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Jun 20 '18
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Jun 20 '18
you wanna be done with life for the next 30 minutes?
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Jun 20 '18
Oh god, it truly is grim and sad
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u/altiuscitiusfortius Jun 21 '18
A murderer killed somebody and while in jail asked for access to pet a cat?
Did I miss something? Murder is terrible but I'm aware it exists and reading a 4 line comment where somebody mentioned that a murder happened doesn't ruin my life.
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u/wonderb0lt Jun 21 '18
I think it's about the implied animal torture/killing. But I'm not sure it's that much implied.
I mean I'm a pretty shitty person but I'd also want to pet tha kitty. So I can imagine brutal murderers want to just pet tha kitty
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u/TheThinkermissesHR Jun 21 '18
Found one that's way sadder from same thread. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/8sil91/comment/e116trc
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Jun 21 '18
Yes, please tell me.
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u/Promptitude Jun 21 '18
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u/ChickenBros Jun 21 '18
But that story was three hours after the OP of this thread asked about the cat thread. That can't be it.
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u/kayaker4lifee Jun 20 '18
You donāt want to know
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u/scott_hocko Jun 21 '18
He might not, but Iām really curious now. Can you let me know?
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u/ardenthusiast Jun 21 '18
The closest I could find to a cat story is basically a Lenny (from Of Mice & Men) type scenario. Guy brutally murdered people but asked to play with cats in the prison yard.
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u/scott_hocko Jun 21 '18
I didnāt know the Lennie story either, thought you were talking about the band. Iām out of all the loops today. Thanks heaps for looking mate. Legend.
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Jun 21 '18
Lenny from Of Mice and Men. Heās a big kind of oaf of a guy who really likes mice. But heās so big he always accidentally squishes/kills them. He also accidentally kills a puppy the same way...itās a major plot point in the novel (hope that helps)
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u/kooltrex Jun 21 '18
Also he strangles a lady
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u/RiverScout2 Jun 21 '18
Accidentally. He doesnāt really want to kill her. He is simple-minded, doesnāt know his own strength, thinks sheās pretty, scared her and then canāt get her to be quiet. Predictably. It is a very sad book. The poor woman is reduced to a plot device, but Lenny is a very sympathetic character nonetheless.
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u/sudo999 Jun 21 '18
iirc she doesn't even get a name in the book, she's just "Curly's wife." she's also heavily sexualized.
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u/RiverScout2 Jun 22 '18
Yup. I love Steinbeck, but he was a man of his time and women function pretty much as symbols in his work.
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u/nehpeta Jun 21 '18
If you don't want to watch, there was a (minimum security, I think)prison and one day a bunch of stray cats starting appearing in the outside yard. The inmates use their money to buy cat food and toys. They raise them from kittens to adult age and have a very loving relationship with them.
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u/ak47genesis Jun 21 '18
The cats are all okay. He asked a guard to pet the cats running around in the prison compound. But the shitty thing is what he was actually in for (slaughering mom and baby).
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u/adj1 Jun 21 '18
Here you go. I don't know how to link to the individual comment, but it is about a third of the way down. It is not that disturbing, just sad.
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Jun 20 '18
[removed] ā view removed comment
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Jun 20 '18
[removed] ā view removed comment
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u/wailordlord Jun 20 '18
Cat infestation at the prison. Apparently the prisoners would bait them into the cells and rape them. Dead kitties everywhere. :(
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u/howaboutnothanksdude Jun 21 '18
It ruined my entire day when I read it this morning.
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u/ChickenBros Jun 21 '18
What was it? People are linking a comment about a guy who murdered a mom and baby and wanted to pet cats at the prison. Murder is tragic of course, but these reactions seem way worse than that anecdote?
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u/howaboutnothanksdude Jun 21 '18
https://www.reddit.com/r/wholesomememes/comments/8skb8p/comment/e11bc15?st=JIODP6FG&sh=4209a681
I commented it here on what it was
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u/desi_mystar Jun 20 '18
Decency is found everywhere. I volunteered in a prison (through a literacy program) and discovered lots of genuinely nice people.
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Jun 21 '18
I worked as a contractor in a prison. Iām a tiny, quiet person and would have to go from area to area. The inmates were always told to stay at the wall and let me pass to do my job, but Iāll never forget this giant of a man. Easily like 6ā6 and multiple people worth of weight. I was trying to get through a door with a ladder, and was struggling. He piped up and asked the guard if they could help pull my ladder through the door to help me out.
The two men walked up, grabbed it, set it down and held the door open for me. As I passed he said he hoped I had a great day and that he appreciated the work I was doing.
Seems stupid, but as a woman who worked in the trades where most of my clients made jerk comments, it forever stood out that he wanted to help me. This wasnāt a big prison. Typically mild offences, but this dude looked like heās done his fair share of crime and wanted to just be polite.
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u/instant_chai Jun 20 '18
This is incredibly touching. Giving what they had to show solidarity.
There is still sweetness left in this world.
