24 Hours In The Life Of A Prisoner

Each Moment Is Watched...

 Image Source/ The MirrorSome prisoners with less security actually may even get to leave the prison but for those of medium to maximum security their 24-hours a day will be spent in the facility, under some kind of surveillance the entire time - according to their sentencing.

3.00 AM: The First Inmates Are Awakened

Image Source/ The New York TimesAt the very early time of 3 AM some of the inmates are woken first. Not all inmates have to get up at this time, just those who are working in the kitchen who have to help to prepare the morning meal for all of the prisoners. These inmates all live and work together.

They Are Then Escorted And Searched

 Image Source/ BBCThen, once they have been woken up they will then be escorted to the kitchens where they will first be thoroughly searched and frisked to ensure that they have got nothing on them that is prohibited, or which they may use to harm themselves or another prisoner or member of staff.

6AM: The Rest Of The Inmates Wake Up

Image Source/ The Marshall ProjectNow, the rest of the inmates are awakened at 6 in the morning. This is for the formal inmate count. This happens time and time again throughout the days, correctional staff count and recount inmates to check nobody is hiding or missing from the count.

Toilet And Teeth

 Image Source/ The Engineering ProcessAfter all of the inmates are up it is time to start the showering and toilet rounds. Usually, there is a communal bathroom shared with around 40 other inmates. Everybody will here brush their teeth, use the toilet and shower and dress ready for the day ahead.

Shower Time

 Image Source/ InsiderShower time is one of the moments where some prisoners do get allowed 10 minutes of solitude. They mark their place in the line for the shower (there’s usually just one) by dropping their towel and soap dish outside the stall so that people know its their time.

Some Workers Leave The Prison

 Image Source/ PinterestIf the prison has a correctional institute, then some of the prisoners will leave the prison and get to work, for example, with road-side maintenance. These particular inmates assemble to be counted, searched, and assigned to the road squads and then taken to the road sites.

7AM: Everybody Eats

 Image Source/ The New York TimesNow at around 7 AM, it is time for all of the inmates to have breakfast and so the feeding of breakfast begins. Those breakfast staff help serve out the breakfast now that they have helped to prepare it. Then once the prison is fed, these prisoners have completed their shift.

Coffee And Connect

 Image Source/ The Irish TimesSome inmates grab a quick coffee and race to the tablets where they can access their emails and have some of their only connection to the outside world. Through the prison email service they can download and write emails to people - for some prisoners anyway.

7.30AM: The Next Inmates Go To Their Jobs

Image Source/ The IndependentAlthough it is now over for the breakfast staff, the next lot of workers now have to report to their jobs for 7.30 in the morning. Their roles could be a variety of things such as helping check on prisoners in isolation, or they may be helping to clean the prison.

Some Prisoners Are Allowed Their Recreation

 Image Source/ AP newsSo, those prisoners who have completed their work shift may now be free to use their recreational time - gyms, recreation yard and the canteens, for example. of course, this depends on the prisoner and their sentencing. Those with a harsh sentence may be watched.

Time Check Their Mail Again

Image Source/ BBCAt around 3 in the afternoon, many prisoners are allowed to check their mail at this time and see if they have any letters arrived from family or friends or even their legal team. Of course, their mail is all thoroughly checked before being allowed to the prisoner.

1.40PM: The Recreation Yard

 Image Source/ North Carolina Health NewsNow the prisoners are escorted to the recreation yard to have some more exercise and fresh air. The amount of time prisoners spend here is all dependent upon the individual and the severity of their crime and upon the prison itself and individual rules.

A Mass Of Prisoners

 Image Source/ Business InsiderThis time is for a controlled mass-movement to the yard, and for many prisoners this can be a scary time. They are in a mass of prisoners and at this point in time guards aren't able to see everything that happens so sometimes violence breaks out at this time.

4PM: - Evening Meal

 Image Source/ The Marshall ProjectNow it is time for the evening meal. So the prisoners will return to the dining hall at this time to have their evening meal which has been prepared by prison staff and a combination of the second shift workers who prepare the evening meal for the prison.

Waiting At The Stalls

 Image Source/ InsiderSo the prisoners are herded down to the canteen hall where they form two lines and queue up. They then collect their trays and arrive at the counter where the food is served to them. They then carry their tray over to the long benches and tables and eat.

Search Time

Image Source/ The New York TimesThe prisoners as well as being counted every day they are also searched, along with their stalls. They are not allowed to have possessions or anything that could possibly be used to cause harm to themselves or to others and so any potential object will have to be removed if found.

