Welcome to Prison

Here it is ladies and gentlemen, everything you have been dying to know about life behind bars. Please take note that this isn’t science fiction, it is the truth and nothing but the truth.

This is life behind bars as told by an actual inmate, in fact these are extracts out of my diary which I will share with you every week. Due to logistics and other unmentionable reasons there will be an update only once a week. So spread the word, cause I’m sure this won’t disappoint…

My dear friends, for obvious reasons I will have to remain totally anonymous and will use the alias simply known as “iMate”… |Some of the other names, in such cases where it may affect the families of said person will be changed, but I vow never to change the names of any perverts or child molesters or any of the events that take place. My goal is to give you, the curios, the ill informed, the naïve or simply those of you who wish to follow my life in prison a truthful glimpse on a regular bases. I will also respond to any of your questions as soon as possible.

Attitude… check, Emotions… check, security… check,

                                                Here we go boys and girls – welcome to prison…

I still remember sitting on my arse during my very first day in prison after being sentenced to multiple Life sentences. Man, it was a fuckup of major proportions. By profession I’m actually not a criminal… I’m a damn good marketing executive in the IT industry…well I was anyway… all that seems so far away and long ago.     My first day was also my introduction into prison life – Hardcore! Sitting in the reception cell, feeling sorry for myself, I was on my own when this arrogant skinny looking bushy came up to me saying: ”hosh bru, what did mama pack for us? You do know you’re gonna have to pay rent to sleep tonight…” I just looked at this clown obviously confused and quite pissed off for this disrespect he was showing towards me. Hey, I may be new in prison, but let me tell you that no one throws a punch at me and gets away with it, I will retaliate…

To say that I lost it at that stage might be an understatement; I really did kick the living shit out of this guy, whom I later learned was known as Cash. He was a lieutenant for one of the local gangs in Diepkloof Correctional Centre, in Gauteng.

Of course I did not escape totally unharmed. I got the shit kicked out of me by the Gatta’s on duty who stopped my little exposé on Cash.

So there I was, my first day in Diepkloof prison, also known as Sun-city prison and found myself in insolation. It’s not a fairytale start to an incarceration period of a minimum of 20years behind bars… “Clang!” the door is slammed shut and I am left alone… all alone… my first day as a convicted prisoner…

The next couple of days went by pretty quickly as I was taken to see the medical staff to have a medical file opened. I also saw what is known as the CMC (Case Management Committee) and introduced to what is known as a Unit Manager. I learned later that this was one of the Gatta’s who kicked the shit out of me on my first day there… So much for a good first impression. To top it all off, he was known as “Jesus” Beukes…

People, before I continue to talk about my experiences I must tell you some of the basic and fundamental rules in South African prisons. There are four main contending groups of gangs. Upon arriving in prison I pretty damn well guarantee that you will get to know them within the first couple character is tested as a man…

First up is the “twenty sixes”. Any member of this band of idiots is recognized by tattoos of dollar signs “$” or “$26$” and other variations… These guys Looser’s are like a bunch of hyenas, always doing everything in groups of at least three or more. Their main “work” as it may, is to rob, steal and in some cases sell whatever they can. They are also mainly the guys that sell weed, rocks and other illegal items, and prices are controlled by them. My personal opinion is that they are just a bunch of pussies scared to stand on their own.

Second up is the “Twenty eights”. Man these guys are totally fucked-up! This is the faggot squad… All of those poor souls are, or become very in touch with their feminine side and most join up for protection. Basically if you’re a 28 you can be fucked by another 28, or pimped out to other interested parties. Dude this is totally sick and I cannot understand how a man can get a hard-on looking at another man’s ass. It’s just gross! That’s pretty much all the 28’s are about and their members are recognized by the number “28” tattooed on their hands or arms.

Thirdly there are the “Air-forces”. No, no, no it has nothing to do with the glamour of flying fighter jets. These oke’s are purely set on escape. That is what they live and die for. Their sole purpose is to look for opportunities to escape from custody. These tweedy birds are known by the letters “RAF” or “RAF4” or “RAF3” and even numbers like “23”, “24” tattooed on ankles end underarms. Strictly speaking these ass-wipes aren’t even allowed to own anything according to the Air force code, this is because they can be told by their General at anytime to try and escape, and shouldn’t have anything holding them back. Ag shame…

The last big gang group (and most despised inmates) are the” Big Fives”. This group of grannies are nothing but a bunch of snitches and squealers known as “pimps” in prison lingo. Everything they see gets passed on to the “Boere” and obviously is loved by the authorities. Once these guy’s know something about your business, you can bet that it’s known all over the place. These assholes are known by a hidden swastika tattooed on their arms, chest or back or the number “25” somewhere on their body…

So, what if you don’t give a shit about the gang-life and their ridiculous codes of conduct, I hear you ask… well, if like me you decide to stand on your own two feet, fight for what is yours and basically live outside the gangsterism, and then you’re known to the gangsters as a “Fraans”. Being outside of the gangs doesn’t mean you’re not involved at times. It simply means you’re on you’re own if shit hits the proverbial fan… In all honesty though, most of the prison fights take place amongst the various gangs. Most… but not all. As mentioned earlier when I introduced myself to Cash, sometimes things get real tough and if you don’t want to be trampled on for the rest of your straf, you got to stand up for yourself… ye choices are made, lines drawn, boundaries set and characters made or broken, I’m just thankful that he was alone and no blades got pulled…

In prisons that literally vibrate with their own vibe, gangsterism is rife. I.e. Sun City prison is grossly overcrowded were the total of inmates in a cell can range from 70 to 110, were they were originally intended for35 inmates, tempers flare quite often and the place becomes a breeding ground for lice and other serious illnesses. People are forced to sleep in the showers or toilets and passages… in this regard I was quite fortunate being a Gamla that one of the landlords (guys owning more than one bed and rents it out…) approached me and that I was able to pay for a bed that should be constitutionally issued to me. Normally I would tell such a guy to piss-off, but given the fact that I’m new in prison and didn’t feel like another trip to isolation, I bought the bed from him for 4 packs of Peter Stuyvesant…. It turned out to be a good decision and Errol and I became good friends, I mean acquittances… so at least I have some company now, which is unaffiliated to any gang. But for how long I wonder?

Quote of the week: “Worrying is good, think of it as meditation for realists”