Prisoners pay close attention to their fellow prisoners. [One technique to force a prisoner into sex is that] one of the bad guys will set up a power play. This is accomplished by him having two or three of his friends stop down on the prisoner of his choice in a strong manner as if to fight or beat up this prisoner. This usually puts the choosen prisoner in great fear of those type guys. The prisoner that set up this will be close by when this goes down. His roll is to step in just before the act gets physical. He defends the choosen prisoner by taken on the would be offenders. This works to gain the respect and trust of the choosen prisoner. After this encounter the choosen prisoner is encouraged to hang out with his new friend. This is repeated once or twice more to convence the choosen one of the sincere loyalties of the prisoner that set all this up . . . . They become very close, the choosen one feels compelled to show his thanks by giving at first monetary favors to his protector and it progress to the point where this guy that set up the attacks on him will not accept just the money. He starts to insist on the choosen one to give him sexual favors . . . . The fear of him, the choosen one, is that if he do not have this one Protector the rest of the guys will be back after him. After all it is better to have one person that you give sexual favors than it would be to have to be forced to do the act by two or more prisoners at the same time.

If I had a young good looking male friend, who had money and was not a fighter, coming to prison and I had to give him a formula for survival this is what I would say to him . . . . First, and foremost do not become familiar or personal with anyone. Trust no one, guards or inmates. Keep your case, personal views and opinions, family life, history and dreams to yourself. Do not share them . . . . Secondly, do not appear feminine in appearance, speech or actions. Maintain some facial hair, short nails, short hair, etc. to keep from being even accidently mistaken as a possible victim. Third, stick to your own race group as associates, but do not be racist.

Smaller, weaker, meeker individuals are usually targets. Meeker individuals tend to "act Gay" is how it's described here and in turn invites assault through the agressors mind. A new inmate needs to come into the system ready to fight and with a strong mind. He will be approached by a bigger guy who will let him know he's going to "fight, fxxk or pay protection." . . . . He will offer the new comer wire (for a radio antena) coffee or something so the new comer will come back and the subject will come up every time the new comer comes around and before long the new comer wants to know what the deal is. They go to a job or fall off in a cell agree to be easy, keep it between them, just do each other, ect. When the dude get's the new comer it's over and the dude will tell the new comer he'll take care of him or he'll tell everybody he's just a little bitch . . . . Should the new comer seek assistance of staff, staff just laughs at him, the physic department just says what do you want me to do. It's a no win situation and frustration often leads them to keep up the practice.

"Debt obligation" is where someone is allowed to run up a debt such as getting drugs on credit, to such a point where they can't pay it off; then the pressure (threat of violence — either to the inmate, or to his family on the streets) is applied, and it becomes a "put out, or be hurt" proposition. In Max. joints, the victim is often "used" for awhile, then "run off the yard" (chased into p.c.), or traded to another group, when the users tire of him. The process of turning someone into a punk is called "turning out."

On January 27, 1993, I was what is called checked to see if I was a strong white inmate. I had to fight 4 different inmates back to back. I can not fight real good. (I have a bad left leg.) My cellie allowed this to happen. At rack time, my cellie and I fought. (He is 200 lbs and muscled. A stocky inmate that is known to fight 2 or more at one time and win.) He knocked me out and I came to while he was sexually assaulting me anally. He told me if I told anyone he would kill me. . . . I was moved to another pod, where I was sold as a piece of meat. I was sold to the highest bidder by the white inmates. I was sold to a black inmate named Gray Top. From February to the end of April I was forced to perform all types of sexual acts. I was rented out to other black inmates. I finally went to staff and refused to go back to my cell. The indangerment paperwork was filed. Classification was ran and I was put in safekeeping for 2 years. . . . I was shipped to another unit from Colfield unit on July 14, 1995. I was housed in closed custody where I was the only white inmate on my wing out of 48 inmates! I was in 13 fights in 14 days. I was sexually assaulted by 4 inmates (black). I went to staff. I was shipped to the Mark W. Stiles unit. I refused to go to my housing assignment due to I was being put back into a life threatening condition. So I started to threaten the first black inmate I came into contact with. I was put in prehearing detention. That's September 15, 1995. I started possessing a weapon and threatening black inmates. That was the only way staff officials would keep me locked up in a single cell.

Another game is to get an inmate indebted to an inmate give them a week to have your money when they don't it automatically doubles. Then the next week you take it out in trade. Even if the new comer has someone out there that will send the money, by the time they write and the money is sent and posted it's too late anyway. This way some will fight some will feel obligated. [The games] are endless but ever so real.