Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Ex-Convicts Share What They Actually Miss About Prison

Free room and board?

Make us preferred on Google

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?

Giphy

Pinochle.

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....

Giphy

Was 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...

Giphy

Not 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

REDDIT

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Screenshots from @bsquaredtravels_'s Instagram reel
@bsquaredtravels_/Instagram

Swedish Man Goes Viral With Hack For Optimizing Taco Fillings—And It's Honestly Genius

There's a lot of discourse when it comes to tacos: what qualifes as a taco, what kind of shell to use, which fillings are acceptable... But one thing we can all agree on? You can never have too many tacos.

Instagrammer @bsquaredtravels_ shared a video of their Swedish brother-in-law totally hacking the system when it comes to tacos, and the internet has gone crazy for it.

Keep Reading Show less
Screenshots from @maddie_bado's TikTok video
@maddie_bado/TikTok

Woman Sparks Debate After Sharing The Signs That You Have A 'Loser Boyfriend' In Viral Videos

Every person who chooses to date will have a list of wished-for traits, attractive traits, and of course, dealbreakers that would likely end the relationship either immediately or, at least, eventually.

TikToker @maddie_bado shared a series on TikTok called "Signs of a Loser Boyfriend," which she believes more women should be aware of so that they can make the most informed decision about what they are gaining from their relationship and whether their partner is able to give them what they want, and vice versa.

Keep Reading Show less
Matthew Lillard
I've Never Said This Before with Tommy DiDario/YouTube

Matthew Lillard Opens Up About Still Having To 'Fight For Jobs' In Hollywood After Being Misunderstood

Ever since Quentin Tarantino made disparaging remarks about Matthew Lillard's work as an actor, Lillard has been open about feeling typecast and limited in Hollywood.

But while appearing on the I've Never Said This Before podcast opposite Tommy DiDario, Lillard opened up about feeling truly misunderstood in Hollywood, and said that he has to fight for any jobs at all, let alone jobs that might demonstrate his strengths.

Keep Reading Show less
Screenshots from @julie.says.things' TikTok video
@julie.says.things/TikTok

TikToker's Viral Video About The Struggles Of Trying To Work In America Hits A Nerve

People in the United States who are trying to find a job will inevitably find it unnecessarily difficult to navigate or to be successful.

It's reached a point where people are better off laughing and making jokes about it, because if they don't laugh, far more negative emotions are sure to manifest.

Keep Reading Show less
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson; Screenshot from Johnson's TikTok video
Kevin Mazur/Disney/Getty Images; @therock/TikTok

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Hilariously Stuns Fans After He Uses A Paper Plate In Viral TikTok

A lot of people use social media with the hopes of going viral and finding new opportunities or even fame. But many people who have gone viral would probably agree that their video became popular for a totally unexpected reason.

Even Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson isn't exempt from that possibility.

Keep Reading Show less