Prison Guards Reveal Which Inmate Left The Biggest Mark On Their Lives
[rebelmouse-image 18358892 is_animated_gif=There are just some jobs in this world that take a special kind of patience... heck a special kind of person. Most people dream of working somewhere were at the very least our lives are not constantly in peril. I would consider that one of the little things in life. But a job is a job because we all have to make a living. One career in particular seems especially challenging, prison guard. On TV and in the movies it's always an uber ominous, mostly volatile situation. But in life we can walk away with the most unexpected lessons and memories from "unorthodox" scenarios.
Redditor _ZteveBond reached out to the prison guards of the world to ask... Prison Guards of Reddit, which prisoner has left the biggest impact on your life wether positive or negative? This is surprisingly 50/50....
A SOFT SPOT FOR THE FELINES...
One guy wrote a request slip and gave it to me, policy is we have to read it. So i read it. Maximum security prison that has cats running around the compound. The request reads "Hi can i talk to mister NAME in charge of the cats, i like to pet cats and maybe can play with them too. i like the cats"
24 year old guy mentally ill in for the rest of his life for butchering a mom.
EMPATHY IS A POWERFUL THING...
[rebelmouse-image 18358893 is_animated_gif=Had one black guy murder some kid when he was 10/12 years old in Alabama in the 1970s, he's been in prison since the day he was arrested. If you saw him you would crap your pants, 380lbs of muscle and 6ft9in. But if you mention women he will burst out crying for minutes because he's never touched a woman and sees it on tv.
I was conflicted until the first two weeks of working there, when you see guys throw a fit/assault your friends and partners. It becomes an every day battle. You see on interviews of soldiers they say that they become brothers with their team. You don't understand until you get jumped from behind and can't call a signal on your radio but 1 of your 2 other officers, vs 300 offenders, hears a commotion and you look up to see him sprinting down a cell house range toward you.
ADDICTION IS AN EPIDEMIC!
[rebelmouse-image 18349291 is_animated_gif=Used to work in a county jail in a small county, relatively speaking, but was fairly large for the region. One day, a local prominent, fairly successful attorney was lodged for driving under the influence of drugs. Turns out he had a major addiction and this was just the beginning of a long slide. He got a light sentence but reoffended while on probation, missed some court dates, and violated his bond. When the dust settled, he was sentenced to a year in our facility. He was an affable guy and easy to talk to. I would talk with him when I was assigned to yard detail and his block was out and learned a lot about his past. There were no red flags in his history. He was just a guy who had everything going for him. He just couldn't shake the addiction. When he finally got out, he folded up his practice and left town. I heard a month or two later that he moved to Chicago and died of an overdose.
Out of all the crazy things I saw, that one stuck in my mind over everything else. It just struck me how drug addiction doesn't care how rich or poor, smart or stupid, successful or incompetent a person is. Any of us could fall down that rabbit hole given the right circumstances and a single lapse of judgement.
RESPECT GOES A LONG WAY!
[rebelmouse-image 18358895 is_animated_gif=My grandad was the captain of the guard at the prison he worked at for 20+ years, retiring shortly after I was born. He had a very strong stance on inmates: "I don't like you, and if I were to ever catch you with my daughter I'd probably kill you. But you are human and deserved to be treated as such." He demanded that the men under his command not act like a-holes to the inmates and was as fair as could be possible in the prison system at the time.
When he died of cancer when I was 8, the inmates went into voluntary lockdown as a sign of respect for my grandpa so that as many guards as possible could attend the funeral. This has left a lasting impression on how to treat people, and the problems with the American prison system in general.
A LASTING AFFECT.
[rebelmouse-image 18346487 is_animated_gif=Worked parking authority with a guy who only did 1 shift a week. He was a prison guard and i kid you not, every dam time i walked with him, different former inmates would run up to him, ask how he is, and never were afraid to ask for numbers or resources.
At the time he told me he needed a retirement job, everyones theory at work was he needed to check in with them.
Some good people in corrections.
CASH MONEY BABY...
