I have been doing some research on prisons and their history. One thing I noticed is in all the pictures the guys (well a lot of them) don’t have shirts on.
Why? Is it because it is hot? Or is it posturing? (I have muscles leave me alone).
I am assuming the photo takers just don’t have a thing for shirtless prisoners as I have read more than one book on this and the pictures always show this.
I have even seen them at like a sewing machine sitting there and barechested.
Many prisons are not air-conditioned. Our nearby prison is an old brick building which only has fans to keep the inmates cool. According to a friend who works there, it’s like an oven inside, so yes, often the inmates don’t wear shirts because it’s hot. In the winter time, often the heating system is up too high, because it’s old an inneficient, so the guys can be too hot then, as well.
There’s generally no rule saying that inmates must wear shirts, so it’s the personal preference of the individual as to what he does or does not want to wear. The prison is these people’s “house.” Just like you may prefer not to wear a shirt inside your home, they may feel the same.