Interview with Charles, m ray, Leon, Jean, Accountant, Hot attorney, Gene, Lil Will, Cam, big boi, Claire, Walt, Carl, Ed, Devin, Mitch and Ronaldo
JM: Did you find it difficult to get along with other inmates? Please give examples to explain why you did or didn't. Charles: In general no, I am pretty easy going. That being
said, there are always people whom you will not be
able to get along with, but for the most part it
is manageable. Just keep in mind, jail is a hard
place for anyone to be, so everyone is on edge. m ray: kinda of but not really u make as hard as u want Leon: Sometimes some of the other inmates can be difficult to get along
with. Jean: Not really because I'd been there before. It's kind of ironic,
because this last stint that I did at Dallas County, I did 6 months
or 7 months or whatever it was, but I only did 30 days in State
Jail because the county held me all that time. The State didn't
get my money - the county did. I was supposed to initially serve
18 months in State Jail, but I only did 30 days, that's how long
the County kept me through all the process. I got all my back
time, but through the process, I ended up serving a hundred and
fifty days in County Jail.
You learn your way around. It's hard for some girls, but I'm
pretty street tough. If you run from probation as long as I did,
you're not scared; however, when I got picked up at the border, I
had been diagnosed with breast cancer. I had gone across the
border to party and drown my sorrows, but when I got to the
county jail, they put me in the infirmary, so you're not dealing
with what you would normally. Normally, you would be in a
populated area of 55-60 women, but when you're in the
infirmary, it's like 20 or 25 women.
Accountant: Not really, it was so surreal for me, that I
didn't really talk to anyone. The only difficult
people to deal with were the staff.......... Hot attorney: No. My cellmate was a great guy who showed me
the ropes. I am Hispanic but was surrounded by
brothers. I have no problem with the brothers.
At intake, there was one angry man in a single
cell and he was banging on the door and
yelling, "Who's the first wetback from Europe"?
I saw a fight for the free telephone. It seemed
like a few of the guys wanted to play warded and
con. I kept thinking I was too damn sexy for
this
place. Gene: No, but I know what to do in jail. Just sit in
your cell and do the time. A lack of
communication with other inmates is the best
thing in jail. Some people in there can be
dangerous if you just look at them wrong. Lil Will: Back in the 90s they had the shit way overcrowded
and if you dont want to sleep by the shitter you
have to put on your guns. People sleepin and
stepin all over each other and fights all the
time. Now its not as crowded you just mind your
own and keep you mouth shut and mostly no probem. Cam: no. big boi: no i just did my own thing and didnt let anyone
mess with me.. Claire: no,i always stayed to myself,never got into
jailhouse gossip.even when in day room playing
cards I wouldn't get to rowdy.i compromised on
t/v programs and cleaning duties.i found it easy Walt: It was hard with some and easy with some. Some
inmates are very sick people and some are very
normal people who were just in bad circumstances
at that time and some are habitual criminals who
are very used to the system and its almost like a
2nd home to them, institutionalized and Carl: Some inmates were friendly but most of them were
very tough and rough looking. I felt like there were
very few I could talk to that were decent enough to
talk back. Ed: well I just got along because that is the way
that you survive there are always pretators that
prey on the weak and they beat you up and take
your food it is just a game of survival of the
fittest Devin: Some were difficult to get along with because of their
mentalities. Others were difficult to get along with because of
the sentences that they were facing. I mostly stayed to myself. Mitch: I had a HORRIBLE adjustment period. I was first,
very naïve, then I was free hearted, and lastly,
I was educated and made store every week.
Jealousy, greed, and malice on the part of other
inmates kept me in the infirmary. I got beat up a
lot. Sometimes for sharing too much, others for
not sharing enough, or plainly because I would
not share at all. Food amongst other things like
sex were in high demand. Ronaldo: No. Basically everybody is not trying to add more
time to their sentence. I was only there for 5 days
and I knew not to try to be the baddest.
