Surviving on the inside

This has been well known for years: it's one of those messages passed on from those who are released from custody to those at risk of going inside.

It's not just about getting better food. It is also a way of cocking a snook at the system. A custodial experience demands a very subtle blend of behaviour if you are to find an effective path between the discipline and regulation of the institution, and the support and solidarity of fellow prisoners. Being over-compliant and "playing the game" may make you a good inmate in the eyes of the staff but leaves you subject to humiliation and perhaps even bullying by other inmates. Although overt challenges to authority and "playing up" may command respect and popularity on the wing and in the block, it makes doing time less tolerable because of the sanctions and restrictions that are subsequently imposed.