones just dependes on what there charges are and if they bond out
Jimmie: No you don't choose your cell mate they are assigned a lot of people wanted different cell mates but i never seen any one get moved without going to lock down. some people bond out fast and others spend along time in there so just depends could have a cell mate for a few hours or a few months
Jack: I did not get to nor did I attempt to to choose my cell mate. I did have friends that I knew in there and we would socialize but I never saw a reason to pick one. They changed once.
David: No I did not never have I ben able to choose my cellmate I wasnt in long enough to have a change of cellmates so I really dont no,what to say.
Rhonda: No you don't pick and choose , and it changes all the time, people bond out in hours or days or even months.
Paul: I actually didn't have a cell. I was in the open part of the pod that housed 16 in,ages. The inmates didn't change accept for new comers to the pod and were housed on boats like I was and some housed on boats were the placed in cells. I never saw a cell.
Mike: At first not. I was housed with an inmate with larceny and GTA charges intially. He was only 20 years old and very street smart. He broke alot of jail rules and I always felt pressured that I would be held accountable along with him. I had to surpress my outrage with his disregard for jail rules in fear of being duped as a "rat".
Leo: no every other day I would get somebody new
Liz: You were not able to choose your inmate. I only had an inmate for 3 of 7 days that I was in there. The rest of the time I was alone.

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

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