A Federal Inmates Story: The Politics, What You Don’t See

In the federal prison system for the men there is a much different kind of treatment given, than to that for women. There are more of us that are locked away here in the federal system. One main political action that you have to keep is when it comes down to a fight you have to stick with your race for survival. For the men sticking with your own race for survival, whether you are White, Black, Asian or Latino, may also mean becoming affiliated for survival of not being subjected to all the politics. Each affiliation earns their respect the same way that they give respect to others. Survival is based on the give and the take of respect.

Several years ago I made an error in my life and got locked up. Let’s take a look at the politics within the Federal Prisons that goes on that no one sees.

The Political Survival

Any little thing that is said or done can turn into a big fight. During that time that I was on the inside I became the head orderly for our dorm of 200 people of mixed race, but each race has their own group affiliations as well. Being the head orderly takes on a lot of responsibility, not only to clean the dorm but also to keeping the peace within the different races. Each race Whites, Latinos, Black and Asians.

Keeping the peace within the dorm is a big responsibility. I myself did it for almost two years at the facility where I was assigned. Also being affiliated has a big advantage and a lot of risk at the same time. I was affiliated during my time on the inside, but once I knew when I was coming out the affiliation stopped there. I did not want to risk my family upon being on the outside and being affiliated.

I would like to tell you one of the stories that happened to me while on the inside that involved a lot of politics, something so small it will make you think why that.

At the facility in the form where I was housed there are three TV rooms, one for English, one for Spanish, one for Sports neutral. But in political terms the TV rooms were broken into Whites, Latinos, and Blacks. Each race has their own TV area and if they were to invade another area, sometimes just because the room is empty they want to use it, which is considered disrespect to the ones that the room belongs to, which can cause a big riot, just for something so small.

What people do not see or understand that goes on behind the scenes is that the more you can earn and give respect to others the better off you are and the more you will gain in return. On the inside no matter if in a Federal or State facility for your crime, you have to give respect if you want to be respected.

There is a lot more involved in the politics that keeps the peace for something as small as the TV room and who gets to use which room or even who gets to change the channel and when. Ask yourself this question, wouldn't you want to give respect to earn respect if you had to do it for survival?

State Prison vs. Federal Prison Systems

As it has been revealed, there exist various differences between the state and federal prisons. This is in the basis of various aspects of operations carried out in the entire criminal and justice system. Under the same level of security, federal prisons are a bit safer than the state prisons since there is less crowding in federal prisons. More specifically, the federal prisons involve few cases in which the individuals imprisoned are offered larger spaces and better facilities as compared to state prisons. This has enhanced decreased vulnerability of prisoners in the federal prisons to social humiliations. Though the cases dealt with in federal prisons may attribute to larger and more severe punishments, the prisoners are not usually exposed to unnecessary tortures as it is in state prisons (Glaser 54-65).

It is important to note that, the federal prisons usually have their staff more trained than as it is with state prisons. This is because, the federal prisons deal with more technical and advanced cases as per the laws set by the congress; thus necessitating contracting of more advanced staff in the processions of the prisons. In this regard, the federal prisons are larger and more complex than state prisons on the basis of the various cases involved. Basically, the state prisons are usually run locally by the governors whereas the federal prisons are dealt with by a set of security team appointed by the congress. Considering the technicalities of cases involved in federal courts, a highly qualified staff would be required in carrying out various activities in it, leading to their better payments. On the other hand, the staffs for state prisons are not much paid since their level of qualification is a bit lower than the ones in the federal prisons; as they deal with local cases (Barbara & Rather 45-79).

More so, suicide cases in state prisons are more than as it is in federal prisons. This is usually as a result of more congestion in state prisons than it is in federal prisons. Being smaller in sizes and dealing with numerous local cases, state prisons have been found to be having a larger number of suicide cases than as it is in federal prisons. In addition, the pathetic conditions found in state prisons leads to many people committing suicide. Further, homicides have been more experienced in state prisons than in federal prisons. This is because; in state prisons, the security is a bit less than as it is in federal prisons. This has attributed to the higher level of homicides in state prisons where prisoners are many and congested. This congestion experienced in state prisons encourages the act of people killing each other in state prisons. Specifically, both suicides and homicides are more experienced in state prisons than in federal prisons (Glaser 34-67).