Tl; dr

All the social dynamics discussed here at TRP are in effect in jail. In 2015 I served 8 months which was the longest 8 months of my life. Overall I am grateful for my experience, but I don't recommend anyone test what they are made of and visit. It’s fucking harsh.

Its important you know how much items from canteen cost:

Ramen noodle soups are $1.25 and double as a $1 bill in jail.

A regular sized Snickers bar is $3.

A 20 oz bottle of Coke is $3.

A big bag of Hot Cheetos is $7.

A bar of Dove soap is $5.

Phone calls are $1.20 for the first minute and 25 cents for each additional minute.

Alphas: These are the dominant men who are usually good looking or physically threatening, but confidence, a ruthless reputation and social savvy trumps everything else. They enjoy endless perks which include getting invited to dinner all the time, having their pick between old and new boxers, socks, t shirts, and bath towels and getting first crack at any magazine pages featuring hot poon. They have dibs on additional plates at dinner or good books introduced to the tiers library.

While everyone gets a faded county jumpsuit, these guys DHV by buying brand new gear through the jails black market. If they don't have the means to buy it from their own pocket, they befriend a beta and “ask” him to buy it.

It is always Alphas who are in positions of power as members of what I call “the council” There are numerous positions to be had: the leader, his right hand man, the guy who delegates clean up, the workout monitor, and the guy that interacts with the correctional officers on behalf of the inmates. These positions are similar to our elected officials, minus the elections.

betas: These guys may be Alphas on the street but this is a whole new world they find themselves in. The stakes are too high to AMOG someone and end up getting their face rearranged (happens twice a week at least). The betas primary power is their money (canteen items). If they are broke, they hopefully know how to draw, make paper mache using newspaper or cut hair with combs and razors; these are all forms of currency.

The unskilled/broke betas are used to carry out undesirable tasks such as unclogging toilets, moving the bunks in preparation of disciplinary beatings and afterwards cleaning up the blood on the floor. On several occasions betas admitted blame to correctional officers for an offence committed by an Alpha.

During casual interaction, betas are the guys on the sidelines providing the laughter and the “and then what happened?” as the Alphas hold court and tell stories. Validation for the beta comes in the form of an Alpha's presence for a few minutes or complimenting them on their "cooking" skills after the Alpha devours a $8 portion of food in one sitting.

Betas are always the butt of jokes and they don't dare speak up. They agree and amplify, but not in the way we talk about here. They literally play the smiling punching bag and make fun of themselves because they are scared to death of the confrontation, and rightfully so.

Omegas: These guys have thrown in the towel. They do not socialize because either they don't know how to or the anxiety is literally crippling. The Omegas tend to be head cases taking psych meds, neckbeards or very feminine men. These feminine men were probably betas on the outside but got demoted as soon as the handcuffs were put on.

I'm the man, but my girl doesn't know it.

Although the number one topic of conversation is women, everyone is constantly DHVing about something. Every dimebag dealer was pushing pounds on the outside. Every gangster murdered 5 enemies with his bare hands while every pimp had 5 Kim Kardashian’s waiting for him at home. You couldn’t believe any of it but it was still entertaining.

The real insight came at the end of the night. Something happened to the inmates after lights out, most ditched the “front” and spoke openly. The majority of what I mention happened was overheard during phone calls in my cell or told by guys after hanging up with their SO. Here these men were at rock bottom, and their women were playing different versions of games red pillers know all too well.

A common occurrence was SO's not picking up calls or forgetting to put money on the phone or in canteen accounts. Some women would cry, profess their love and speak of the void in their life left from their missing men. However, they were failing to get evidence or money to lawyers who could actually make a difference. Often, men who did drugs with their women were told “your homeboy came by yesterday and smoked me out, he says hi,” or other similar comments to inflict pain. Ultimatums were all too common and of course the men would agree just so they could have continued contact.

