Poor etiquettes may not cause direct legal implications, but problems could eventually emerge. In fact, by following the common sense, inmates could find their time in the prison to become much more tolerable. By obeying these ethical rules, it should be quite easy to shape your reputation positively.
- Don’t be a rat: When a large group of people stay in an area for too long, problem will eventually happen. If you have problems with an inmate, you should solve it with the person. Never go to the Unit Manager or the Counsellor if you encounter the slightest issue. You are staying behind bars and you are obviously not a cop. If you see inappropriate things, it’s a good thing to keep it to yourself, especially if it’s none of your business. You should contact the Unit Manager if you clearly feel that your life is in danger. If it’s clear that you are being targeted, which could potentially cause injuries or deaths, the CO may move you to the hole. It is not a fun place compared to regular prison cell and actually intended for problematic inmates. However, you can feel the peace of mind and no one can harm you, because you stay inside the hole for most of the time. The situation can be really bad for you, if you are labelled by everyone that you are a rat. It could start with verbal abuses and the person is very lucky, if he/she can avoid physical injury. Inmates shouldn’t make rash decisions, regardless of their conscience and common sense.
- Always mind your own business: It is the basic rule for avoiding problems in the prison. In fact, you can find many similarities between high schools and prisons. When a group of people spend time for years in the same area, it may lead to rumor, speculation and gossip. Whatever you do, don’t play hero and never get involved. Always steer clear of rumors and gossips, only trust your eyes. Due to close proximity between inmates, don’t make any active attempt to listen. If you can’t help to listen to a conversation, try to appear that you don’t care about it. Also, you should avoid asking too many questions. If you behave suspiciously, people could suspect you as a rat. The less you know, the more comfortable your life would be in the prison.
- Don’t get too comfortable: After spending six months in the prison, you may think that you know what you are doing. At this stage, you already fall into a regular routine. It’s actually good if the prison life begins to appear normal to you. However, it doesn’t mean that you should get comfortable. In this case, you shouldn’t let your guard down. When you are feeling too comfortable about everything, you could start to say too much and ask too much. You still need to watch your surroundings and threats could happen without warning. You should know that when you make a mistake in the prison, there’s no way for you to start again. Try to adopt the prison culture and blend with the population, instead of standing out.