Reality of living life in Jail
If more of today’s children knew the true reality of living life in jail; they may choose to take a much different course. Television has made jail and prison look like an easy piece of cake. Glorifying the gangs and the so-called freedom among inmates. This is just edited television that does not show the tears and hurt; the loneliness and despair; the emptiness and heaviness of your heart and the violence and disease and death that surrounds you every single minute of the day.
The reality of living life in jail is: loneliness, freedom less, emptiness, and many times estrangement from the ones you hold most dear. To wake up every morning in an overcrowded jail with strangers in an 8×10 cell; being told when to eat and what to eat; never having any say whatsoever in any aspect of your life is just part of the reality. You are cut off completely from the world and those you love. You cannot even make a simple choice of picking up the phone and calling home without asking permission first. In some jails, you are locked down 21 out of 24 hours a day and are only let out of the “cage” to eat or have 15 minutes of yard time. Reality doesn’t set in until the shock of it all wears off. Then you wake up one morning and realize that you have absolutely no freedom; no time alone; no closeness with your family; no bathing when you want too and no bathroom break without at least one, if not two people staring you in the face. Every right you had on the outside doesn’t exist inside those jail walls and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it but pray. Even the simplest of pleasures such as sugar in your coffee, a soda, being able to eat a candy bar when ever you want too; it’s all taken away because of your selfishness and stupidity. Sometimes you aren’t even allowed to read books or watch television; I guess it depends on the County you are stuck in. Having to sign up for visitation and hoping that you get an open time slot that is suitable for your visitor; if not then you just don’t get a visit. Not being able to hug your children or your mother/father is an awful wake call for anyone who has been behind bars. The sadness and loneliness grab a hold of you and eat you up inside and out. Still; you are stuck in a never ending nightmare that you pray desperately to wake up from. You count the days until your court date which could be months because of the over-crowdedness and then, if you’re lucky to even make it into the courtroom, it is most likely they will postpone it anyway because the DA isn‘t prepared. Then you start the waiting process all over again. Once you do make it into the courtroom, after your sentencing, you start the countdown to your release date if you have one, or your transfer to prison. The same things over and over again; day in and day out. Being locked inside a tiny space with two other people not even big enough for one is so unimaginably harsh. People fighting around you and officers rushing in to stop the fights; prayers unanswered, and an overwhelming heartache that never stops; THIS is the reality of life in jail. Pray that you or your loved ones never have to face jail and please; pray for the ones who are living their life behind bars. Freedom is something most people take advantage of….until it’s taken away!