[rebelmouse-image 18346886 is_animated_gif=Basically, I worked in the front office and took care of the inmate's personal money (receiving it in, making sure it hit their account, making sure they got paid, getting money orders out for them, making sure their money left with them when they left, etc.)
One day I'm going through the facility and an officer calls me over because an inmate has a question about his money. He's in the segregation unit, which I had never been in, so it was a bit odd, but no big deal.
It was an older guy (at least to me), quiet & respectful, which was nice. We talk a little bit about his money and the processes for it, nothing major.
I was curious after I got back to my office and looked the guy up and it turns out the guy's name is John Edward Robinson, and he's locally famous serial killer in the Kansas City region.
It's not a world shattering impact on my life, but it occasionally hits me that I've had a conversation with a true, honest to god serial killer. It's a little trippy.
TOO MUCH.. TOO SAD...
[rebelmouse-image 18345177 is_animated_gif=Wow! I can answer this.
I was in the job for 2 years. I was having a TERRIBLE time. Hated the entire experience. Not fights or finding drugs but the whole sadness of it.
Then on one of my last days an inmate tried to burn himself to death. I went with him in the ambulance and held his hand as he lay dying. He looked up at me and said _"How're you doing son?" I started crying and told him i couldn't do it anymore and he smiled and said _"You can leave."
As far as I know i was the last man he talked to as he was put into an induced coma as soon as he got to hospital.
His last thoughts and words were concern for me. I left soon after due to getting nearly killed by another inmate.
NO EYE CONTACT...
[rebelmouse-image 18360564 is_animated_gif=Worked at a women's prison and there was one inmate who would constantly brag about what she did ( killed and tortured her step daughter). I looked up what she did to confirm the story and it was way worse than I could have imagined. I never looked anyone up again. Although that person will be in prison for life it has really made me think twice about the death penalty, and how I truly believe some people just shouldn't be alive.
SO MANY EMOTIONS...
[rebelmouse-image 18979753 is_animated_gif=Work in the setting, people adjust to it pretty easily when they know they are stuck for 20+ yrs. I've worked with some individuals that would rather stay then leave because of the ease the system provides. As a prisoner you can still experience happiness you just gauge it differently, much like I imagine a kid in say a tribal village experiences happiness when if I were there I'd be lost without my PS4 and HDTV... if that makes sense.
MEDIC!!
[rebelmouse-image 18979754 is_animated_gif=Nurse/paramedic here. Jail prisoner had a 75 mcg per hour fentanyl patch applied to his skin by the jail nurse. 15 minutes later, the guards find him unconscious and barely breathing. EMS called. They find the fentanyl patch in his mouth when managing his airway. He peeled the patch off and chewed on it, releasing 5.4 grams of fentanyl in seconds. All the Narcan in the world couldn't bring him back.
UM... WARNING... THAT IS ALL..
[rebelmouse-image 18348646 is_animated_gif=Buddy of mine was a corrections officer until an inmate broke his back about 6 years ago. Apparently Michigan has some rough facilities. Worst story he ever told me was about an inmate that was generally a "good guy" never causing any problems. They were closing down for the evening and this guy wasn't going back to his cell. Was just leaning over the railing like he was in pain. When my buddy went up to him to see what was up, he just looked up and said,"I think I messed up, boss" then (to hear my buddy tell it) he pooped out the entirety of his insides.
If they ever found out the cause, they never told my buddy. Guy lived but lost a lot of his intestines and was on a bag for the rest of his life.
COUNTY HS SOME ISSUES AS WELL...
[rebelmouse-image 18977758 is_animated_gif=I don't work in a prison but a county jail as a correctional deputy. For me, it was the guy that I had to tell that his daughter had died spontaneously in her sleep. She just stopped breathing and they couldn't bring her back. I will never forget the pain and loss in his cries. He was only in jail on a probation violation. I ran in to him a couple years after and he told me that his daughter had saved many other kids with her donated organs. He was a kind soul, just had a substance problem. I hope he is doing good.
YOU TALKING TO ME?
