Under Arrest: Life in Jail in Texas
The average size of a jail cell is about that of a king size bed. Add a concrete floor, a single toilet and 5 " thick steel bars and you've got yourself a jail cell. Life behind bars is from from what you've seen in episode 3 of Orange is the New Black. In fact, life behind bars is more like fifty shades of awful. It's a tough place and you've got to know the culture and the system to survive. Yes, there are jail guards to protect you. But, they can only do so much. In our series, Under Arrest, a licensed and professional bail bondsman takes a closer look at life behind bars and what's it's really like to live in a jail cell.
Ricky's Jail Arrest Story
We first met Ricky Jones when he was booked into a San Antonio, TX jail on charges of battery, robbery and drunk driving. After Jones' first court appearance, it became clear he may be spending more time behind bars than we originally thought. With his bond set at $1.5 million dollars, Jones was unable to come up with the cash to even work with a licensed bail bonding agent. Suddenly weeks, turned into months and Jones was still behind bars. A jury eventually convicted Jones of all charges and a judge sentenced him to 25 years in prison. During this time Jones developed a very close relationship with his bail bondsman, writing to him almost every week about his stay in prison. With Jones' permission, we are dissecting his notes to give other inmates awaiting jury trial, advice on how to survive their time behind bars.
When you first get to jail it is critical to make friends quickly and find your alliances. If you spend too much time alone in the library or eat by yourself, you will make yourself a target. According to Jones' bail bondsman, you do not want a target on your back. Once you become a target, your days are numbered. So how do you make friends in jail? Well, according to Jones' and his bail bondsman, you need pencils and cigarettes. Pencils and cigarettes are basically the cash of jail system. They are highly coveted items and if you have these things you will make friends very quickly. In jail, the only connection an inmate has to the outside world is through letters.
And to write those letters, an inmate needs a very sharp pencils. Without a pencil, an inmate has no way to communicate. Pencils are also used as a weapon. If there's a jail riot, Jones' bail agent says a pencil is the only way to protect yourself from getting seriously injured. Another way to make friends is to give people cigarettes. For some, this is the only way an inmate can handle the stress of jail life. Seriously, hand out cigarettes like they're candy. You'll make friends fast, we promise.
Technically jail guards work for the Sheriff's Department, but inside the concrete slammer, they really work for you. In Jones' notes, provided to us by his reliable and professional bail bonding agent, he writes of paying jail guards for extra meals, clean socks, protection. Jones' suggests a family member on the outside setting up a Go Fund me account to pay off jail guards and other jail staff. Bribes are expensive and you can't do it alone. According to Jones' bail bonds agent, one time his client paid a guard $100 for an extra serving of green beans and an entire loaf of french bread.
If you're awaiting trial or to post bond with the help of a bail bond services company, you need to keep your mind and body in shape. By law, a jail is required to give inmates at least an hour of fresh air and exercise a day. During this time, inmates have access to tether-ball courts, monkey bars and basketball hoops. Exercise is a great way to mentally prepare for the day, delay aging and prevent you from becoming sick. According to Jones' bail bonds agent, his client works out everyday and has yet to make a trip to the infirmary. Exercise even helped Jones stay calm and collected when he was found guilty and sentenced to prison.
Spending time behind bars is a tough life, but with a game plan it doesn't have to get you down. Next week, we'll explore life inside a jury trial. Also if you ever need an experienced quality bail bonds company in San Antonio Texas call McRae Bail Bonds.