I went to prison the first time at the age of23. Had a 4yr sentence in calif. state prison with a federal hold on me so when i finished my state time the feds were at the gate and took me to federal prison (lompoc) to do a 10 yr sentence for bank robbery. Like i said i was young and dumb and thought i wanted to be a tough guy. And yes I was predjudice. First tattoo i got was white power in huge block letters on my back arms. when i first got to lompoc me and my celly got into it with some of castros finest .You seen scarface, you know the crazy cubans that came over on the( muriel boatlift) The u.s. was supposed to be accepting political prisoners but castro screwed us and cleaned out his prisons and insane asylames and sent those instead. Anyway we had an altercation and there were weapons involved and i didnt know it at the time but my cellmate was in the brand. So from that point on they had it in my jacket (prison file) that i was a member of the aryan brotherhood. I wasnt, and i wasnt involved in any of there doings but some were friends, on guy turtle did a very nice back pattern(tattoo)for me.Needless to say just the association alone didnt help when it came time to go in front of the parole board. But just speaking from my own experience with them they were very respectful and didnt run around acting like some wanna be assholes tryin to prove something. All the time i spent in the feds i never saw a fist fight. It just dont happen cause in the end your gonna have to pick up a knife. Thats why you see so much respectful attitude in a maximum security prison. You better think long and hard before you act and you have to decide is it really worth dying for, are you really prepared to pick up that shank?
Its really a fucked up way to live, everyday you wake up and walk to the chow hall you know something could happen that you have no control over and you might die that day.
But getting back to the racial issue, its really hard not to be when your in there.Its a whole nother world and thats just the way it is.
But i lived through it and now im happy to say i left all that behind me. Im now a 50 yr old worn out ex-con, But im begging a new life, I never stepped foot in a chapel in prison but I am now a christain and GOD giving me a new way to live and im trying very hard to follow HIS lead. I try to love and respect EVERYONE !! I have no place in my heart for hate or predjiduces.
take care,
Tattoo Tommy