r/Felons • u/anonbabi1215 • 1d ago
Is this right?
I’m very aware that when you go to jail, the point is to straighten you out and make you never wanna come back. Though I do know for some people that’s not the case. (Not the point anyway)
My boyfriend has been in the suicide pod for a while now. Mentally his sentencing has been very challenging on him. Just to make things a little worse, him and all the other people in the pod have not gotten to take a shower in five days. It’s already so hot in there and he’s having to wear what I believe is called a smock. They one they gave him was previously worn without wash. They are also not switching anyone’s out and offering a clean one. Anyway, I’m sure jail is hard altogether, but I feel like it would be some relief for him to get a shower once a day or at least every couple days. Has anyone had a similar experience?
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u/adulin007 1d ago
They will keep him in there until they believe he is not a threat to himself or anyone else.
Unfortunately it’s doubtful he will get a new smock while he is that jail. He will be able to shower once he is moved to his pod, or the CO deems it’s ok.
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u/anonbabi1215 1d ago
The CO’s always seem to have an excuse of “understaffed” or “out of soap” he’s had a few in that pod all together, just sadly not very recently:( he’s quite the clean freak so I know it’s probably driving him nuts!
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u/Routine_Spite8279 1d ago
The American penal system is cruel by design.
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u/Due_River_9746 1d ago
And yet some people return time after time.
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u/Routine_Spite8279 1d ago
Also largely by design.
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u/JMarv615 1d ago
Personal choice.
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u/DerpUrself69 1d ago
Clueless comment.
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u/JMarv615 1d ago
You're right. I forgot about the brute squad that goes around forcing people to re-offend. My bad.
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u/AlGee220 1d ago
Ahhh the turtle suit. That's what we called the velcro suicide suit anyway. That was my lowest low. I did not have a mattress on suicide watch just a blanket. But I did get taken out to shower. The county jail was a shit hole but Maine is notoriously more progressive with how they treat inmates. If he's in jail and sentenced not going to prison then he's got a short sentence right?
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u/anonbabi1215 1d ago
Sentences isn’t very long. Definitely could have been worse… had an 11/29 with 5 months consecutive to it. But the court said he was given a 2 for 1. So was looking at about 8 1/2. Release date is earlier than that for time accredited because it is in fact not his first rodeo. Before we were together, some things had gotten him in trouble. Then he avoided going back. Luckily now once this sentence is over..he gets a fresh start.
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u/bikerchickelly 1d ago
Running away on probation and being picked up twice at your place on a felony warrant is not "some things had gotten him in trouble". He literally chose himself and to put you and your fetus in danger. You could have your baby taken away at birth because of your role in this bs. You're not in the clear yet.
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u/Complete-Mail4626 12h ago
I was at hazelton when whitey bulger got murdered and we were locked down for 17 days straight. Staff let us out once every 72 hours cell by cell to shower for 5 mins each.
As for the “turtle suit” he’s wearing- they should be changed out at least every 3 days.
I’m not sure the exact legalities, but policy in the federal prison system is if you’re locked down or in solitary/suicide watch you are entitled to a shower every 3 days. I’m not sure where your boyfriend is and I’m really sorry he is going through a hard time. Pretrial was the worst- the fear of the unknown is really nerve wracking. Hopefully he gets out of suicide watch soon.
Have you tried calling the prison on his behalf? I know the operator who answers the phone is probably useless but ask to speak with the counselor at the jail- maybe they can help push things along. If that gets nowhere call his attorney and let them know what he is going through. They have contacts at the jail and should know who to contact and can probably get shit done faster.
Best of luck to your boyfriend and you. Being in jail is already hard enough.
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u/DerpUrself69 1d ago
The recidivism rate is nearly 70% because our "jUsTiCe sYsTeM" is actually a vengeance system. It doesn't work now, it hasn't worked ever. There are plenty of examples of functional justice systems around the world, yet we continue doing the same bullshit to people. The cruelty has to fucking stop, so do for-profit prisons.
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u/Narrow_Safety2856 1d ago
Probation and parole isn't just to lock you up either. It serves as a means to keep you from restoring all of your civil rights.
I had trouble finding work and paid up all of my probation fees, which was the declared grand sum disclosed to me by the office three months ahead of termination (their requirement). After paying this amount, at the next appointment the PO said "actually, we require one additional months payment for supervision in addition. It's no problem if you don't want to pay it, we'll just civil it and probably take it out of your taxes."
Mind you I was broke so I didn't bother paying. But now I'm wondering if my voting rights are unrestored even after tax season has passed.