5PM: Free Time

Image Source/ Talkpovertynow after dinner, the inmate will be allowed access to the gym, auditorium, or again the recreation yard for those who prefer to be outside. Again, some prisoners of maximum security serving a harsher sentence will not be allowed all of these privileges throughout the day.

Visitation Hours

Image Source/ al.comOn Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, there is non-contact visitation with individuals who are on the inmates approved visitors list. The visits are usually from one hour to one and one half hours in duration.

Or Ringing Home

Image Source/ aclu.comThere is time each day where the prisoner's get time to ring home. It all depends on the particular prison and facility in terms of access and time to the phone. But sometimes, prisoners cannot afford the phone charge and so have to limit their calls to once a week. They only have around 3 minutes to speak.

6:30PM: Classes Time

Image Source/ acluAt approximately 6:30 PM the inmates in the prison (the majority at least) may attend classes in the school. Only those who are not seen to be a danger to themselves or others are allowed the liberty of classes. Here they may learn a trade for when they are released on the outside.

Help Sessions

Image Source/ vox.comOr, instead of classes some prisoners find it more beneficial to take part in other activities such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Freedoms Journey Classes or Jaycees group to help overcome their issues and battle addictions they may have.

Some Prisoners Teach/ Lead A Class

Image Source/ Governing.comSome of the prisoners are allowed to teach their own class or lead their own group. It depends on the abilities and talents of the prisoner and their sentence - whether they are trusted enough. So for example some will teach different lessons in reading and writing.

Some Prisoners Go For A Snack

Image Source/ content.timeBecause there is a lot of time between meals the prisoners will often snack throughout the day depending on when their free time is. and so prisoners will perhaps grab fruit or a pot noodle (some bought on the black market within prison) quick easy snacks such as these to eat.

8.30PM: Another Prisoner Count

Image Source/ allprojectAt 8:30 PM, another formal count is conducted where the prison guards go through the entire prison and count the inmates. This is so that every prisoner is counted for and in the right places so that the guards are aware of what is happening.

9PM: Return To Cells

 Image Source/ Time.comAt 9 PM, inmates return to their housing area or cells depending on the kind of prison it is. But, most prisoners in normal prison facilities will have some space where they live. So after 9 at night the prisoner will stay here until morning.

Leisure Time

Image Source/ LA TimesThey are then allowed to watch television, or play checkers, chess, cards or write letters to be sent to loved ones. This is the time leading up to the night time where they have leisure time until the prisoners are supposed to go to sleep until morning time.

11PM: Locked In Cell

Image Source/ prisoninsightAt 11 PM, the inmate is locked into his cell for the night until the day starts again the following day. At this point, the inmates are not allowed outside of the cell and they are all securely locked in by the prison guards to ensure nobody escapes.

The Final Count

Image Source/ theguardianYes, counts happen three times a day in prison. And it's a whole rigorous routine. And, how long it takes completely depends day to day. Not only do they count the prisoners but they also check for other things. The words they use are 'be on your bunks and be visible'.

Lights Off!

Image Source/ doc.stateNow it is time for the day to come to an end, and the lights are dimmed for the night. The prisoners now should go to sleep ready for the early rise in the morning when the day will start to repeat again in the very same manner with the same structure.

Patrolling

Image Source/ ocregisterOf course just because the prisoners are in bed, does not mean the staff and the prison guards are. They will continue to patrol the halls to make sure no trouble is breaking out in the cells and to check everything is okay and in order - they do this until morning.

Want to know the top things movies get wrong about prison life? Whistling or singing isn't as common as you'd think!

image source: reddit.com

A lot of movies depict at least one person whistling in a prison, whether it's the late-night guard strolling up and down with a perky tune, or it's a prisoner in a cell with a song that immediately gets picked up by those in the adjoining cell. In reality, any noise like whistling or singing is just annoying - and the other prison inmates will let that person know that that's definitely the case! So if you were thinking whistling might have been a great group activity to keep spirits up... nope, sadly not.

Most prisons don't even have bars

image source: vox.com

It's a grim sight to see those bars close on a prisoner and have them peer woefully through while clutching them tightly - it's a scene we know far too well from most prison movies. And when you think of a prison, the image you conjure is probably a long corridor with bars on cells. But in reality, it's mostly plexiglass that's used in prisons in modern day (so if the movie is set in an older period of time, we'll forgive them!) rather than the bars on both doors and windows. Doesn't really have the same effect when you're staring through, though.

