I guess prison is so much more complicated, yet similar to the free world. Such a small community prison basically is, but yet in this place, there are so many rules, gangs, and we all just live together, FAM.

Coming in, you’re clueless to a lot of things, as was I. All I knew was that I had to find my people, had to fight, and had to be respectful, had to be honorable, and so forth. These are basic principles, FAM.
If you’re a gangsta, you’ve got to be stomped down, FAM, real talk. So, like, first of all, find your people, get established among all gangs just so they all know who you are, what you represent—the works.

Once this is established, you live day by day, but in a moral code of your gang. Like, for one, always speak with respect, never snitch, and uphold the code of silence. Carry yourself in an honorable manner and always be honorable in business. What you do reflects on the rest of the gang, so if you’re a coward, you just made your people look bad. Now you’re going to get crushed. If you do bad business, your people have to pay, and now you will be disciplined and will have to pay that back to make things right.

If you have an argument with a certain gang, not knowing there are boundaries, rules, regulations, agreements which you are supposed to know, well, I feel sorry for you, FAM. Honestly, picture the mutual defense agreement the United States of America has with Taiwan. Gangs have the same agreements. If not honored, people honestly die from both sides. This is serious shit, FAM, which you have to know.

So gangs go to extreme lengths to keep the peace, but if you dishonor these agreements, well, there is not much choice, FAM, than to cause destruction. FAM, no lie. So like, there will always be someone to enforce these rules. It’s so much bullshit, which is taken really seriously. It’s a must, not to mention table rules/hygienic rules. Also, like the use of toilets, the televisions are also an issue, and the benches are issues. For example, prison is really segregated, has so many boundaries. The Mexican people or certain gangs have this table; no one else sits there. The blacks also have a table; the whites have a struggling issue with this because they are the minority, honestly. And they very much have to get much respect to even have that for them to have a table. This is true in Texas. The same issue goes for benches, FAM. The phones are the same ordeal—one for the Mexicans, one for the black minority. They are allowed to share a phone with either one or a certain time frame. But if you just come and use the black’s phone and you’re Mexican, this can cause a fight, which can lead to a riot. So many rules, FAM.

If you are sitting at a lunch table, you better not reach over someone’s tray. This will cause another fight. When done, excuse yourself properly. People knock on the table before getting up to leave the restroom. Most kneel when taking a piss so that the toilet ring won’t have or get much piss on it, or you won’t get piss on the floor by accident. If you piss on the floor, you will get into a fight real quick. When taking a shit, you must flush repeatedly so the smell will go away. If you don’t flush, you will also get into a fight. Common courtesy is something you must uphold in prison, FAM, out of respect for all people.

Texas prison takes this seriously, FAM. You will have to fight, FAM. You will have to respect, FAM, and you will have to be honorable. It’s just the way prison works, FAM. You don’t fight? Well, bad things happen to you. You don’t have respect? You will get crushed. You don’t honor your business or word? You will have a bad reputation. And don’t steal in prison. This in Texas doesn’t sit well with anyone. Many gangs; most of their disputes are of gang members not honoring a business deal. Yes, it’s complicated, FAM, but once you catch on, you should be fine. Every prison has different rules and regulations, but this is an example of the Texas politics of prison, which is complicated, FAM, and serious. But hey, if you want to say fuck you and your politics, that’s fine. Just be ready to walk through the fire, FAM. You reap what you sow…