Go Ahead, Laugh at My Pain

Throughout my 8 month stay I was asked one simple question at least a thousand times. "You think she's fucking somebody new?" The answer (not just from me) was always "no shit" followed by laughter.

A common occurrence at night when someone got off the phone was to announce some news his girl had just broke to him, to the whole tier. "Hey guys" they would yell, "my bitch hung up with me cause she had to get ready for the club." Or, "my wife dropped off the divorce papers this morning." even "my girlfriend doesn't think she could wait for me another 3 months." Every single man on that tier would yell in unison "FUCK THAT BITCH!" Loud and without exception. It was tradition throughout the whole jail.

Two characters: Alpha Chris vs beta Frank

Alpha Chris: Chris not only led 40 members on our tier, but the 3 leaders in neighboring tiers reported to him as well. He was a good looking dude with a motor mouth, intelligence, a sense of humor and a dominant personality. What made him an excellent leader however was his credibility. His jokes weren't funny because they were funny, they were funny because they were true. His stories weren't entertaining because we were bored, they were entertaining because you knew it actually happened.

He was a fucking tyrant but operated with such charm you couldn't help but like the guy. To boot, he had a half a dozen bitches that were constantly putting money in his account. He would use a new betas phone time every night to conduct business or just flirt. Many times, betas talking to their SO would give up their phone so Chris would flirt with their girl and have some fun.

One day Chris came back from court after getting handed down a guilty verdict. He would be sentenced to 15 years in one month for gun trafficking and transferred to prison. I expected him to return a shell of a man, instead he came back with a new sense of urgency. He said it was time to make money before he was transferred to prison so he could invest once he got there. Soon our tier was flooded with drugs, tobacco and porn. I had read in books and articles that in America's jails reside inmates that parallel fortune 500 CEO'S in drive and talent. This guy was who they were talking about.

Beta Frank: Frank was a very masculine looking dude standing 5'8" and in good shape, but could not be mistaken for handsome. He was an active gang member but it was obvious he wasn't the most violent, the best dressed, or the one who made the most money in his gang.

He was in jail because his current LTR had called the cops on him during a drunken scuffle. She was the one who had hit him first and he hit her back, resulting in his second DV charge with the same girl. Frank was one of the nicest most genuine guys I befriended. He had devil horns tattooed on his forehead, and gang tattoos covering the rest of his body, but it was clear he was a “gangsta” and not a gangster.

He told me he didn't fight his case because his girl was raising a toddler from another man and he didn't want the baby to suffer. The woman never once put money into his account while she lived in his home and enjoyed some of his government benefits. One night Frank managed to get her on the phone and was told she would visit the upcoming Sunday. Frank got super excited, indebted himself for a trim of his facial hair and a haircut so he could look fresh to see his woman. All day Sunday Frank was restless waiting to be called to visiting. He was crushed when his name was not of those called for the last round of visits.

A few days later he told us he had gotten into an argument with her for flaking and told her to fuck off. One month later he got 2 photos with a letter in which she apologized. One photo was of her cute 3 year old son, the second was of one of the ugliest and fattest excuses for a human being I had ever seen, trying to look provocative. At the time, I thought she was a decent person for reaching out. Now that I think of how Frank's frame crumbled I know it was a calculated move. Frank was excited and started making plans to buy phone time from someone else to call her. A couple of months before his release he decided to get one of those dick piercings where the stud lays under the skin of the dick head. He was convinced he would win her back once he got out.

Last Thoughts

I met a lot of beta “Frank’s” but this guy was the epitome of a beta in need of TRP. About a third of the inmates in jail were there for DV charges. Half of those claimed that it was actually their SO who hit them but they got arrested instead.

The last thing I’ll point out is that any inmate charged with a sex crime is considered a “piece of shit” and is on the same level as a snitch. These guys get housed separately (only after they request it) in protective custody because jailhouse custom is to fuck up anyone who is a piece of shit, no questions asked. I can’t imagine what some of these guys who end up incarcerated over false rape charges go through.

Edit: I was in county jail not prison