JM: Did you find it difficult to get along with other inmates? Please give examples to explain why you did or didn't. Chuck: Not really. It was a little awkward at first
because I'm quiet but the first cell block I was
in was holding one of my uncle's best friends from
growing up, a guy who went to school with an aunt
and uncle of mine, and a kid who grew up in the
same small rural area I had. It also helped that I
was barely 18 at the time and I ended up sort of
being the young kid everyone looked out for and
made sure was ok. When I was transferred to a new
block the main guy (all the cell blocks have one
guy whose unofficially in charge) was my old boss
from a job I had while I was still in high school.
JM: What types of things did you have to do to avoid problems or fights with other inmates? Chuck: Nothing, the closest I ever got to a fight with
another inmate was in the first cell block. It was
a work release block so 3/4 of the inmates were
gone during the day. One of the inmates had the
game risk under his bunk so I decided to play it
one day while he was out working. When he got back
I found out that he was supposed to have given it
back a couple weeks before so he was hiding it
during the day to keep it. I waited an hour or two
for things to calm down and then went over to his
bunk and apologized and told him I didn't know
that he had it hidden for a reason.
JM: Were you able to choose an inmate as your cellmate if you knew one? How often would your cellmate(s) change? Chuck: It wasn't really a cell. I was in a cell block
with 30-40 other inmates other than while I was in
holding cells which were pretty much just luck of
the draw.