Kingdom Of Inmates

20 Pages 4887 Words

tion process had to do with what cell and part of the prison (block) they were going to live and work in, but it ended up that this ”classification” was just a con game between the prisoners and the administration. This started his personal process of getting “dug in” or used to the routine in prison.

Escape from reality

As most of the inmates first arriving at Graterford, Hassine was occupied with survival and avoidance of becoming a victim of violence. This made his whole new world a life of fear. Hassine found that it was easier to distrust the other inmates than to trust them because of the cons and violence around him. In Graterford, there are people everywhere trying to take advantage of you and new arrivals were prime targets. Hassine learned that sleeping to escape the reality of prison was not a good idea and ultimately could be a death wish, so he surrounded himself in painting and reading to get away from it all. This form of escapism was also dangerous. If he had all his books and paintings in his cell, a fire (not uncommon) could be set by another inmate and he could lose everything and maybe even his life if he was locked inside his cell. This was cause to get rid of everything and just try to survive in his new home. Surviving meant fitting in to his new surrounding!
s and learning the prison language that was spoken by the inmates. This was not unlike his childhood growing up learning English because he was from another country and had to learn it to fit in. As he was in prison he had time to think about the things, he had missed and taken for granted while still on the outside.

Things Missed

There are ultimately things you are going to miss being caged up inside four walls like an animal at the zoo, and Hassine realizes the things he misses and took for granted before. His loss of physical love (which comes to play a HUGE part in most inmates lives both while they are in and whe...