Urban Incarceration: Life Behind The Bars (pt-2)

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Transcript

Introduction to Urban Incarceration

Speaker 1 0:01

If you have ever been told by someone that you're not capable of attaining success, if you have made mistakes or lived in an underprivileged neighborhood, then this podcast is for you. You are now locked in to Struggle to Success. Struggle to Success aims to inspire individuals to navigate life's challenges with courage, fortitude and unwavering determination. So if you're in your car jogging or somewhere else trying to find the calm in the storm, then join Struggle to Success airing every other Saturday. Remember life is trial. Stay focused.

Speaker 2 0:37

Hello, wonderful people. Welcome to part one of Urban Incarceration, titled Life Behind the Bars, where we're pulling back the curtain on daily struggles and survival tactics of urban inmates. But this isn't just about them. It's also about what it's really like to work inside a county jail from an officer's perspective. So let's step inside. Every day, after I walk through the front glass doors and clear the metal detector, I grab the cold steel handle of the first metal door and wait to hear that familiar buzzing sound, the signal that I'm about to cross into another world. One metal door after another locks behind me. In that moment, I'm fully inside A place governed by strict routines, heartened by necessity and charged with tension. Life behind bars isn't just the inmate's reality, it's mine too. I've come to understand that doing time isn't just for the incarcerated. Officers like me serve time in our own way, one shift at a time. In this episode, I'm giving you a look inside my experiences working behind bars. We'll talk about the daily routines that define prison life, the survival tactics that keeps order, and the harsh realities of violence and psychological strain. My goal is to give you a professional, yet personal, glimpse into the correctional environment raw, honest and real.

First Day as a Correctional Officer

Speaker 2 2:00

I still remember my first day as a correctional officer. It was right around the time that COVID-19 pandemic was getting worse. I was nervous, excited and completely unprepared for what was waiting for me behind those pod doors. As I walked into the facility for the first time, my field training officer, fto, gave me some advice Keep your head up, don't overthink it and remember, pick your battles. At that time I nodded like I understood, but I had no clue on how much weight those words carried. The moment that steel door slammed shut behind me, I was hit with the sounds, the smells and the stares the echo of distant shouts, the cold, sterile scent of concrete and disinfectant and the feeling of inmates watching me through reinforced glass sizing up the new rookie. It felt like I had stepped into another world In a surreal way. I had been there before, on the other side. I knew this kind of environment. It had its own rules and its own language. One thing was clear Showing fear was like bleeding in shark-infested waters. The inmates could sense it. So I walked the tears with my FTO, staying cool and controlled.

Speaker 2 3:09

Respect is a currency inside these walls. A group of inmates tested me right away. Nothing drastic, just jokes about my boots. You know the things that they would do when they see a new rookie. I didn't lose my cool, I didn't lose my temper, I didn't show any weakness. I remember that advice Stay calm, stay consistent. One morning an older inmate came to me and said you all right, you didn't disrespect us. It was a small comment, but it stuck with me. It showed me that treating people firmly and fairly could earn cooperation and even respect.

Speaker 2 3:43

That first day, when I finally walked out after my shift, I felt a strange mix of exhaustion and accomplishment. I had made it through without any incidents, but my mind was spinning. Nothing in the training fully prepared me for the reality inside. I quickly realized as an officer, I just wasn't an enforcer. I was a guardian, a negotiator, sometimes even a confidant, and I had to play all those roles while never dropping my guard. That was day one. From the personal trial by fire.

Speaker 2 4:16

I soon learned that survival in this environment, for both officers and inmates, comes down to routine, vigilance and understanding the unwritten rule of the prison life that complacency will get you hurt, even worse, killed, inside a prison. Routine isn't just a schedule, it's survival. For inmates and officers alike, every day is governed by the clock and the rules, working the graveyard shift. I take count at least 32 times. I walk the block counting heads, making sure everyone is accounted for. It might seem tedious, but accuracy is literally life or death. A simple meal can turn into a fight. A casual conversation can be the start of a setup.

Routine and Survival Inside

Speaker 2 4:58

As an officer, I enforce these routines escorting inmates, supervising recreation, making rounds, checking cells and confiscating contraband whenever possible. It's repetitive and methodical by design. The routine keeps a fragile order in place that could easily explode into chaos. Yet the rigid structure. Everyone finds their own survival tactics. Inmates adapt to the strict rules and limited resources. I've seen all kinds of makeshift weaponry. They negotiate for everything a bar of soap, a stick of deodorant, extra blanket, even taller paper becomes currency. As an officer, we have our own survival tactics. We rely on each other. We develop a sixth sense, always keeping one eye and ear open to the mood of the block, and sometimes we use dark humor to get through the stress.

Speaker 2 5:50

Prison life is a grind. It's monotonous. Still, we all know that at any moment that routine can be shattered by violence. The daily grind provides structure and stability until suddenly it doesn't. Next I'll share what happens when the routine is shattered by violence and how those moments reveal the harshest truth. Working behind the bars, violence is always lurking. We train for it, we expect it, but when it happens, it happens suddenly and fast.

When Violence Shatters the Routine

Speaker 2 6:16

One morning I was working another block when a nurse was making her rounds. Out of nowhere, an inmate sucker punched the senior officer. Instinct took over. I rushed in trying to pin the inmate down as he kept swinging. The call for officer assistance went out by the time it was over. The inmate was cuffed, the officer had a bruised ego and I had a broken radius and a torn rotator cuff. My adrenaline was so high I didn't even realize it until I tried to move my arm.

Speaker 2 6:45

This is the reality of prison violence, and it takes a toll. Many officers carry invisible scars. We act tough, but inside it affects us. Some officers turn to alcohol to cope. Others lose their families because they can't leave the job at the gate. Studies show that correctional officers experience PTSD at rates higher than combat veterans. Some make it and some don't. Suicide rates among correctional officer staff are nearly double those of police officers and the general public. And it's not just officers. Inmates suffer the psychological weight of incarceration too. Living in a place ruled by violence, isolation and control leaves deep marks on the mind. But prison isn't just about time served. It leaves lasting scars. In part two we'll explore the psychological toll of incarceration, the trauma inmates carry, the coping mechanisms they develop and what that means for life after prison. Thank you for walking a mile in my boots today. If this episode resonates with you, please share it with someone. These conversations matter, and please go on Apple Podcasts and rate our show. It helps get the message out there. Until next time, remember life is trials. Stay focused.

The Psychological Toll

Speaker 1 8:00

Thanks for checking out this episode of Struggle2 Success. Thanks for checking out this episode of Struggle to Success. To connect with the show, you can email us at struggle2success. p@ gmailcom. Make sure you like and subscribe so that you never miss an episode.

Speaker 2 8:17

And remember life is trials. Stay focused.