Sometimes what we as humans crave most is a bit of structure. And prison can provide that. You have a routine, guaranteed meals and a bed. Often that is all most people ask for, and you'd be surprised how much that trumps the ability to be free.
Redditor u/JSBach1995 wanted the reformed criminals out there to share.... Ex-convicts of reddit, is there anything you miss about prison? If so, what?
Who's In?
GiphyPinochle.
Endless games of pinochle.
I did two years and played so much pinochle. I cant even get 4 people together to play out here. That's the only thing I really miss. Besides not having any actual responsibility. scouch4703
Boston Roast!
I can't find most of the good commissary items anywhere. They had some really good mackerel in chili sauce, specific brands of instant coffee (Keefe, Boston's Best) Some kind of Thai Noodles, chips etc. I have found Keefe coffee for sale on Ebay, but at like 3x the price. Ridiculous. Boston's best is available but not the kind we had. That was awesome, and what got me drinking coffee. Crank_8ball
Warm Down Time.....
I liked that I felt secure. I wasn't gonna starve. I wasn't gonna freeze or die of exposure. I liked that I had nothing to worry about. But it wasn't worth owning nothing and having nothing. It was boring as hell. Djinnobi
Poop & Circumstance....
A lot of guys can't handle reintegrating into society after they've been in a while, it's not that they miss how fun being locked up is, they just have years of living a certain way engrained in them. Whether it's too much free/unstructured time or working with others, you sadly see a lot of repeat customers in the legal field. One guy got out after like 18 months and less than 3 weeks later got picked up again for pulling a shotgun on his neighbor for his dog pooping on his lawn. He genuinely didn't see anything wrong with what he did as he didn't load it, but unfortunately that doesn't mean poop to the law. To him he was just negotiating from a position of strength with the neighbor, but he ended up getting hit with felon in possession of a firearm, assault with a deadly weapon, and a couple other ticky tacky charges they pile on.
Some guys just get in trouble for no reason other than they have too much time and no one will hire them. They go from being assigned a job and have someone telling them when to wake up, when to go outside, when to eat, and then suddenly there's no guidance at all. A couple guys I'd have to call them the morning of their court or probation to remind them even though I told them the day before to set their alarm. It's extremely sad but with guys that got in the system at a young age it's not uncommon to see a 40 year old man who lives like a teenager because he's never had to make a decision about where to go or what to do. Something as simple as choosing a pair of socks to buy is a legitimate dilemma, one guy mentioned that specifically as the moment he realized he wasn't used to having to make so many decisions. Reddit
Child's Play....
GiphyWas in a juvenile facility for 3 years, food much better than I feed myself now in college and the social hierarchy, as screwed as it was, it could be comforting. I'm much less social nowadays so I guess I just miss being social in general. Also staff was pretty dope when they weren't getting fired for breaking kids arms etc. datkidcorb
H2O....
Water pressure. It was cleansing. StarbuckPirate
You Single?
There were a couple really hot guards, but I'm not sure if they were really hot or I was just sex deprived. I don't think it's worth it to go back and figure it out. MixedMartyr
Dad Wins!
I'm not an ex-con but my dad was, for drunk driving. Before then he was a very successful businessman but alcohol got him.
When he came out he told me he missed the wardens because they were nice to him, they recognized he was a normal guy who screwed up. He missed the sense of everyone just trying to get through it together, and he only did a few months.
On a side note, my dad was quite arrogant and always had to win. So he smuggled cannabis out of prison just to prove he could. Upon being released he wrapped a bit up and put it in his shampoo bottle so it would float to the top, just behind the label on the bottle neck. If he got caught? Another three months. But my dad had to take his win. kitjen
Family....
I missed the solitude of being alone. I did about 47 months, from age 19-23. I missed the feeling of coming home and everything was so new, I respected everything and was so thankful for a new start. Inside, I missed the brotherhood of those around me, that I ran with. The loyalty in there is something you don't find out here. The learning and humility factor was awesome; it was good being tore down and built new. mychal_littlecreek
The Good Place...
GiphyNot me but a friend misses playing on ps4s and Xboxs all day and watching cable tv and playing pool. Also having 3 hot meals cooked for you and learning new skills and gaining certificates. sharpystirling27
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