It's so, so boring

image source: reddit.com

This one's interesting because, by modern day standards, there's a lot more to keep prisoners entertained than there was in older prisons (like games consoles, TVs and recreational rooms). But apparently nothing can beat the boredom that most prisoners feel in prison. We suppose it all depends on the sentence length, of course, but we imagine doing the same thing every day - even if it passes the time - can get very very boring, very very fast! Even if you decided to read a good book to pass the time you'd have it finished in a day.

A lot of inmates actually want to do some work

image source: vox.com

You can probably think of a fair few scenes from movies that see the prisoners taking a break from some hard labor - usually in blazing sun where they're sweating too much - and then complaining about all the work they have to do, and fighting amongst themselves. In reality, the inmates actually love working - and want to work - and mainly because it's so boring (as we mentioned!) that there's nothing else to do! Any sort of work keeps them busy, and they're going to be happy about that. Hard work surely makes the hours fly by faster.

A big reason for inmates fighting can actually be over jobs

image source: reddit.com

We see a lot of inmates fight in prisons in movies and TV shows, and in reality of course prisoners fight each other a lot, but the reason might not be what you think. Because it can get so boring - and because prisoners actually want a job or two to fill the hours of the day - they can actually fight amongst themselves about who gets the job! In an ideal world to pass the time, they'd all get a job to do, but if there are more prisoners than there are jobs, then inevitably people are going to want to fight it out over who gets them.

And they're so desperate the jobs they're fighting over are pretty mundane/gross!

image source: reddit.com

Think about the last time you were actually happy to take out the trash. We bet it never happened, right? Because who'd be happy about taking out the trash? Well, bored inmates apparently. They'd be so happy to take out the trash they'd even fight other inmates for the privilege. This puts it into perspective how boring it can be, and how important those little jobs can be, because even a 10 minute job to the dumpster outside to put some bags in can be something worth fighting over. They definitely don't show that in the movies - but maybe it's because it's too basic!

Prisoners can't light up whenever they want

image source: reddit.com

Regardless of what's happening with the laws of smoking in public places in the real world, there's no denying that most TV shows and movies show inmates lighting up a cigarette quite a lot - even trading cigarettes, smuggling them or using them in a friendly game of poker! In reality, there's actually a strict rule about smoking, as some prisons can be completely smoke free - meaning inmates have to have designated smoking breaks during the day, and can't smoke at any other time, and especially not just chilling in their cell.

Most inmates actually want to behave and get out

image source: reddit.com

We can understand why it's depicted this way in movies because it wouldn't be half as dramatic or fun to watch if every single inmate was on their best behavior, keeping their heads down. But in real prisons, most inmates just want to keep their gold record going for as long as possible so they can just get on with it, and hopefully get out there early if good behavior means their sentence might be reduced! Apart from fighting over bin duties, of course - because it's apparently so boring you'd risk it all for that, at least for some inmates!

There is only a certain type of criminal that would be targeted for prison violence

image source: brookings.edu

Most movies and TV shows that show prison behavior give off this "everyone is fair game" vibe, where the victim of another prisoner's violence will just be whoever they woke up and picked for that day. A lot of the time you see the nervous prison newbie being bullied by the old-timers, but in reality it's not really the case. Most prison violence is targeted at a very specific criminal, so you're not just going to get beat up if you're in there for petty theft. The biggest targets are p**dophiles, or members of gangs who are targeted by rival gangs.

The 'dropping the soap' thing is just a misconception

image source: reddit.com

Let's be honest, we've all heard at least a million jokes about dropping a bar of soap in the showers in a prison, and what can then happen as a result of that - we all know the idea, and we've all seen a violent altercation in the showers in at least one prison movie, haven't we? But this whole thing about dropping the soap definitely needs to be put to bed, because according to some ex-inmates who have been there and done that (prison we mean, not dropping soap) it just doesn't happen the way the movies have you believe.

And there's typically less sex-related violence than you'd think

image source: reddit.com

In the same vein, a lot of prison movies or TV shows make it look like 99% of the prisoners in there have been in there for so long, and are so starved of physical touch or affection, that most of the violence is something sex-related or because one person wants to go after another. In reality, and especially in male prisons, it doesn't happen, and according to a former inmate, it's rare for a man to go after another who isn't interested. That doesn't mean there still can't be violence in this way, but it usually has another reason behind it - like teaching a lesson, or revenge for something.