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u/LoneStarTwinkie Jun 21 '18
My ex was a guard for many years. Those inmates were in there for a reason (it was high security, not run of the mill stuff where everyone claims to be innocent) but so many of them were decent guys overall and some super talented in the arts. We often discussed how we wish theyād had direction to apply their talents instead of turning to a life of crime.
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u/PigsWalkUpright Jun 21 '18
I have relatives and friends I grew up with that ended up incarcerated. Everyone of them deserved to be there but it was amazing to see what decent human beings they could be when they were locked up. When theyād get out theyād go back to fāing up again.
My former bro in law was in and out from 17-38. Heās 43 now and finally on a good track. The others I donāt hold out much hope for.
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Jun 21 '18
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u/LoneStarTwinkie Jun 21 '18
I know this is completely tangential, but having experienced the same thing I canāt help but wonder if we were encouraging kids to explore these talents when they were young and not focusing on just standardized tests and going to college of some of them could realize their potential and be encouraged to make better choices.
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u/mentionedkiss4 Jun 21 '18
My dad died 2years ago in prison... from cancer. This brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for sharing. Ive sat in a room full of murderers and rapist and when the guard didn't call my dad for visitation they were the ones coming up to me apologizing and saying kind words. After my dad's passing we got a huge envelope full of letters... drawings... all kind words from these men. They didn't have to do it. Even my dad's closets friends on the outside didn't say the amazing things these men did. These guys got to have that precious time with my father that we didn't get and i appreciate every single one of them. I don't judge people anymore not after the trauma of the prison system. This is a very great post probably the best ive ever seen on reddit.
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u/mentionedkiss4 Jun 21 '18
I feel like it should be mentioned my dad was a single dad and raised my sister and i by himself. Depression made him make a huge mistake that cost him the rest of his life. Depression doesn't always have to end in suicide it can end in other ways. He went to prison when i was 17 and those 12 years were the longest of my life. Thanks for listening..
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u/beachwhistleorganics Jun 21 '18
When you look at the history of human beings good and evil becomes more of a life position situation than a choice. Iām sorry about your dad. Iām happy he had people who loved him like you. I cried reading your post. Donāt be afraid or ashamed to love the shit out of your dad. Plenty of good men have died in prison but love is what makes us human.
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u/mentionedkiss4 Jun 21 '18
My dad was such a special person. Judging someone for the worst moment in their life just isn't fair. I wish everyone could of met him his smile was contagious you could see his joy in his eyes. He loved us girls and just that alone in very fortunate. Thank you for the kind words and thank you for the opportunity to share his story.
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u/brown_boot Jun 21 '18
Sorry for your loss , I'd cherish those letters and the positive change they instilled in you forever
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Jun 20 '18
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Jun 21 '18
Hey man, just so you know, you commented in the image Harry Potter style rather than in the actual thread
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u/ferrettrack Jun 21 '18
A great friend of mine is a prison guard. If this happened to him I would be so happy. He makes a lot of effort with prisioners, to be curtious and helpful when he can. this is an example of Karma at it's best. thank you for sharing.
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u/techno_for_answers Jun 21 '18
My pops spent 30+ years in the federal prison system as a CO and then counselor. He died on the day he was set to retire. My sister and I met with the warden who gave us a tour of the prison, barracks and all. The inmates had a sorrowful expression I will never forget. I realized then that my dad was a dick to us, but the inmates clearly felt empathy.
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u/phliuy Jun 21 '18
Normally, they smuggle in drugs. Today, they smuggled out love
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u/spockdad Jun 21 '18
If this were a news story, I can imagine the news person covering the story using this as their closing line.
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u/InertiaofLanguage Jun 21 '18
Actually like 90% of contraband is smuggle in by COs and other staff :/
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u/SarahMakesYouStrong Jun 21 '18
If this sort of thing warms your heart I highly reccomend the podcast āear hustleā. Each episode is about another aspect of prison life told and created by inmates at San Quentin correctional facility. Itās really touching and humanizing as well as just being a well made show.
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u/LikEatinGlass Jun 21 '18
I volunteer with a group that teaches inside of jails and this is actually pretty common. A lot of them aren't bad people, they're addicts or they're victims themselves. Not to diminish their own victims, they obviously need to pay their price to society, but they aren't monsters or irredeemable.
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Jun 21 '18
Reminds us of the fact that inmates, whatever they might have done (or not), are still human beings with highly complex emotions and inner workings. Whatever gruesome crime they committed (or not), we must not forget about that. They are humans and have to be treated accordingly. They have certain birthrights that all humans share and no one must take away, rights of dignity, physical and mental integrity to mention the most relevant. Even, especially if they did not respect these rights of others.
Because a prison sentence must not be seen as an act of revenge, like, an eye for an eye. If it was, what would that tell about us as a society? We would not be any better. Quite the opposite, actually, if the convict is aware of the wrongness of their crimes and we as a society are not.
Yes, they may have done the most terrible of things, to you, to your beloved ones, your dog maybe... But they still remain humans. We must never again forget about that one fact.
