Have you ever been in prison?

scopper · 18-08-2011 07:18PM

Sadly yes - sentence 2 years, time served 1 year, 2 months. Not sure what I could say about it (not Mountjoy thankfully and would prefer not to say where) really except that it is a mix of the good and bad you hear. Some overblown nonsense (never seen anything rape related) but all the same rougher than normal life (of course!). I was not always left alone. Head down or not scumbags will hassle you. Had to throw a few punches but also too a lot. My nose was broken two times during the sting and the proper heads would have considered that fairly decent!

*regarding the nerds thing many prisoners, myself included, managed to gain an education inside including, for myself, a diploma in communications that has lead to me returning to full time education*

18-08-2011 07:22PM

leddpipe wrote: »

http://bit.ly/repmkn

lol, I my friend don't see the point of lying on the internet about having been in prison....:rolleyes:

Emiko · 18-08-2011 07:48PM

I served almost 2 years of a 3 and a half year sentence, abroad, for drugs offences.

22 hour lock-up, no phone calls and only immediate family allowed to visit, for which my hard-pressed parents managed to make it out twice.

The time passed easy enough. No serious bother, save a few minor scraps.

There was the usual prison carry on whilst I was there, a murder; one rape case, a couple of mini-riots, suicides aplenty (genuine and a couple where the guards where suspected to have a hand). but these incidents were spread out over the couple of years.

Other than that it was a pretty boring time.

charlemont · 18-08-2011 07:54PM

9 is the magic number.:D

Twice sentenced
Twice remanded
Five unpaid fines

charlemont · 18-08-2011 08:01PM

Melissa Glamorous Scuba wrote: »

I'm a boring ol' bollox, I don't even hsve penalty points on my drivers licence!.

The thoughts of being imprisoned would scare the crap out of me.

Frankly your better off too, Its a mugs game..

Doubt you would get any hassle there though.

Don Juan DeMagoo · 18-08-2011 08:08PM

Nope but talked to a monster of a man (size wise) who I worked with in the states, seemed like really decent fella but he had a horrid past. He was sent away for a number of years when he was a young man for manslaughter not sure of the facts but he told me if ever got into a situation that he may go to prison again he would kill himself, he had nightmare stories that make the Irish prisons seem like a vacation. He seemed totally reformed/traumatized after his stint. After he came out he said that was the worst, impossible to get a job and lost all his entitlements he felt like a subhuman.

Pace2008 · 18-08-2011 09:05PM

Never have been; can't imagine I ever will. Closest I've come is a night in the cells and a day in court for public intoxication (I certainly deserved it).

Dangerous Man wrote: »

Well excuse me for finding this thread more than just a little bit ****ing invasive.

How in the name of God is it invasive? It's not like someone asked you to your face, it's a general question put out on a public forum, and you are under no duress to answer it. You could have simply not posted on the thread and none of us would be thinking "Hmm, Dangerous Man's keeping awfully quiet, wonder what skeletons he has in his closet?"

I'm sure there are plenty of people who've been to prison and would be happy to relay their experiences.

Da Shins Kelly · 18-08-2011 10:27PM

fluffyorganic1 wrote: »

Those american prison docu-dramas look terrifying

In fairness, I think US prisons are a lot rougher than anything we have to offer. They seem very over-crowded and full of gangs with a pretty strict hierarchy and a whole method of earning "respect". I'd hate to end up in one simply because it'd be so different to ending up in prison here where you're surrounded mainly by people involved in quite petty or one-off crimes. In US prison, it seems more likely you'd be surrounded by gang-bangers who may have committed quite serious crimes and seem less likely to be merciful in how they treat you.

However, the above opinion is based mainly on stories I've heard, and of course the abundance of documentaries on the matter.

Dangerous Man · 19-08-2011 02:46PM

Pace2008 wrote: »

Never have been; can't imagine I ever will. Closest I've come is a night in the cells and a day in court for public intoxication (I certainly deserved it).

How in the name of God is it invasive? It's not like someone asked you to your face, it's a general question put out on a public forum, and you are under no duress to answer it. You could have simply not posted on the thread and none of us would be thinking "Hmm, Dangerous Man's keeping awfully quiet, wonder what skeletons he has in his closet?"

I'm sure there are plenty of people who've been to prison and would be happy to relay their experiences.

I think it's invasive because if I were sent to prison it's not something I'd be particularly proud of or want other people to know about. I've noticed an increase in threads on AH lately where people are asking questions of the most private nature as if it were nothing.