They let prisoners wander about more than you'd expect

image source: reddit.com

We usually see prisoners having a lot of surveillance on them at all times in movies and shows, like at least one guard standing in the background of a shot - at least for those moments before they somehow corner a newbie prisoner alone in the laundry room where there isn't a guard in sight. In real prisoners, inmates are allowed to stroll about on their own or make their own way around more than you'd expect, with guards giving them a bit more leeway. We guess if the outside walls are impenetrable, there's not many places they could go part from wandering around inside where they're supposed to be anyway!

Most inmates in a prison are there for mistakes or minor crimes

image source: buzzfeed.com

We see a lot of dangerous, hardened and violent criminals in movies, most of the time you have the odd person who's there for something minor, an accident or something they didn't do (usually the main character). 99% of the guys in there are usually rough and tough and not to be messed with. In real life, most of the inmates you'd find in a prison are usually there because they got involved with a bad situation, or made one mistake, and that's also why they just want to keep their heads down and do their time before going back out into society! That obviously applies to the general prisons, and not those high-security for the worst kind of crimes, of course.

A lot of prisoners will share good advice with each other

image source: reasonmagazine.com

Prisoners will obviously talk to each other and make friends amongst the other prisoners, but it's rare we see that happening so much in movies. You usually have the main guy make a nice best friend and then the rest of the prisoners barely speak to them. In real life, it's not unheard of for prisoners to band together and actually show compassion, as well as sharing real life advice. Especially from older prisoners who have been in there longer, sharing what they've learned to younger/new prisoners who might have just made a mistake on the outside.

Prisons can be swamped with mentally ill people

image source: radiofreeeurope.com

We know that in movies you usually have a very specific prison - or psychiatric hospital - for movies focused on those with mental issues, and then in regular prisons you maybe have one 'guy down the hall' who people don't like being around. In reality, as we know, mental illness is a struggle a lot of people have on the day to day, and prison life is no different. In real prisons, there are so many people struggling with mental illness that the majority of the prisoners will actually be struggling with mental illness in some shape or form.

Sometimes, there aren't toilets

image source: reddit.com

One thing that's a key feature in movies and TV shows is always a working toilet. Whether it's one individual toilet in a cell, with a full seat, cistern and lever, or if it's one of those full bathroom situations. This is one thing you'd think that actually movies would tone down for dramatic effect (like in reality every prison has a shiny new toilet, whereas in the movies they only have a hole in the ground and it's awful). But the truth is, some prisons in real life don't always have a proper, workable toilet and - yep - it might just be a hole in the ground.

And prisoners trying to clog toilets for a distraction? Never happens

image source: reddit.com

And this is mostly because it can't physically happen! For starters, guards and people in charge of the prison will know full well that that's something a prisoner might try, so they're going to do anything they can to make it not happen. The toilets are built to withstand more than what you throw at your average toilet, which means they're definitely not easy to clog! On top of that, inmates in real prisons don't win a lifetime supply of toilet paper, so they definitely wouldn't have enough in one go to clog a toilet.

Cops don't usually have a weapon in the interview room

image source: soflostudio.com

Most cop shows or interview scenes from movies, where the detective or beat cop is sitting across the table from a suspect - or a convicted felon - will show the cop with everything he usually has on his person, like his gun at his belt or his phone in his jacket pocket. Nope - doesn't usually happen. In reality, a cop would have to turn that all in at the front desk before entering the interview room, and would especially have to turn in their weapon. Cellphones and guns specifically would have to be taken off them at the front gate.

Guards are actually kind to prisoners in trouble

image source: reddit.com

Most guards in movies get a bad rap - we're not saying all of them, but if it's not relevant to the story, then most prison guards will be depicted as either uncaring or not noticing what's going on with a prisoner's behavior. In real life, most prison guards - if not all - will actually care about prisoners who are suffering. If a prison isn't eating and intentionally starving themselves, they'll try their best to get that prisoner to eat and coax them through the door. Likewise, they might also be concerned about any mental health struggles like depression and try to talk it out.

One thing they did get right... Morgan Freeman!

image source: uk.movies.yahoo.com

Morgan Freeman can do no wrong, let's face it, and one of his most iconic roles was of course in The Shawshank Redemption, where he played the main character's best prison bud and also had his recognizable voice sound as the narrator. Well, funnily enough, of all the things that prison movies got wrong... the one thing they might have got right is that a lot of old-timers in prison actually do talk like Morgan Freeman (we mean the sage advice and wisdom he has, not so much his actual voice! Unless the prisoner happens to do a very good Morgan Freeman impression...).