Well, hope you guys don't judge me.
I spent 3 years in prison for assault with a deadly weapon and destruction of private property.
When I was 16 my sister was dating an OK guy named Nick. Nick had been in prison for some drug use and driving violations including drunk driving. He swore off drugs, and promised her he would get clean and get on the straight and narrow.
One day, a Thursday I believe because it was after baseball practice, my cousin had just dropped me off at home and was grabbing something from the garage that he left the previous week. As I opened the front door and took some steps inside, Nick shoved me out of the way and bolted to his car. I figured that he was running late for something, so I dropped my equipment bag by the door and headed off to the kitchen to see what was for dinner.
As I crossed through the family room, I saw my sister on the floor near one of the couches, blood on her face. I think a bit of me snapped right there. I ran towards the door, grabbed my bat from my bag and yelled out the door for my cousin Travis to "Grab that fucker Nick.". According the travis' side of things, he was already on his way to Nick's car to show him a car part he had just bought for his car. I don't remember much from that exact moment, I just remember Travis holding the back of his shirt and a " whoa wait" when I brought my bat across the back of his head.
Official record is I hit him 16 times. Then I went on to smash his cars Windows, windshield, and destory parts of his center console in his car along with some damage to the outside. Travis called the cops and we waited on the curb for them to arrive.
It was originally an attempted murder charge due to injuries, but agreed to drop it for assault with a deadly weapon if I agreed to be tried as an adult. They went lienet on me in sentencing for a guilty plea because of my emotional distress, the sight of my sister, and if I plead guilty they would let my cousin off the hook. Travis refused to have the charges dropped, so I got 5 years with possibility of parole in 3.5, Travis got 2.. Travis got out in 1.5 years for good behavior. He was only charged with being an accomplice, I got out in 3 for good behavior, school degree in hand. I got my GED in prison, applied through a rightful education program and earned an actual diploma with some college credit.
As for the experience...it was mixed.
Life was everyday. Wasn't some horror movie, or terrible cop show drama. Most of the guys there were in for small stuff, theft, robbery, carjacking. You get the picture. Most were just guys who didn't know anything else. One guy was there because he held up a corner store, because he was laid off work and had bills to pay and kids to feed. He felt so bad about it he turned himself in. Most aren't sorry for what they do, it's their way of life. They aren't bad guys, most of them anyway. Just outside your typical...er law abiding citizen. They just want to do their time, get out and rebuild their lives. There was on guy, Trey, nicest guy that I ever met, big black guy, was there on rape charges because his boyfriend and him were in the middle of...activities when his boyfriends preist father came home early, caught them, and Trey's boyfriend claimed Trey had broken in and forced him into such a thing. Even though the cops took his phone into evidence and had proof that was not the case, it was a small town in the American South. He didn't stand a chance.
But I ramble.
We got up, lights on, 7am every morning. Drop off laundry, breakfast, shower, yard time, study/vocational training, lunch, yard time, free time, facility maintinece, letters, dinner, shower, free time, lights out 9pm every night.
There were fights, stabbings, threats, gangs, but mostly everyone just tried to make it to the end. You stayed away from the people you knew were trouble, get to know a guard or two because maybe their wife has a book you like or makes extra cookies for their kids class and hey you seem like nice enough kid.
All about keeping you mouth shut, the head down, and surive.
Moral of the story, got out, joined the army because it was at a period in the war that they just needed bodies to fill uniforms, and here I am.
Hope this little delve into my life was worth the read. Hope no one thinks I'm the boogy man now, rather big stigmatism after people know you saw the manufacturer's warranty on the lock. Oh well, I trust you guys.
8 nukes eaten for IRON. ZI'd against Rileyaddaff for IRON.