[rebelmouse-image 18979755 is_animated_gif=I was an IT tech for a county sheriff's department while in college. Most of my work was in stations or admin buildings, but I did get tickets for work in one of our 8 or so jails somewhat regularly. The biggest take away was that I never want to end up in jail. It was sometimes kind of scary in there, even though I was separate from the inmates and always had a guard escort.
However, the most memorable job was the one time I had to go to the women's prison. It was a very open layout, minimum security prison, so there was a lot of visibility. Everywhere I went in there, every inmate stopped whatever they were doing and stared at me until I was out of sight. I got used to inmates in the other prisons shouting obscenities and threats when I walk by, but being the focus of attention for that many women at once was pretty unnerving as an awkward 22 year old nerd.
I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY!
[rebelmouse-image 18979756 is_animated_gif=I work at a juvenile prison. Most of the kids I work with are gangsters and violent offenders. All of my clients have made a big impact on me, but more impactful than individual clients have been the moments I get to see of them as a group, just being kids. A few weeks ago I walked onto my unit and initially thought there was a fight, because I heard a lot of noise and yelling. When I opened the door, I saw 10 or so teenage boys singing the cha cha slide at the top of their lungs and dancing like fools. They were from different hoods, some didn't even like each other on the unit, but they came together for the cha cha slide. I don't think I've ever smiled so much. Moments like these are more impactful for me than individual youth, because it reminds me of the simple ways in which all humans are the same. Everyone wants to dance. Everyone just wants to have fun.
THE RUN GAME...
[rebelmouse-image 18979757 is_animated_gif=I worked as a CO roughly 4 years for a Max security unit in Texas. Wild times. I can think of tons of stories and conversations with inmates but one always stands out. I was 19 years old at the time and I got assigned to be one of 3 officers in food service for about 6 months. Laid back gig, working nights supervising the inmates as they cooked the 3am breakfast meal. I had a pretty good crew. One night I was making rounds around the kitchen and two of the newer guys assigned to my crew started to try and ask personal questions as a way to "run game" as we call it. Or as a way to try and find out how much they can get away with.
I asked them to return back to their work and don't ask me any more questions personal in nature. They tried to argue and ask why I didn't want to be homeboys with them etc etc etc. I told them to leave me alone and return to work. I went back to walking around and one of my older cooks on shift told me that he had overheard that conversation. He told me"Ya know, I been here a long time and seen officers come and go." I looked at him kind of confused. He told me he was sorry that I wouldn't be able to stick around a long time because the way I handled the situation with other other 2 guys. That kinda made me uncomfortable and I asked him what made him say that. He told me that every day I came to work I didn't come in wanting to start trouble, or harass anybody and that I never talked down to any of my officers or inmates. " Good officers don't make it out here, the bad ones make the job a nightmare for people who want to be professional." And I learned that to be true. I enjoyed my time there for the most part. I learned a lot and what he told me was true. I know you will never see this, but I apologize for not taking you seriously at the time, Fish. Hope you're well.
We may not like it, but getting older is pretty inevitable.
With age may come wisdom, but it also comes with lots of responsibilities.
And some days, we're just over it.
Redditor brick_layer asked:
"What tasks are you tired of doing as an adult?"
Decisions, Decisions
"Deciding what to make for dinner."
- PortiaEss
"I would eat people kibble if it tasted good. Bachelor Chow (just add beer) needs to be a real thing."
- chaos8803
Hi, Ho, Hi, Ho
"Going to work and acting like a functional person."
- ovelanimimerkki
"Yep, I hate trying to work when I'm not emotionally stable or just exhausted. And you literally can't tell anyone or they tell you to go get a coffee which just makes the week go downhill over time."
- gg_ff_42069
Manners
"Being polite to other adults who don't deserve it."
- 25_-a
"Also known as the 'I am too old for this sh*t' phase of life."
- Zintao
Cleaning
"Cleaning the fridge. 🤢 when I find something way in the back that’s been forgotten."
- joydobson
"I finally cleaned out ours today because it was trash day, and the husband isn’t home to argue with me about how that sauce from 2015 is 'still good!!' 🤨 Now I have an empty fridge with just the bare essentials. Worth it."
