A prisoner's first day

The following story is from www.prisonsecrets.com. An inmate recounts his first day in prison…

My First Day in Prison

"My first day in prison was one I’ll never forget. I was in jail, and as bad as THAT seems, I was in fear of the unknown - Prison! If you have ever been to prison then you know what to expect, but I had no idea. I asked others who were in the jail to explain it to me, but all the explaining in the world couldn’t prepare me for what I had in store.

The guards in the jail got me up early to prepare me for the ride to prison. After breakfast and a shower, they handcuffed me and took me to the transport room.

When I got there I saw several other guys who were handcuffed and shackled and sitting there waiting to leave. They took my cuffs off and strip searched me to make sure I wasn’t carrying any weapons (or anything else I wasn’t supposed to have). A strip search isn’t a cavity search. They aren’t going to try to check inside your butt unless they think you have something in there that you aren’t suppose to have.

You get totally naked in front of whoever is there. You face the guard that is strip searching you and you hold your hands and arms up so they can see that you don’t have anything in your hands of taped to your armpits. You open your mouth and move your tongue around so they can see that you don’t have anything in your mouth. Then you run your hands through your hair (if you have any) and pull your ears forward so they can look in and behind them. Next you turn around. You pick up your feet one at a time to show that you don’t have anything taped to the bottom of your feet. Lastly, you bend over and cough. The guard inspects your butthole to see if he thinks you have any drugs or weapons stuffed in there. If they think you have something in there, they do a cavity search on you immediately so you don’t have a chance to get rid of it. And no I didn’t receive one that day (thank god!)

After my strip search, the guard went through my clothes. Not just pockets, but along seams and collars etc. to see if there is anything in there.

Once the strip search was over, the guard took my clothes and gave me my underwear and socks back and took the rest to be transported. He gave me a jumpsuit to wear and some slippers for shoes.

Then he told me to kneel down on the bench facing the wall. When I did, he put shackles on my ankles. Afterward, I stood up (with great difficulty because of the shackles) and he put handcuffs on me. Next they put a chain all the way around my waist and secured the handcuffs to it so you couldn’t raise your arms. Then I sat with the others till everyone that was going was treated in like fashion. Only one guy got mouthy. Everyone else was in shock, not knowing what to expect next.

We were then lead outside to the bus. once we got there, they un-cuffed every other guy and would hook your arm through the other guy’s and re-cuff you again, so you were cuffed to another guy (as if the shackles, belly chains, and handcuffs weren’t uncomfortable enough). And then they seated us all on the bus.

The bus had a thick metal screen and bars on the windows. And when we got on the bus, there was a gate behind the driver’s seat that they locked after we all got inside it. I’m sure with everyone being cuffed and shackled to each other, we weren’t about to attack the driver. Being shackled to someone else made moving around very hard.

After they loaded all of our belongings on the bus and our records, we were off. It would be a three-hour-plus ride to the prison and it was only about 9 or 10. I’m not really sure because they took all of my jewelry (which includes my watch). All we were allowed to have was our underwear, t-shirt, jumpsuit, and slippers. Oh yea, and all these chains.

The ride there was long and uncomfortable. Some guys were starting to talk about how bad they were and what was going to happen. I assume they were just trying to cover up their own insecurities and fears.

As we pulled up to the prison, I wasn’t sure what I was feeling. I tried not to show I was scared, but I was. I tried to act like I was just going to the mall. I wanted so much to be somewhere else, but I couldn’t go. I guess I deserved all that I got. I don’t even want to relive the experience as I tell you about it, but it is as vivid today as it was then. It was a traumatic day.

As we neared the entryway, you could see the razor wire on the fences that surrounds the place, and you could have heard a pin drop inside that bus. Nobody made a sound.

We pulled up to the gate and the guard got out and walked to meet another guard inside the gate. Then the one gate opened and the bus pulled in and the gate closed behind us. At this point we were surrounded by fence and razor wire. It was a fenced in entrance. The guard took a mirror on a pole and looked all underneath the bus. Then he opened the hood and looked around the engine. After that, they talked for a little bit before the gate at the other end opened up and we were moving towards the prison.

