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Interview with Kristen, Renee, Chad and Dennis

JM: Did you find it difficult to get along with other inmates? Please give examples to explain why you did or didn't.
Kristen: I got along with most, but there were a few that I didn't get along with at my job on the loading dock and in the kitchen. There was also one on my floor, down the hall from my room that I got into with.
Renee: Yes, people are very set in their ways. Some are way to comfortable in jail, they seem to be in and out every other week and think its funny. Others are miserable and angry. At one point there were 90 woman on our pod, so there was no room to move around, it was over the holidays, so most people missed families. There are so many different personalities in such a small place, its nearly impossible to get along with everyone.
Chad: I didn't find it difficult to get along with other inmates. I have spent a lot of time in county jails in PA. I know how to keep to myself, and I only speak to people when I need to. A lot of people act tough in jail, but they won't do anything except yell at you. If people try to bully me in jail, I usually just walk away and try to stay away from that person.
Dennis: Yes and no i am a fairly large male and served in the United States Marine Corps so i wasn't apprehensive or scared for my well being or safety. I also keep to my self and i am pretty quiet. The younger inmates on the other hand were very loud and obnoxious they didn't take the situation serious either.

JM: What types of things did you have to do to avoid problems or fights with other inmates?
Kristen: Try to make friends with as many people as possible and learn to keep your mouth shut and the right times. Sometimes you just had to steer clear of certain people. I spent a lot of time in my cell reading and watching T.V. I pretty much kept to myself to avoid conflict.
Renee: I pretty much just avoided everyone. I was in minimum security after sentencing which is just an upstairs area with its own tv, kind of separated from general population. The most common fights there were over what to watch on t.v. There were not physical fights while I was there, but there were a lot of arguments. The best bet was just to avoid those people.
Chad: The best way to avoid problems with other inmates is to keep to yourself. Don't take anything from inmates you don't really know. Don't tell on other inmates. Don't "talk shit" about one inmate to another, because most of the time someone will tell them just so they can see a fight. Don't join in on bullying other inmates for any reason.
Dennis: I kept to my self and the inmates i hung out with were older as a rule of thumb. As far as things to do in the Erie County Prison that is laughable because there is next to nothing to do there. I would read allot and spend allot of time in my cell because i felt that out in the day room was a vacuum of intelligence. It was also so loud that you couldn't hear the television.

JM: Were you able to choose an inmate as your cellmate if you knew one? How often would your cellmate(s) change?
Kristen: No, you could request it, but it was always denied. If anything, they put people that know you don't like in the cell with you or people you don't know.
Renee: I was there for a lot longer then most of the other inmates, and once I became a trustee if there was space I was able to choose my cellmates, but at first I was not. I was celled with woman who smelled horrible, were messy, and just didn't take care of themselves. I was celled with a woman who had very strong religious beliefs and let everyone know how she felt, yet was still a very rude person, and ive had to have a girl moved out of my cell because we just couldn't find a way to get along, but usually wed just have to find a way to make it work.
Chad: It is possible to cell up with someone you choose if you speak to the right C.O. Sometimes they can make it happen for you. It often takes a while to get to this point (1-2 months)
Dennis: After being there awhile and showing the correction officers that i was not a trouble maker they let me choose someone to share my cell with. At first though you had to cell up with who ever came in and the cell mates could change daily or not for a week or so.

Read about time off for good behavior in the Erie County Prison