Prison Violence

If you have never spent time in a prison environment then you have no idea how brutally violent prison is. Also, make no mistake – it is the inmates that run the prison system. It should not be that way but that is the way it is for a variety of reasons which is beyond the scope of this article. Prison is a unique microcosm of society that most people would rather not experience. Violence is a way of life for those behind bars. You make think that the bigger, stronger, faster, tougher you are will equate to being safe. Yet, this is rarely the case. The reason being is that inmates don’t fight fair. The inmates use every opportunity to ensure that the odds of winning a fight are in their favor. One of the tactics used is a mass attack. Many prison fights are not the one-on-one fights that you may be used to seeing at school, the bar, or on television. Instead they will get a group of 3-6 inmates to beat the living hell out of one inmate which often results in severe injuries and death.  The inmates show absolutely no mercy on the target. They will punch, kick, choke, gouge, and stab another inmate and never give it a second thought. Sometimes they will put cans such as tuna fish in a sock to deliver a beating. The attack will continue until the job is done or the message is sent.  That is how life, and sometimes death, goes in prison. 

And This Impacts Me How?

The impact to you is that most inmates sentenced to prison eventually get out. They often get menial service jobs that bring them to your home. They live in your neighborhood. They are the parents of your child’s school friend. They are the one driving behind you on the way home. They are the once standing in front of you at the convenience store. They are the one pumping gas right next to you. They are the one sitting across from you at the restaurant. They re-enter society but are rarely “rehabilitated.” Their violent and criminal ways did not get left behind at the prison gates when they were released. The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Now, I am not saying that everyone who goes to prison is a violent career criminal. The problem is that you don’t know which ones are from which ones are not! Right about now you should be asking yourself the following question: Is my training preparing me to deal with a violent attack from society’s predators? If not, then you need to make some adjustments to your training. If you are going to the dojo and sparring where you get sweaty, hot, and tired but fail to test your defensive AND offensive skills then you are not training. Training must be conducted in the safest manner possible yet tests your abilities in a realistic way. If you don’t test your abilities in a manner that is reality based or scenario based then your level of confidence probably exceeds your actual abilities. Too often you don’t find this out until it is too late. Additionally, many people train in skills that they are already good at instead of really working through their weaknesses.

We live in a violent world where bad things happen to good people. Stay safe.

//TC

© 2013