# I work in a military prison. Ask me anything. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 11, 2011, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-work-in-a-military-prison-ask-me-anything/602578 "2011-11-11T07:10:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2011, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-work-in-a-military-prison-ask-me-anything/602578/141 "2011-11-23T05:38:22Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > Could the inmates, in theory, be released and deployed as service members in a dire emergency? E.g. the base is being overrun by an invading army (they are still technically in the service until they finish their sentence, right?)… In the terrific Boer War-era drama _Breaker Morant_, there’s a scene where three prisoners standing trial for murder are released from their cells and armed in order to help defend the fort from a guerrilla attack. Their defense attorney later argues that, under longstanding British military law, their heroism should lead to the dismissal of charges, but the president of the court-martial rules otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-work-in-a-military-prison-ask-me-anything/602578/142 "2011-11-24T07:44:24Z")
A few years ago I read a long post on SomethingAwful written by a former military inmate. Unfortunately I can’t find the post now, but is there any chance you’ve seen it? And if so, did it seem truthful to you? ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-work-in-a-military-prison-ask-me-anything/602578/143 "2011-11-24T07:49:52Z")
> [@Evil\_Economist](#): > > A few years ago I read a long post on SomethingAwful written by a former military inmate. Unfortunately I can’t find the post now, but is there any chance you’ve seen it? And if so, did it seem truthful to you? Yes, I saw that too. From what little I can remember, he said it was pretty rough in the prison. ---
**Author:** ![Molesworth\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9dc877/32.png) [@Molesworth\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Molesworth_2)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2011, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-work-in-a-military-prison-ask-me-anything/602578/144 "2011-11-24T17:16:19Z")
> [@willthekittensurvive](#): > > can inmates sign up for suicide missions? Snake Plissken is dead, dude. Sorry to break the bad news. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2011, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-work-in-a-military-prison-ask-me-anything/602578/145 "2011-11-25T00:42:37Z")
> [@Evil\_Economist](#): > > A few years ago I read a long post on SomethingAwful written by a former military inmate. Unfortunately I can’t find the post now, but is there any chance you’ve seen it? And if so, did it seem truthful to you? [I think this might be it](http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2691832). Is this guy being basically truthful about his experiences? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-work-in-a-military-prison-ask-me-anything/602578/146 "2011-12-02T18:29:43Z")
> [@YourAdHere](#): > > ``` > Do you ever form a sort of "friendship" on a professional or personal level with any inmates? > > ``` > [@SSG\_Schwartz](#): > > I don’t make friends with the inmates. There is nothing they can offer in terms of friendship. I’m not rude, and generally the inmates like me, but they do know that there is a line of professionalism that is not crossed. The first time I warn them, the second time I recommend disciplinary action. The inmates know what the limits are. As they are all former military, it is the same level of professionalism they would show their leadership. Within a few seconds the face of Gag Halfrunt appeared on the screen, smiling the smile of a man who knew he was ten light years away from the Vogon face he was looking at. Mixed up somewhere in the smile was a glint of irony too. Though the Vogon persistently referred to him as “my private brain care specialist” there was not a lot of brain to take care of, and it was in fact Halfrunt who was employing the Vogon. He was paying him an awful lot of money to do some very dirty work. As one of the Galaxy’s most prominent and successful psychiatrists, he and a consortium of his colleagues were quite prepared to spend an awful lot of money when it seemed that the entire future of psychiatry might be at stake. “We have located the ship.” “Wonderful,” said Halfrunt, “wonderful! and the occupants?” “The Earthman is there.” “Excellent! And …?” “And Zaphod Beeblebrox.” For an instant Halfrunt’s smile flickered. “Ah yes,” he said, “I had been expecting this. It is most regrettable.” “A personal friend?” inquired the Vogon, who had heard the expression somewhere once and decided to try it out. “Ah, no,” said Halfrunt, “in my profession you know, we do not make personal friends.” “Ah,” grunted the Vogon, “professional detachment.” “No,” said Halfrunt cheerfully, “we just don’t have the knack.” * * * Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. ---