Temptamperu · 19-08-2011 02:50PM

Ive never been to prison but i was locked up in a cell one night for punching a guy in the face for trying to hit my ex.
Not proud of it but there you go.

locked_out · 19-08-2011 03:00PM

Why as a society, do we shun those that have been in prison? Unless the crime was of a very serious nature, why care so much? Anyone on this forum could be wrongly imprisoned(at least in theory). The real criminals such as the bankers and such will never see a day inside. Now that is a problem. Never been in prison just to note, though I would not automatically hold it against someone. I am a rational human being, you see.

davoxx · 19-08-2011 03:06PM

locked_out wrote: »

Why as a society, do we shun those that have been in prison? Unless the crime was of a very serious nature, why care so much? Anyone on this forum could be wrongly imprisoned(at least in theory). The real criminals such as the bankers and such will never see a day inside. Now that is a problem. Never been in prison just to note, though I would not automatically hold it against someone. I am a rational human being, you see.

see that makes sense, but people live of fear, not sense.

true someone who has been in prison and turns his life around should be welcomed BUT someone who has been in prison and still continues down crime, should be shunned.

one should try to judge people based on the now, as opposed to their past (though the past can be indicative of their future).

<joke> but i guess it is because girls like bad boys :P </joke>

My name is URL · 19-08-2011 03:06PM

Never been to prison but I was threatened with it, I was in court for not paying a littering fine. The only reason I agreed to pay it in the end was because my solicitor was costing me too much money. The litter warden had found a 'discarded' top-up voucher in a car park on a beach and had it traced it to my number, no actual proof that I discarded it illegally like.. it could have blown out of a bin for all he knew.

locked_out · 19-08-2011 03:07PM

My name is URL wrote: »

Never been to prison but I was threatened with it, I was in court for not paying a littering fine. The only reason I agreed to pay it in the end was because my solicitor was costing me too much money. The litter warden had found a 'discarded' top-up voucher in a car park on a beach and had it traced it to my number, no actual proof that I discarded it illegally like.. it could have blown out of a bin for all he knew.

The wha:eek:

Corkfeen · 19-08-2011 03:10PM

My name is URL wrote: »

Never been to prison but I was threatened with it, I was in court for not paying a littering fine. The only reason I agreed to pay it in the end was because my solicitor was costing me too much money. The litter warden had found a 'discarded' top-up voucher in a car park on a beach and had it traced it to my number, no actual proof that I discarded it illegally like.. it could have blown out of a bin for all he knew.

Was the Litter Warden, this guy ?
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MqxDeHIPgKc/TbcPE3PJHMI/AAAAAAAAbqc/pV3iTjDpLM8/s800/tom%2Bselleck%2Bmagnum%2Bpi.jpg

Wolfe Tone · 19-08-2011 03:15PM

Nope I have never been (yet! hopefully never!) I don't directly know anyone who was in jail, I think a few distant relations may have been, but I wouldn't hold it against them. I know a guy who was interned in the north but I don't think that really counts.

Johro · 19-08-2011 03:33PM

Dangerous Man wrote: »

I think it's invasive because if I were sent to prison it's not something I'd be particularly proud of or want other people to know about. I've noticed an increase in threads on AH lately where people are asking questions of the most private nature as if it were nothing.

Maybe, but the point made was that you can simply ignore the question posed, it's on a public forum and anyone who doesn't mind answering the question can do so. If you don't, don't. Jeez.
It's only invasive if you're asked in front of witnesses in a real life situation, i.e. not sat at your computer or browsing on your phone.
What you just did is draw attention to yourself by posting the fact that you're uncomfortable with the question, which is just plain dumb. Or done for effect.
Mainly, the point is that if you don't like a question on the forum, don't answer it. It's not like anyone will know, or cares, if ya don't.

7sr2z3fely84g5 · 19-08-2011 03:36PM

locked_out wrote: »

Why as a society, do we shun those that have been in prison? Unless the crime was of a very serious nature, why care so much? Anyone on this forum could be wrongly imprisoned(at least in theory). The real criminals such as the bankers and such will never see a day inside. Now that is a problem. Never been in prison just to note, though I would not automatically hold it against someone. I am a rational human being, you see.

i think crimes of sex nature are the most severe in eyes of society and law than that of murder,a person could go in,serve their sentence,and still be followed by the tabloid/lynch mob,im not excusing these crimes,but i think in these cases of sex crimes are most unforgivable,but of course many think those convicted of sex crimes are dirty auld men when there's been many teens and young adults before courts for the same offences.

wild_cat · 19-08-2011 04:01PM

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

Nope I have never been (yet! hopefully never!) I don't directly know anyone who was in jail, I think a few distant relations may have been, but I wouldn't hold it against them. I know a guy who was interned in the north but I don't think that really counts.

I know two people that were interned in the North to.

Other than that it was just the local scumbag who was sent to Mount Joy.

I've never been to prison myself. Scares the **** out of me. I'm a quirky nerdy bogger with an awful temper... I don't think I'd last very long in Mount Joy.

SV · 19-08-2011 06:36PM

Dangerous Man wrote: »

Well excuse me for finding this thread more than just a little bit fucking invasive.

Anyway, you're obviously an intellect. You saw my username and decided 'there's something I can attack.' Well done you. You're very clever. Anything else?

Well y'know, I'm an internet hardman me.