- Grizelda_Gunderson
Circle of Life
"Working. Paying bills. Getting up early. Doing stuff."
- guyfromcroswell
"Agreed. Such a mundane cycle indeed."
- Emotional_Ratio_3251
Is Naked So Bad?
"Laundry grrrrr."
- FewPizza7880
"I tend to put the laundry in, hear it beep, forget about it for 6 hours then remember it needs to dry."
- marvel_is_wow
Traffic
"Anticipating the morons on the roads that change lanes without signaling."
"Or merging into 70mph traffic while doing 45..."
- haveyouseenthebridge
"Or being stuck behind those people as we're merging, I get pissed. Like speed up to the flow of traffic, being behind them merging puts me in danger too."
- Nigel_IncubatorJones
Maintenance
"Buying a house is an endless list of shit that needs fixing or improving."
- muffbiscuits
"This is one of the many reasons I bought a condo. The majority of the maintenance is somebody else’s problem. I haven’t cut grass, raked leaves or shoveled snow in almost a decade."
‐ yogaballcactus
Teeth
"Brushing my teeth. It's annoying."
- scottevil110"
"I feel this deep. It’s flossing for me."
- brick_layer
"Wait until you're in your 60s and all of a sudden the perfect teeth that never even had a cavity now all of a sudden have tiny cracks and need porcelain crowns and you have constant pain and Delta Dental only covers cleanings and x-rays and a single crown is like $1500 and they're telling you that you need four and you think, well, we don't really need two cars, I could sell my old Subaru."
- Nobody_Wins_13
Alarming
"Waking up to an alarm clock."
"I've been waking up to an alarm clock almost every day since 1985, and I'm fucking tired of it."
"I want to wake up when I'm done sleeping."
"I don't want to wake up and find that I've slept through/turned off my alarm(s) yet again, and have to choose between packing a lunch and taking a shower."
- thisbuttonsucks
What part of adulthood are you tired of?
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I would love to know how people don't fear death.
I mean, it's the end. Life will be over. That kind of sucks.
Yet there are people who find tranquility in it.
Can you teach the rest of us?
Redditor deensuk wanted to hear from everyone who has a calmness about the heading to the afterlife. They asked:
"People who are not scared of death, why?"
I have a constant fear of death. I wanna perfect the ending of "Death Becomes Her" so I can live forever.
Before
"I'm not scared of death because of working in health care I was around it so much. I AM scared of what leads to death, however."
Full-Mulberry5020
Why now?
"Why should I be scared now of something that's only going to happen at the end of my life?"
User Deleted
"I did this cult thing called the landmark forum and I actually did like their “meaning of life”: the meaning of life is that there is no meaning. Life is empty and meaningless. There is no answer."
"Life is what you make of it and every persons answer is equally valid because there is no meaning to life. Life exists as, basically, an accident, we are all here by complete accident, there’s no great mystery, it’s all biology and you are 100% free to make life about whatever it is you want."
Conservative_HalfWit
Death and I are good friends...
"I was very sick as a child. Spent ages 7-20 in and out of hospital due to kidney issues. Lost a kidney at 28. Almost died during the surgery to removed the dead kidney due to blood loss. Had 5 surgeries back to back during the next 2 years. Twice they had difficulties bringing me out of anesthesia."
"Found my favorite aunt dead in her bed when I was 22. Watched my best friend die from a brain tumor at 30. Death has been a constant force in my life. Sometimes just on the edges waiting, sometimes unexpected staring me in the face. I'm not afraid because it's always been there. I now work in healthcare. Death and I are good friends."
Tiny_Teach_5466
No Worries
"Because it's coming for us all, sooner or later. So there's no point in worrying about it. I am much more concerned about day to day minutiae. The Lars von Trier film Melancholia starring Kirstin Dunst portrayed this perfectly. If there was an asteroid hurtling towards the earth, I'd probably be more preoccupied with worrying about whether I left the back light on or not."
Giallo_submarine
It's Over
"Because no one has ever made it out alive, and I was dead for an eternity before I was alive, and didn't suffer the slightest inconvenience because of it."
