*Warning: The use of an explicit word will be used.
September has quickly been passing. The scents of fall have been in the air, and even the rainy, cooler weather this week. I wanted to briefly capture one element of prison/jail culture that is very real. Don’t use the B-word toward another guy. Recently, a relative had been temporarily incarcerated. While waiting in jail, another guy called him a “bitch.” This five-letter word signals to others that a fight is about to brew. Calling someone the B-word is immediate grounds to fight, whether both parties agree or not. The fight usually lasts no more than two minutes. Typically, most fights occur in the bathroom, which is the most private area of the prison where video surveillance is prohibited.
For my relative, the other guy asked him to go to the bathroom, where they duked it out. A few punches, red marks, and busted lip later, the fight stops. Rarely, a correctional officer will break up the scrimmage, but eventually an officer will inquire about any black-eyes or physical marks that seem like an altercation took place. At least here in Morgantown, the officers take fighting very seriously. For instance, one guy was fielding a ground softball. The softball hit a bump in the ground and flew up into the guy’s eye. He had a black eye for about two weeks. He was questioned about the situation and even had to have other inmates make a statement that they saw the incident happen. Thankfully the officers take this matter seriously and do all that they can to prevent situations from occurring and appropriately deal with those that do. My relative was not so lucky. He ended up being sent to the hole or the isolated holding area much like solitary confinement (23 hours per day within a cell and about 30-60 minutes of being able to exit the cell to shower and exercise in another confined area).
Unfortunately, if another guy does call another guy the B-word, then a fight imminent. This reality of prison is not the best, but it really helps to know what words to use and definitely not use in this situation. Since I am at a prison camp, I do not have the custodial limitations of being in a cell, where this sort of fighting escalates. Another stark reality in those situations is someone having your back. This is a dire situation where race becomes an issue. Upon entering prison, an inmate has to make the decision to either be independent or join a “car”. A car is just another way of saying that the person aligns with either a black, white, latino group. Think about a car as the group that you “ride” with through an incarceration experience. Again, being in a prison camp, I do not have to think about joining a car or figuring out whether I would be forced to fight for being called the B-word. Subtly, for guys that have been “in the system”, meaning that they came from higher security levels and moved down to a camp, the reality of a car still exists with them. Little did I know what jargon I would learn from this experience!
I am very grateful to be in a camp setting without having to deal with the under currents known as “prison politics,” especially with trying to figure out which “car” to join or not join. Also, I’m grateful that my environment is safe, and I do not feel any sense of threat or harm…I don’t anticipate calling any one the B-word or any other derogatory name for that matter. Thank you for taking the time to read this and continue to look for those little miracles! Have a wonderful week!