Im not trying to sound hard or anything but I've been known to eject my USB without safely removing.
Do not mess with me.

x in the city · 19-08-2011 06:43PM

Dangerous Man wrote: »

MIND YOUR OWN FUCKING BUSINESS.

thats a yes so...

how was it for you? like to share your experiences with the wider public.

liamygunner29 · 19-08-2011 07:11PM

i did one night in thailand for a drug related offence..

poor enough on the old banter levels

Arnold Layne · 19-08-2011 07:23PM

SV wrote: »

I'd say you're about as dangerous as a beanbag.

Wooah there!

Off my head one night and sat to chill on my beloved beanbag. Then the b*stard (b*stard was my affectionate name for my best mate, the beanbag) tried to suffocate me.
I jumped up with arms flailing but couldn't get the b*stard off me. Thankfully, I made my way to the kitchen and grabbed a scissors and ripped b*stard open.
The beads were everywhere. It took me ages to clean up, but there are still traces of its existence.

I shudder when I thinkhow something so comfy could become so dangerous. I can't crash in any house now that has a beanbag present for fear of reprisal.

chillywilly · 19-08-2011 07:32PM

liamygunner29 wrote: »

i did one night in thailand for a drug related offence..

poor enough on the old banter levels

What was that like? :eek:

liamygunner29 · 19-08-2011 07:45PM

wasn't as bad as banged up abroad but it wasn't watching friends on a flatscreen in mountjoy either..

We at least got a cell on our own but they threw piss at us and told us we would be there forever unless our parents send over a few thousand. Then just let us out when they got a look at Irish passports. If we were brits we would still be there I reckon!

Wasn't so bad tho and makes a great spoofers tale for the birds.

mariano rivera · 19-08-2011 07:50PM

Back in 1995ish, I played in a game of seven a side football against the inmates in the yard in Arbour Hill. It was set up by the prison chaplain. One of my friends played there all the time. He was in Mater Dei College and friend of said chaplain. He asked me to go along one night

We walked into the yard thru the cellblocks. Seriously creepy walking by the the cells

All the other inmates were watching us play.

I dont recall tearing into any tackles

As its Arbor Hill, I suppose some of those lads are still locked up there

ProudDUB · 19-08-2011 08:04PM

When I lived in the US, I volunteered for a charity that fed the cities homeless a full turkey dinner on Thanksgiving Day. We fed over 40,00 people at a baseball stadium, so that is A LOT of turkeys to be prepped, cooked, cut up, portioned out etc etc. The turkeys were done in the kitchens of the local federal prison (where all the serious hard cases are housed) as only they had ovens big enough to fit and cook 10 turkeys at at time, due to the mammoth numbers of meals they have to cook themselves every day. It was great crack.

Some of my fellow volunteers turned out to be convicts, just about to be released, and they were being introduced back into social settings. Was freaked out a big about that at first, but after spending 10 hours with them up to me oxters in turkey grease all I cared about what how fast they could skin the birds. Sound as a pound a lot of them. Felt sorry for the poor bastards up in the cells, who could smell the aroma of 500 turkeys cooking, and knowing they wouldn't get to eat any of it for 16 more hours. Worse than water boarding if you ask me ! Best part of it all was calling up the mammy and telling her I'd just spent the night in prison with a bunch of dangerous criminals, and waiting for her reaction. Hee !

Mark25 · 20-08-2011 11:10PM

I was in Mountjoy earlier this year - not a nice place, a kip really. Was my first time inside so was ****ting it about going in. The first few days were rough but you can get used to anything. Some lads there had been in loads of times so they mustn't mind it too much.

I'd heard all the stories about it so was expecting the worst but some of what you hear is crap. It's packed in there and there are always lads looking to kick off for any excuse but mostly lads just wanted to get through it as handy as you can.

Strange thinking they've been locking up people there for over 100 years and that you still have to slop out. Couldn't imagine having to spend years in there.

Am just trying to keep out of trouble now as I definitely don't want to go back.

I was there once years ago on a school trip but that is way different from how it feels being there as a prisoner

later12 · 20-08-2011 11:46PM

I have never been arrested in my life but worked in two different prisons with the Quakers six-seven years back.

It helped form my opinions on lots of things, including what a lot of others already know without ever having visited a prison - prisons don't prevent recidivism.

The only people that prison has an effect on are people with expectations of going somewhere in their lives, or who expect a reasonable standard of living. Some prisoners' perceptions of what a reasonable standard of living is, is so warped that they manage to cope with being inside, or even being under extended lockdown, without serious stress. It's tragic for them, and it's tragic for us as a society that we don't intervene in their lives when we have them under our control.

Definition of stupidity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

chicken fingers · 20-08-2011 11:53PM

Dangerous Man wrote: »

Well excuse me for finding this thread more than just a little bit fucking invasive.

Thats the cool thing about these forums nestled within forums, you know?
Forums full of threads and threads full of posts by posters full of themselves.
Levels and layers, like a tree!
The thing is, though, really, the threads are just some words.
They cant be invasive. In fact, its actually you who has entered this thread, not the other way around.

Have you ever been in prison?

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