MarshallApplewhiteDo
I never thought about the before much. I hope the before is quick.
The Effects
"I hope that when my times comes it will be merciful. My uncle had a stroke, he is paralyzed. My grandmother is 91, but is losing all her memories of her life. Death does not scare me, what could be left of me before I die is what terrifies me."
M1ssy_M3
No Terror
"It’s like when the writer Nabokov said that he saw a picture one time, a picture of before he was born. It was a picture of his mother, his brother and sister that were older than him, but he had not been born yet. He said that when he saw that picture there was no terror in him, even though he was looking at a picture where he didn’t exist."
im_on-the_can
state of nonexistence...
"I'm not afraid of death, I'm afraid of dying. Death is just the state of nonexistence I experienced before I was born. I don't remember it because I didn't exist yet. Death will be the same way. I just don't want the transition to be marked by pain and sorrow at things left unfinished. I want it to be quick, painless, and with me surrounded by love."
Wazula42
I'm Gone...
"Because once I die, I won't know it. I won't miss people or regret things or feel pain or sadness about anything. I might fear being sick and slowly dying, just having to live with the knowledge that it's all going to end and this is the last time I'll ever see the people I love or taste good food or hear good music. That sounds almost unbearable. But death isn't even a thing, it's just having done something (died)."
"It's like virginity, it's a made-up state of being that just says whether or not you've experienced a specific occurrence. Once I die, I'm gone. My corpse will be the empty wrapper I used to be in, just garbage to be disposed of in whatever way makes my survivors feel better. I'll be switched off. If I don't worry about what the light feels after the bulb burns out, why would I be afraid of being dead?"
SallyHeap
At Peace
"I’m scared now because I have young kids. Once my kids are old enough to be on their own I imagine the fear will subside and I’ll have a more relaxed approach."
User Deleted
Some very interesting perspectives. May it all calm peacefully and with great mercy for us all.
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Dating and the search for love and companionship... What a nightmare.
This journey plays out nothing like in the movies.
Every Prince or Princess (or everything in BTW) seems to have a touch of the psycho.
The things people say during what should be simple dinner conversation can leave a dining partner aghast.
Like... do you hear you?
Redditor detroit_michigldan wanted to discuss all the best ways to crash and burn when trying to make a romantic connection. They asked:
"You're on a date and it's going really great. What can another person say to ruin it completely?"
I once had a guy ask me if I was willing to follow him into the woods, depending on the price of the meal.
Yeah. No steak is worth that.
Plans After...
"Thanks for the ride but I have a date with someone else, I figured you wouldn't drive me if you knew I was going on a date with someone else and I really needed a ride."
"Online dating, talked to her for a while, finally got the courage to ask her out and then she said that as we got there."
iareyours
Mirror Image
“'You look just like my wife!'”
catalinachild
"I did have a guy tell me I reminded him of his son. I don’t believe English has a word to adequately describe my feelings at that time."
UnicornMagicRainbow
"That would definitely do it."
chaotica78
Third Wheel
"'Hope you don't mind if my mother joins us.'"
ofsquire
"Actually had a girl do this on a first date because she had anxiety issues. Honestly wasn’t bad except that 90% of the time she was silent and her mom talked over her."
"I didn’t mind that much and wouldn’t have minded trying again when she was more comfortable except that she was let go at the company we worked at and she deleted her social media profiles and she never responded on her number. Ah well."
Seightx
Liar
"'Hey bro aren't you gay? I made out with you last night.'"
"Random dude I've never seen before in front of my (f) date."
JHXC16
Was he lying though?
Filter Issues
"'You looked better on Tinder.'"
waqasnaseem07
"Isn’t it basic knowledge that everybody looks slightly worse than the worst picture you can find?"
no_user_ID_found
The Past
"'My ex used to do that too.'"
xxIvyOF
"Yep. I’ve definitely had two otherwise-decent-guy date-situations sour because the ex-comparisons just would not stop flowing. No woman wants to be seen as interchangeable—I’m not here to perfectly fill that ex-sized hole in your life. Focusing on the present moment and a future we could build together is a courtesy we need to grant each other in earliest dates of dating."