We pulled up next to the building and stopped. It seemed like a long time we just waited for the guards to tell us we could get off the bus. Finally they unlocked the gate and told us to start getting off the bus.

As we got off the bus they separated us from the other person that we were chained to, but we all remained shackled and cuffed with belly chains, and we were told to follow the guard inside. You don’t want to take very long steps because the chain on your shackles would fight your strides and it would hurt, so walking was hard to do as well.

Once inside they began taking our chains off. It sure felt good to get them off. Then we were processed one by one – name, date of birth,etc. The guard told me a number and told me not to forget it. I didn’t want to act like I wasn’t paying attention so I didn’t tell him that I didn’t remember it already. I was hoping to ask someone else later.

At this point, everything happened really fast it seemed. It was as if we were running (not literally) through a car wash. They lead us into a room and started to strip search us again. I guess they thought that the other guards didn’t do a good enough job. Once we were naked, we went through a door and it was concrete everywhere. Concrete walls, ceiling, and floors. I was lead to some barber chairs and told I was getting my hair cut. They buzzed it all off. Then I was lead to a shower stall (with no shower curtain), given some liquid soap and told to take a shower (while the guy watched). I’m assuming that this was my delousing.

After the shower I was stopped by another inmate that worked there. You could tell he worked there because he was the only inmate that wasn’t naked, and he asked me what size jumpsuit I wanted. I told him that I didn’t remember my number and he said, “Don’t worry; it’ll be on everything you get. You aren’t going to forget it.” Then he gave me a bag of stuff and a jumpsuit and said, “All I need was in there.”

The bag was a mesh laundry bag and I opened it to get a towel out to dry off. It was then that they said I was to get dressed, and I did.

Then all of us were taken to a cell block. We had been lined up, single file, and marched to the block.

Once we got there, they called out each person’s name (and number), handed them a paper, and told us to put our belongings in your cell, shut the door, and come back to the dayroom area. Our name, number, and cell number was all on the paper. As I walked to my cell I looked at my paper trying to quickly memorize my number so I wouldn’t forget it. Little did I know at that time, that I will never forget that number as long as I live.

I put my things away and looked around. There was a mattress on a metal framework that was bolted to the wall. Farther down was my toilet (sometimes called “The Head”). It’s a stainless steel one that’s attached to the sink. On the opposite wall was a desk and chair to write on. The whole place looked filthy. I wonder when it had been cleaned last. Well, I can look things over later. I shut the cell door and went to the dayroom area (which was just some school like desks all lined up in rows. On the desk was a publication that said, “Inmate Handbook” on it. I sat down and started looking at it.

There were several guards. None seemed to smile or be the least bit friendly. They were calloused (you could tell) from all the people who have come before me. There was no sympathy or understanding. It was their way or else. And at that time I didn’t know what “or else” was, but I didn’t want to find out either.

There was a lot of people talking about what all has happened to us so far and everyone was looking at their handbook when one of the guards said, “Attention people!” and everyone was silent. I don’t remember his exact words, but I’ll try to tell you (for the most part) what he said.

He said, “Gentlemen, I am Captain ____?____ (I don’t remember his name). I am the senior officer here. You have just been admitted into prison. You now belong to me. Your mommy and your daddy can’t help you now. You will do as I say. And if you don’t do as I say, you go to the hole. You have a handbook in front of you. It will tell you what you can and cannot do. If you disobey any of the rules, you go to the hole. If you get smart with any of my Officers, you go to the hole. Don’t get out of line, don’t talk back, and don’t do anything that you aren’t allowed to do or you’ll be going to the hole. This is my prison and I don’t tolerate any insubordination.

This is the isolation block. You will be in cells for the time being while you adapt to prison life. You will be locked down 23 hours a day while you’re here. It is my experience that those who commit suicide in prison usually do it here. If you’re thinking about killing yourself, you’d better do a good job, cause if I catch you, you’re going to wish you were dead!

If you do what you’re told while you’re here, you will have a much more pleasant stay here. You are at the Receiving Center and eventually you will be shipped to your Parent Institution. Until that time you will do as you are told, or I will make it my personal mission to make your time as hard as possible while you’re here. Now I will turn you over to your block Officer. Good day gentlemen.”