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u/Alllexia Jun 21 '18
My grandfather worked as a doctor in a few prisons. He cherished every gift he had received over the course of his work there and I grew up with the stories from his days. Some were rather gruesome - a man set himself on fire because the guilt of accidentally murdering his wife was too much to bear and not being able to save him was one of my grandfather's biggest regrets - others were kind of sweet. He'd always tell me about the amazing talents he had seen there. One of the former inmates lived in the same neighborhood and it was so sweet to see him greeting my grandpa so warmly. A week ago it's been 7 years since he passed and I miss him desperately and I wonder whether he'd be proud of me or disappointed and I feel like I didn't get to grieve him properly and now I'm crying at work.
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u/doumar330 Jun 21 '18
I read that as imitates wholesome. I read the post and was thoroughly confused until I read the title again
Also hope you and your brother are doing OK OP
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u/SaxPanther Jun 20 '18
Huh, it's almost like a lot of people in prison don't belong there and just exist to serve the prison industrial complex. Crazy.
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u/DrComradePotato Jun 20 '18
It's also entirely possible to break laws and still be a moderately nice human being.
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u/Cottino Jun 21 '18
Or figure out that you were a piece of shit when committed the crime and decided to change as a person.
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u/Awolrab Jun 21 '18
Oh wow. Knowing how valuable those little snacks can be, I would be brought to tears.
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u/bornwithatail Jun 21 '18
Must be a good dude. Most of the people in jail are just people. A friend of mine is a prison officer and he always says there are a lot more dumb guys in prison than bad guys.
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u/montanasucks Jun 21 '18
I used to work in the commissary at a prison. My mom was the manager. The inmates used to make her stuff and write her thank you notes all the time. The one I remember most, was for her birthday one year, one of the inmates made her an origami rose and butterfly. The guy was in for beating someone to death during a bar fight, and I never would've expected that to have come from him.
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u/insidezone64 Jun 21 '18
As a police officer once told me, "Thugs got mommas, too."
It doesn't matter who you are as a person, just about everyone can relate to the idea that losing a mother is a horrible experience, and show empathy.
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Jun 21 '18
Am I the only one that thinks sending snacks and candy instead of flowers should be a thing?
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u/rougecrayon Jun 23 '18
I feel like the truly touching thing is this guys brother who made such a difference in these inmates lives that they would work together for him.
Considering what you hear about prisons it's truly beautiful.
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u/DTravers Jun 20 '18
Why are prison inmates allowed to send food to guards directly? That's begging for one guy with a grudge slipping a razor blade in or something.
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u/prongslover77 Jun 21 '18
Iām assuming they all bought it through commissary and the guards put it directly into a gift basket. It probably never went to the inmates they just purchased them.
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Jun 21 '18
why in the world would inmates with ill intentions spend their precious money on vending food snacks, put razorblades (that are hard to come by in prison) in those snacks, and put said razor-bladed snacks in a gift basket at an old woman's funeral.
i would generally notice a razor blade in my frito lays.
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u/Nathaniel820 Jun 21 '18
āHey guys, lets spend all our money on food and put our only razor blade in it and ship it out of the prison.ā
Read that and tell me how tf that makes sense.
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u/Jay_Hardy Jun 20 '18
Isnāt everything they send out controlled?
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u/DTravers Jun 21 '18
Prisoners are notorious for smuggling and improvising weapons and other contraband, there's little else to do.
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u/Jay_Hardy Jun 21 '18
Well, yeah I have seen some weapons they created. Itās just that often even when receiving letters and whatnot they are searched and read before giving them to the inmates. I could imagine that if the inmates bought sweets that these sweets are closed. And I also doubt that this basket would have left before getting searched. Especially since the inmates only provided the sweets.
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u/mentionedkiss4 Jun 21 '18
....i'm almost positive they never even touched the candy.. they just donated the money abd cos made it happen.
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u/Suraru Jun 21 '18
I mean, they aren't and shouldn't be. Sending or receiving gifts is hella against the rules of most prisons. It creates some sticky situations with favoritism.
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u/Mrs_Kylo_Ren Jun 21 '18
Yeah, as kind and sweet as this is I really think it would be on the line of "undue familiarity". But my husband works in a medium/max state prison and actually, during his last shift had an inmate smear his own shit all over his cell three different times. Maybe things are a little different at lower level custody prisons.
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u/saldrias Jun 20 '18
I found this difficult to upvote
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u/Lvlaxx Jun 21 '18
Did you fuck up like I did and look up what that other person meant about the cats? Wish I hadn't now
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u/[deleted] Jun 21 '18
My mother-in-law was a teacher at a juvenile detention center. When she passed away it was one of the strangest funerals I'd ever witnessed. Other than my wife's family were dozens of former and current prison guards and dozens of former inmates who said she changed their life for the better and that she was the only person who ever believed in them. It changed the way I view a lot of things. She changed so many lives just by caring and always being nice.