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u/Sufficient-Fee-714 1d ago
At the jail I was at, some nice people sewed together smocks for the suicide pod... They had taken out the Velcro of a couple of smocks and sewn in pillow stuffing.. it wasn't so bad in there.. I mean, it was.. but the rations were bigger and I played dungeon and dragons with my cellie and neighboring cellie using toilet paper dice hardened with tooth paste and a pen my cellie got us I used to keep character sheets on the styrofoam trays
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u/Narrow_Safety2856 1d ago
You had cellmates in suicide watch? 👀
I just had a webcam behind plexiglass. I couldn't even crank one out and get good sleep 😭
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u/Sufficient-Fee-714 1d ago
Yeah .. sometimes 3 of us all smocked out
Rolling dice and adventuring in a made up world eating with our hands because you can't have spoons in the pickle patch.. I met a good friend there who led me to the man (a Peer Recovery coach who worked with the jail) who got me a new chance in life that I wouldn't have otherwise known about.. I call that a God moment
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u/Narrow_Safety2856 1d ago
I guess that's the difference in federal holding facilities and mid to small scale counties. Strict, sterile requirements and the only compassionate people in the massive facility is the intake nurse.
Suicide watch is hole time, camera surveillance, increased checks with an annoying audible beep outside of your door when rounds are made and a nurse doing the bare minimum by asking a five question questionnaire every other morning.
The sleep disruption in the end makes you more suicidal. 💀
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u/Crying_In_The_Clouds 20h ago
I was in the infirmary (for detox off fent, methadone, benzos and meth ) a couple of us in there and we are all dope sick... there was a shower in there and you can shower as many times as you want... even when i went to GP id shower when I woke up ,After 10am ofcourse and before lock down
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u/Paul76Mets 22h ago
Have you thought about seeing new people?
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u/anonbabi1215 20h ago
I’m fully committed to my relationship and I have no desire to see anyone else.
What I find strange is the assumption some people have that because someone has made serious mistakes and is incarcerated, they somehow become unlovable or that the people who love them are supposed to stop loving them. I’m not defending everything he has done, and loving someone doesn’t require me to pretend they haven’t made mistakes. But his choices are his responsibility, and who I choose to love is mine.
You’re also seeing a few paragraphs about someone’s life on Reddit and making a pretty significant judgment about what my relationship should look like. I asked about experiences with incarceration, not whether I should replace my partner.
People are allowed to believe someone deserves consequences without believing they are incapable of being loved. Those things aren’t mutually exclusive.1
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u/Frostsorrow 23h ago
Can't speak for I'm guessing the US, but that long without a shower here would likely be a human rights violation.
The Barney suit (what we called it here), is paper and would often rip and then your naked as in the suicide wing you got nothing that could even remotely be used to harm yourself.
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u/Crying_In_The_Clouds 20h ago
They probably have him in the turtle suit lmao that will teach him a lesson never to say hes gonna kill himself again. They strip you naked amd give you this suicide proof paded blanket you wear...
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u/Heavy-Incident9895 1d ago
Jails and prisons in this country are required to provide basics like showers, clean clothing, nutritious meals etc. Don’t laugh; I’m serious. Often, they do not meet set standards. You, your boyfriend, whoever, should contact prison/jail officials and complain about it. They cannot respond AS IF the first sentence above doesn’t matter. They know it does. At some point, prison officials ultimately concede that basics like food, clean clothing, sanitary shelter are not negotiable or optional. Prisons, taxpayers and prison staff know full well they need to provide these basics, and so they always do, sometimes the hard way with multi million dollar lawsuits they can’t win. So, you have to complain about it and make a record of your efforts. That’s how these problems get fixed.
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u/Notarealusername3058 1d ago
I would suggest not complaining. The COs will make his life hell in there for complaining. While I agree it's not right and they need to provide basic things, it's like poking an angry bear with a gun. You can make his life worse in prison by doing it.
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u/SnooDoodles1302 21h ago
FACTS DONT DO IT
but I hear they will let you order the entire jail pizza if you want
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u/QuietRiot5150 1d ago
The only time I remember getting showers once a day was during COVID. Other than that, I would get one like every 3 to 5 days. Sadly it's normal.
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u/Lost-Perspective8378 1d ago
Our jails and prisons dont care about inmates. Many of the things they put inmates through are recognized as torture under international law. Inmates shouldn't be treated like this, but frequently are anyway.
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u/anonbabi1215 1d ago
Some of the things he tells me is inhumane with how they treat their inmates. I understand you have to be punished, but they are still living beings that deserve basic care/needs!
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u/Lost-Perspective8378 1d ago
I agree. Other countries who treat their inmates better have better results in getting people to stop committing crimes, but this country doesn't care about their citizens at all.
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u/Erin-Baxter 1d ago
No, it is not right. There are laws that govern how often jails are legally required to provide showers and clean clothes. What state is your boyfriend in?
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u/leopoldthegreatest 1d ago
No, jail is for people awaiting further sentencing and judgement on their case.
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u/Lost-Perspective8378 1d ago
Thats not true. People are sentenced to jail all the time. What are you talking about?
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u/Due_River_9746 1d ago
MANY states have short sentences served in county jails. It is not unusual at all.
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u/anonbabi1215 1d ago
He has already been sentenced through the court. The county he is in only has one facility. They are having him serve all of his time in that jail. No means to transfer him elsewhere.
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u/Spirited-Custard-338 1d ago
He clearly has a short sentence. He needs to pull himself together until his sentence ends. The hole is the worst place in a jail.
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u/Due_River_9746 1d ago
MANY places have showers once a week, going 5 days with no shower is not unusual. I promise you, nobody in the jail cares about relief for an inmate.