As the big man left, another guard began to talk. He told us to follow the rules. And what our laundry and shower schedule would be. He told us if we had any questions to ask. Then he said that we had the next hour for our one hour today to shower, make a phone call, watch TV, or whatever. Then he went up to the desk.

I went to get on the phone but I was too slow. They were already full. I didn’t want to visit with anyone so I just went back to my cell. I went through my handbook and found the mailing address in it. Eventually I got on the phone and called my family. I told them where I was in case they wanted to visit me, and how they could send mail to me.

At the end of the hour, they sent everyone to their cells and locked us down. It got really quiet and with nothing to do and nothing to read, you had a lot of time to think.

After a short time, I heard some odd noises out in the cell block. When it’s quiet like it was, you can hear everything. Not only that but sound echoes around in an empty cell block. So I went to my door and looked out the small window to see what it was. There were some inmates with blue shirts and pants on (like the one that issued me clothing) and they were opening the shoots on our doors. I kept watching and while the one guy opened the rest of the shoots, a couple of other guys were delivering trays of food. It must be chow time. That’s another thing that drives you nuts at first. You have no idea of what time it is. It might be 9 a.m. or it might be 1:30.

The trays were rectangular plastic trays with compartments. The food? Well it’s not mom’s good cooking. It was tuna noodle casserole, two slices of white bread, spinach, lime Jell-o with pear slices, and milk. I don’t like spinach or lime Jello, and the noodles were cooked long enough to become a glob of starch instead of individual noodles. So I salvaged some tuna on the bread to make a sandwich, pulled out the pears for dessert, and had 2% milk to wash it all down. I wasn’t being too picky, I just did 5 months in the county jail and I know it’s either find a way to make a meal or go hungry.

After eating, I set my tray back in the shoot in my door and lay back on my bed to relax and let my food settle. I guess because I had spent so much time in the county jail, I had gotten into a routine. Now we just wait around till supper and we’ll be doing the same thing. Time goes by really slow. Minutes seem like hours. And that’s no exaggeration.

After what seemed like a long time there was some voices that started to progressively get louder and louder until it seemed as though they were yelling. I went to my cell door to look out the window, but I couldn’t see anything. I kept watching and finally saw some guards come in. I saw maybe four or five. They rushed in and you could hear some scuffling noises and some more voices. Then I saw them taking a black guy in handcuffs behind his back to the door of the cell block. I don’t know what happened, but I’m sure they took him to the hole. Maybe tomorrow when we have our hour out of the cell, I’ll ask somebody.

I had been staring at the ceiling for some time, when they started bringing the trays around for supper. It doesn’t take long to figure out this kind of a scheduling. As I waited for the surprise meal, I couldn’t imagine doing years here. What will tomorrow bring. And then, there it was. Hot dogs and beans. I can eat that. It’s not great, but it fills the empty spot in my gut.

Then I placed my tray into the shoot and waited for the guy in blue to come by and get it. This has been some day. A lot has happened. I guess I’ll read my handbook some more.

I lie on my bed and read and got rather bored. There was nothing to do. I got up and paced the floor for a while. I looked out the window to see what I could see. Not much. Nothing of interest.

At one point I had to use the bathroom. Yes that metal monstrosity at the end of my bed. The prison toilet. God I was hoping not to have to use that. Well, I got some toilet paper wet and tried to clean the rim so I could sit down. I got it wet and the dried it off. I guess that’s as good as it gets. I sat down and the metal was cool. I still remember the shock that I felt when I flushed it the first time! The whole thing seemed to turn ice cold! Wow! I was totally unprepared for that! Lucky for me, that was the only surprise I got. I guess it could have been worse.

Later on I started to feel sleepy. I got up early. I am going to try to lie down and sleep. As I laid there, my head spinning with the day’s events. I fear the thought of days and weeks and months and years. It feels long already, but for now, the day is over.”

But the day wasn’t over. He tossed and turned all night. And I’m sure that this is going to be a long time in prison for John.

I know there was no blood and gore, but it was John’s first day at the reception center. When he goes to his Parent Institution, he won’t be isolated and he won’t be in a single man cell. Basically he’s safe from everyone except himself right now. As safe as he can ever be, …. Behind The Walls…