JM: What types of things did you have to do to avoid problems or fights with other inmates? Charles: I really didn't do anything special, just kinda
kept too myself and wasn't rude to anyone. m ray: not pay any mind to that tv thats problems for
sure and only assicate with a few people but
stay cool for the most part with everyone until
u get disrespected or something Leon: Sometimes you have to let things that are said go even when you
don't want to. Television and basketball seem to start more fights
than anything. Jean: Yeah, well, black people are pretty tough. They all thing they're
still toting switch blades, and it seems like the girls that are
users and the girls that are prostitutes - of course that's hand in
hand - they're pretty tough to get along with. They're always
trying to bum your commissary or what's left on your tray if you
don't eat it. They're always up on you, all the time. In General
Population, you have 50-60 bunks in every cell block. Accountant: Most people seemed to have been caught up with
their own issues, so no one was arguing/fighting. Hot attorney: Try to fit in. Lil Will: Dont avoid fights in jail unless you a punk. Dont
go looking for them but dont let nobody put you
in check either. Cam: Mind my own business and respect other inmates
as i would like to be respected. Avoid playing
Cards, Dice and other gambling games that could
cause a disagreement. big boi: just mine your own bissness... Claire: to avoid fights with other inmates I what we call
rode my bunk,read the bible and urban literture
and maybe played cards sometimes.above all stayed
out of folk cases,family business and commented
whats being said about inmate amongst othe
inmates in gossip or out loud.stay out the way
always period. Walt: Be genuine and only interact with those inmates
that were like minded or that didn't want to cause
trouble. I had 1 guy that tried to pick on me
everyday and everyday I would ignore him finally I
had to deal with him I verbally yelled at him
everything I had been holding in I was lucky the
guards let me vent this out because this guy had
it coming I know he wanted to fight me but he
didn't want the extra time It was not smart on my
part but I had crossed a line in me that I just
couldn't take anymore Carl: I had to avoid saying or doing anything that I
thought would offend anyone, I felt I had to be very
agreeable to anything anyone said and just go with
the flow if I talked at all. I tried to stay to
myself as much as possible to avoid trouble. Ed: you have to stay to yourself and just get along
you are under a different set of rules it is the
inmates world if you are white you are
outnumbered 50 to 1 by blacks and 25 to 1
Mexicans and I am white so you just go along and
don't say nothing Devin: Well like I said earlier I had to stay to myself in order to keep
my nose clean. I was as nice as I could be to those around me
and I tried not to upset anyone. If there was ever a problem I
tried my best to remove myself from the area. Mitch: I learned after about two months to find the
biggest and most feared inmate and make him my
friend. Whatever it took for protection. And if
he got moved then I would go into lock-up for
something, anything. There was always someone
lying in wait to harm someone considered not like
everyone else. Ronaldo: Basically mind your own business and follow the
rules of the pod. For example clean up after
yourself and use certain toilets for #2's. Keep your
area clean is a MUST. Wheit it is your turn for
chores then you must do them. And a big one is dont
steal from anyone.
JM: Were you able to choose an inmate as your cellmate if you knew one? How often would your cellmate(s) change? Charles: No, the most choice you will ever have in regard
to your housing assignment will be what cell you
want if you are placed in a tank with one man cells. m ray: i dont get what ur saying Leon: No. Jean: Hell no! You don't get to choose your friends! There are 50-60
women, but, in general population, everyone has a room, and
they lock you down at night. You have your own bed and your
own toilet, but it's still in general population. It depends on the
tower you're in. Some of them aren't like that. Some of them are
just wide open gymnasiums with beds. Others are more private.
You'll got there for different reasons - if you get in trouble, or
you can't get along with other inmates. You don't want to go
there, though. Accountant: No Cam: no. big boi: no Claire: yes only if I was in a 2 man cell.i would if I
noticed someone i know come on the tank;randomly
choose someone who seem meek and clean if don't
want a new person in cell Walt: We had 64 men in our pod and they changed a little
id say 4-5 a day either would get in trouble or
get out. I would hang out with the same few and
got along with most of them. Carl: No I nor anyone else can choose who you want to be
cell mates with as you are put into general
population with lots of other inmates of all types. Ed: you don't have a choice in dallas county the
average cell is 24 men I was in a cell with 64
men and one commen area it was always loud Devin: No. They housed us the way they wanted to. We never really
had a choice unless there was a cool pod officer there at the
time. If there was someone that we liked that we were around,
most of the time they would move us. Mitch: You had no choice in the matte in North Tower.
You were placed in a cell with anywhere from 6-9
other inmates from different criminal
backgrounds. And they could change daily. Ronaldo: No I wasn't. I was assigned a pod and had to choose
a bunk. Cellmates would change every 3 days or so.
Some were released and others kicked out of the pod.