**Author:** ![yquezada831\_gmail.com](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/90ced4/32.png) [@yquezada831\_gmail.com](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yquezada831_gmail.com)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2012, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-work-in-a-military-prison-ask-me-anything/602578/147 "2012-05-27T09:52:43Z")
ive heard a lot of things about men in prison being raped by other men, with all of your security now, does this still happen? if so, what does the prison do to stop it? also do the other inmates know what people have been convicted of? i heard that the prison is like 10x bootcamp both physically and mentaly, is that true? what kind of treatment plan do they have for sex offenders, if any? ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2012, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-work-in-a-military-prison-ask-me-anything/602578/148 "2012-05-27T10:15:30Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > In the terrific Boer War-era drama _Breaker Morant_, there’s a scene where… That film, and that scene, are based on real events. The event you’re referring to [really happened](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court_martial_of_Breaker_Morant#Attack_on_Pietersburg). ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-work-in-a-military-prison-ask-me-anything/602578/149 "2012-05-29T09:12:44Z")
> [@yquezada831\_gmail.com](#): > > ive heard a lot of things about men in prison being raped by other men, with all of your security now, does this still happen? I’m curious about this as you mentioned in a previous post that rape happens but generally it’s “asked for”, but I don’t know quite what you mean about that. Is rape used by prisoners on other prisoners as a tool of punishment and retribution? What about situational sexuality? Do the men in your prison resort to sex with each other or does the military mindset sort of work against that? I imagine that, when all is said and done, they’re men with needs and are not going to say no if it’s there. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-work-in-a-military-prison-ask-me-anything/602578/150 "2012-05-29T17:41:31Z")
Have you ever had a prisoner who was in for shoving a rag down a guy’s throat because he couldn’t run fast enough? (IOW carried out a “Code Red”) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-work-in-a-military-prison-ask-me-anything/602578/151 "2012-05-29T17:49:08Z")
**SSG Schwartz** has not posted on these boards since his last post in this thread, November 2011. Just so everyone’s on the same page here. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-work-in-a-military-prison-ask-me-anything/602578/152 "2012-05-29T20:26:15Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > **SSG Schwartz** has not posted on these boards since his last post in this thread, November 2011. Just so everyone’s on the same page here. They’re all on page 3 or earlier now. You’re on page 4. 😃 (at least per my browser settings…) ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-work-in-a-military-prison-ask-me-anything/602578/153 "2012-05-29T21:41:11Z")
Oh, good point. Guess no answers for me then ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-work-in-a-military-prison-ask-me-anything/602578/154 "2012-08-28T14:35:03Z")
More on alleged criminality in the ranks: [http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/28/justice/georgia-soldiers-plot/index.html?hpt=hp\_t3](http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/28/justice/georgia-soldiers-plot/index.html?hpt=hp_t3) ---
**Author:** ![Tblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tblue)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2012, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-work-in-a-military-prison-ask-me-anything/602578/155 "2012-08-29T11:56:44Z")
Arrrr… and it was such an interesting read, too. ---
**Author:** ![Jeraque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jeraque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeraque)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-work-in-a-military-prison-ask-me-anything/602578/156 "2013-01-31T19:26:12Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > **SSG Schwartz** has not posted on these boards since his last post in this thread, November 2011. Just so everyone’s on the same page here. Do you know if he started a new thread? Or did he just disappear? It was a great thread! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-work-in-a-military-prison-ask-me-anything/602578/157 "2013-01-31T23:32:06Z")
> [@Jeraque](#): > > Do you know if he started a new thread? Or did he just disappear? It was a great thread! 🙂 If you look under his user profile he isn’t posting much. Only 5 posts since he last posted in this thread. Last activity 12-30-12. So he is around a bit but not much. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2013, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-work-in-a-military-prison-ask-me-anything/602578/158 "2013-02-01T03:05:16Z")
I’ve PM’d him, asking him to return. Hope he will. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2013, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-work-in-a-military-prison-ask-me-anything/602578/159 "2013-02-01T03:30:50Z")
Damn. I was going to ask him about his experience with Turkish Prisons, Roman Gladiators, etc. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![SSG\_Schwartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SSG\_Schwartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSG_Schwartz)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-work-in-a-military-prison-ask-me-anything/602578/160 "2013-02-05T04:38:46Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Damn. I was going to ask him about his experience with Turkish Prisons, Roman Gladiators, etc. > > ☹ I think the movie _Airplane_ is forbidden in our facility for just that reason. SFC Schwartz [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-work-in-a-military-prison-ask-me-anything/602578.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-work-in-a-military-prison-ask-me-anything/602578.md?page=9)