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Corrections: Exercise 3 - Prison life: survival in prison and the inmate code


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Adjusting to Prison Life

     Life in prison presents an inmate with a series of hardships. In the beginning of their sentences, prisoners experience the most amount of difficulty in assimilating to prison life. During this early period, they are more likely to have disciplinary problems. But as more time passes, most prisoners learn to adjust to their new lives in order to survive in the harsh environment. Some prisoners prefer to spend time alone, some make friends, and some join various groups.

     While serving prison sentences, inmates go through a variety of attitude and behavior changes. Faced with the reality of a dangerous prison life, they learn different ways of protecting themselves from harm. They know whom to be friends with and whom to avoid. Some prisoners learn to fight back, and some might even kill their attackers and get even longer sentences. Inmates might also be victims of gangs or Mafia-like groups. To deal with these hardships, some might stay alone while others might become friends with other inmates or join a group. Also, the degree of hardship that prisoners face depends on the relationship they have with prison guards and other correctional employees. How they get along with the prison personnel determines whether they do easy time or hard time.

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