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Stan's* Info on Inmates
Orange County Jail Interview
*Names have been changed to protect privacy.
Jail Media: Let’s talk about other inmates. Did you find it difficult to get along with other inmates in the Orange County Jail? Did you have friends in there?
Stan Smith: Yeah, well I made friends. I mean, I’m not from Orange County so I didn’t know anybody before going there but, you know, I’ve been to jail before and you just have to go in there knowing how to carry yourself. Don’t go in there trying to be a badass or anything like that. Just go in there and be yourself and people will respect that more. Don’t go in trying to act hard or anything like that because they’ll catch that right away.
Jail Media: So, for instance, where you were, how many cellmates did you have? Did you just have one?
Stan Smith: No, the Orange County Jail is all separated into dorms so I was in a hundred man dorm. Unless you’ve done attempted murder or some really serious stuff you won’t be in a two man cell. That’s a really important thing to be prepared for – dorm life – because almost everybody is in a dorm.
Jail Media: And do you have a TV in the dorm?
Stan Smith: Yeah, there’s a TV and you get newspapers. It’s all up to the sheriffs, though – if they want to turn on the TV or give you the newspapers. And if something happens in the jail they won’t turn on the TV or give you the newspapers. They don’t want you to find out and maybe start a riot or something.
Jail Media: So what is the best way for people to avoid fighting or any kind of problems with other inmates?
Stan Smith: As soon as you go in there you’ll be separated by races. I mean, you’ll be in barracks that will have every race there, but basically, it’s almost like a team, you’re going to have to team up with a race. They call white people in the Orange County Jail “woods.” Mexicans born in the US are called “South Fighters.”
Jail Media: And what about Mexicans born south of the border?
Stan Smith: They call them “Paisanos” or “Paisos.” You don’t really have to team up with a race until a fight happens and… they happen a lot.
Jail Media: So as soon as there’s a fight everybody teams up?
Stan Smith: Yeah – you go with your race right away.
Jail Media: And what other races are there?
Stan Smith: Well, there’s blacks – but the blacks are maybe five percent of the majority.
Jail Media: Are there any other races people should be aware of?
Stan Smith: Well, no. I mean, there are Asians, but most of those other races hang out with the blacks, too. They call them “cars” – the Mexicans will be one car, the whites will be one car, and the blacks and Asians will be another car.
Jail Media: So if it were somebody’s first trip to jail and they came into the Orange County Jail what do you recommend they do? I mean, do they need to make friends with somebody of their own race?
Stan Smith: As soon as they walk in somebody is going to come up to them right away. Your race wants you to be with them – they’re going to extend a helping hand right away because there is power in numbers.
Jail Media: So they offer protection?
Stan Smith: Not really protection – they just help you out. Say you don’t have any food right away, or commissary. Say you don’t have clean clothes right away – the guys will come help you out. They’ll give you some commissary, some clean clothes – whatever you need. Once you pick who you’re with, though, you’re stuck with that.
Jail Media: Well, you can’t really change your race though. I mean, you don’t usually get to choose, do you?
Stan Smith: Well, some people can. For instance, I’m half white and I’m half Mexican. When I’m not in jail, though, I was always raised by Mexicans so that’s who I hang out with when I’m in jail.
Jail Media: But your race in jail – they’re not going to protect you if there’s a fight or anything like that?
Stan Smith: No, they will. Well, I mean, in the Orange County Jail you’re not really going to have to worry about a one-on-one fight – not in the Orange County Jail. It will be just big brawls. You don’t really even need to worry about those, either, because by the time something happens the cops will be in there to break it up.
Jail Media: How often would you say a brawl starts in the jail?
Stan Smith: Maybe a couple times a month.
Jail Media: OK, so they’re not too common?
Stan Smith: No, it just all depends. Inmates don’t want a huge fight all the time because the cops will just come in and tear everybody’s stuff up.
Jail Media: They’ll do a raid?
Stan Smith: Yeah, and that’s something they’ll constantly do all the time. They just do that to mess with the inmates. They will definitely do more raids when inmates are fighting, though.
Jail Media: Do you get to pick your bunk?
Stan Smith: No. You’re assigned to a bunk.
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