"The PO-LEECE kill black people!!!"
Just gonna recap a little bit here...
I went to see Third Eye Blind on Saturday and it didn't disappoint. In fact, it was a hell of a show. I had bodies thrown at me, got kicked in the face countless times, and felt like i got slimed by Nickelodeon. The only gripe I had was the fact that my feet were fucking killing me. It was alright once I started losing feeling in them. It wasn't alright when that feeling traveled upward in my legs, lol. Overall, it was a great show and I would definitely see them again. So far I'm 2 for 2 as far as concert enjoyment goes. Next up: Candlemass! Without question, that will be fucking amazing! I can't fucking wait!.
I finally went to Northern State Prison with my class on Wednesday. It was an amazing experience. It almost felt like I was in another world. I can't do it justice by describing it here. It is the type of thing you have to SEE to fully understand what prison is really like. Most people only perceive prison based on what they hear on the news or see on TV. What people see on TV is partially true, but it is also heavily dramatized. One of the correction officers made a good point. He said that although that may be the case, they have to develop it from some truth.
It almost felt like I was at a zoo and, funnily enough, most of those inmates really aided in that feeling and played the part quite well. They were like fucking animals. At one point, when we went to the gang unit, the entire building felt like it was in an earthquake. You couldn't even hear yourself talk over the thundering kicks to the inmates doors and the loud screams. I don't remember everything that those inmates were saying but most of it was threatening and derogatory to the group. Actually, alot of it was fucking hilarious. For instance, the subject title is just one of the many hilarious remarks that were shouted. Oh, and how can I forget, "The PO-LEECE are not your friend!!!" LMAO! I was trying desperately hard not to laugh but I just couldn't help it sometimes. The most striking part was when we walked through the yard. The yard is the area where they play basketball, lift weights, etc. They have several "yard" areas that are surrounded by huge fences. Each one we walked by looked the same. Most of the inmates were clinging and shaking the fence, shouting things at us as if they were animals seeing humans for the first time. In fact, it was like wild dogs in a kennel. It was really sick shit.
The last portion of our tour had us sit in the library (yes they have a library) and speak to actual inmates face to face. Some of their stories were really incredible. Each inmate had like 20 years+ in the joint. One guy was in so long that he never even seen a laptop or a cell phone before, he just knows of them. Two of the four guys we spoke to were in prison for first degree murder. By talking to them, you would never think they committed a single crime. That just goes to show you how people misperceive prisoners. They all think that its just a fucking zoo with all of the same rotten people. Well, after talking to these guys I gained a different perspective. They aren't REALLY bad people, they just made some fucked up decisions in their lives. It happens. We're all human. We fuck up. Don't get me wrong. You reap what you sew and they have every right to be there, but I still feel like a couple were too harshly punished. It was a good experience talking to them because it made me realize that there are some normal people in there. They are just paying the price. So do yourself a favor people...DON'T GET IN TROUBLE!
I went to see Third Eye Blind on Saturday and it didn't disappoint. In fact, it was a hell of a show. I had bodies thrown at me, got kicked in the face countless times, and felt like i got slimed by Nickelodeon. The only gripe I had was the fact that my feet were fucking killing me. It was alright once I started losing feeling in them. It wasn't alright when that feeling traveled upward in my legs, lol. Overall, it was a great show and I would definitely see them again. So far I'm 2 for 2 as far as concert enjoyment goes. Next up: Candlemass! Without question, that will be fucking amazing! I can't fucking wait!.
I finally went to Northern State Prison with my class on Wednesday. It was an amazing experience. It almost felt like I was in another world. I can't do it justice by describing it here. It is the type of thing you have to SEE to fully understand what prison is really like. Most people only perceive prison based on what they hear on the news or see on TV. What people see on TV is partially true, but it is also heavily dramatized. One of the correction officers made a good point. He said that although that may be the case, they have to develop it from some truth.
It almost felt like I was at a zoo and, funnily enough, most of those inmates really aided in that feeling and played the part quite well. They were like fucking animals. At one point, when we went to the gang unit, the entire building felt like it was in an earthquake. You couldn't even hear yourself talk over the thundering kicks to the inmates doors and the loud screams. I don't remember everything that those inmates were saying but most of it was threatening and derogatory to the group. Actually, alot of it was fucking hilarious. For instance, the subject title is just one of the many hilarious remarks that were shouted. Oh, and how can I forget, "The PO-LEECE are not your friend!!!" LMAO! I was trying desperately hard not to laugh but I just couldn't help it sometimes. The most striking part was when we walked through the yard. The yard is the area where they play basketball, lift weights, etc. They have several "yard" areas that are surrounded by huge fences. Each one we walked by looked the same. Most of the inmates were clinging and shaking the fence, shouting things at us as if they were animals seeing humans for the first time. In fact, it was like wild dogs in a kennel. It was really sick shit.
The last portion of our tour had us sit in the library (yes they have a library) and speak to actual inmates face to face. Some of their stories were really incredible. Each inmate had like 20 years+ in the joint. One guy was in so long that he never even seen a laptop or a cell phone before, he just knows of them. Two of the four guys we spoke to were in prison for first degree murder. By talking to them, you would never think they committed a single crime. That just goes to show you how people misperceive prisoners. They all think that its just a fucking zoo with all of the same rotten people. Well, after talking to these guys I gained a different perspective. They aren't REALLY bad people, they just made some fucked up decisions in their lives. It happens. We're all human. We fuck up. Don't get me wrong. You reap what you sew and they have every right to be there, but I still feel like a couple were too harshly punished. It was a good experience talking to them because it made me realize that there are some normal people in there. They are just paying the price. So do yourself a favor people...DON'T GET IN TROUBLE!