LarkScarlett
Powerless
"'I'm an alpha, you cant handle my top energy.'"
Midnightgay28
"I actually left a dude in the middle of dinner, in part, for saying this. I ordered an Uber under the table while pretending to listen to him. Went to the bathroom, and never came back. That was when I was young. Now I’d just say, 'How about we enjoy this meal in silence, before we head our separate ways.'”
UnicornMagicRainbow
Mommy...
"'Mother says I should be back by 9.'"
"Saying 'mother says' just feels weird."
bunnyrut
"That gives me Norman Bates vibes."
Werewolf_lover20
"'Mother says alligators are aggressive because they have an overabundance of teeth, but lack a toothbrush.'"
sodaextraiceplease
Obvs...
"'If you were going to be murdered, what method would you prefer. Purely hypothetical. Obvs.'"
Specific_Tap7296
If it looks anything like a Dateline NBC episode... RUN!
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Despite the advancement of technology rendering people left to their own devices–literally–to entertain them, there are some leisurely activities that will never go out of style.
Or so you would think.
Do people still knit to pass the time? Are people actively collecting stamps?
It depends on who's asking.
Curious to hear about hobby trends, Redditor gizehgizeh asked:
"What are once popular hobbies that are slowly dying these days?"

Before we've become conditioned to living on our phones, these activities used to keep people occupied.
Before Texting, There Was This
"Letter writing."
– littlekingMT
Literal And Tangible Joy
"Well the internet killed pen pals for sure. I do remember I had a Japanese girl for a penpal maybe back in 2007 or so. I honestly don't remember how it started, pretty sure some website, but that was a fun experience. But now I can just straight up talk to foreign people real time, lol. But yea getting a physical letter that someone took the time to write and mail still is hard to beat feelings wise."
– skyburnsred
Model Trains
"When I was growing up, every town had a model train store in it. Now I have one in region and everything else has to be bought online."
– Hairy_Effective1172
Pretty Rocks
"Don’t see anyone playing marbles anymore, I had an awesome collection in school."
– sheeple85
"I had some marbles as a kid in the 90s. My grandma got them for me and I had no idea what I was supposed to do with them. I always imagined them as a thing kids in the 40s played with."
– Ryoukugan
People Were Moving Canvases
"Paintball has been dying a slow death since 2006. Sad, really."
– hobo_recycler
Before the general population began hating clutter, collecting was once a "thing."
Precious Coins
"Coin collecting... I'm a silver/gold nut and I'm always hunting for precious metal coins. whenever I go into a shop they get all excited because 'no one under 70 collects coins anymore.'"
– ThatFishySmell99
Post It
"Stamp collecting."
– spooky_scully_mulder
"Collecting in general, really. Of course there are still prominent collectors but it's slipped more into enthusiast and niche territory than being a popular hobby that you might expect anyone to have."
– iuytrefdgh436yujhe2
What A Gem
"Rockhounding was immensely popular back in the 1950's and 1960's. Personally, I think it's a fascinating and fulfilling hobby, but when I go to a meeting at a rock and gem club, I'm usually the youngest one in the room by several decades."
– filthy_lucre
People once enjoyed making things.
Admiring The View
"Stained glass. I learned how to make it from my old man, and my junior high art class teacher also taught it. Very few artisans are still around."
– brobeanzhitler
Metal Vocation
"Black smithing."
– kenworth117
"I bought a forge to try. It’s insanely hard work, and crazy expensive. I still haven’t finished a piece."
– DSentvalue
Scrapbooking
"Yeah. I'm watching the arts and crafts stores around me completely uninstalling their racks for specialty paper. Now the only thing they have is mega packs of repeating colors/images. To boot all the inclusions like papercraft/die-cut things, washi tape, scissors, stickers, etc have gotten so expensive I would rather go buy $5 bags at value village to get an assortment of things versus buying anything new. I really, really miss yard sales for the same reasons."
– Phantasmai
I envy people who have jobs that are basically their hobbies.
Not everyone gets paid doing what they actually enjoy and have a profound level of passion for.
If they do, kudos to them.
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