Reply ID: fu2m

September 27, 2016

Jamie:

Firstly, I don't have any tattoos. Many times I almost got one but something always changed my mind right before I arranged to have it done. But yes, they do (illegal) tattoos in here. They punish inmates who get caught doing tattoos. It is dangerous cause you can get HIV or hepatitis C. Basically they scavenge an electric motor and attach a bump on the armature so the needle will rapidly go up and down. The ink is from soot, and other stuff they add to it to make it less prone to infection. I do not give tattoos either. It's against my religion. But lots of inmates do get tattoos. Some of them are very professionally done - very fine detail. Some guys get pissed that I won't tattoo them. Even if it were not against my religion I wouldn't do it. You should see the size of some of the guys who want them. What do I do if I make a mistake in inking in the design? You can't erase a mistake on a tattoo. Uhh, oh sorry! Look I can make it look like a weasel winding a clock. Don't kill me I can fix it! It won't look so bad.

I wish I were talented in languages. I learned Spanish twice and forgot it twice. I've been struggling with Arabic for two decades.

What are your future plans? What are you gonna do? University? Right to the workplace?

I've been in for 36.5 years. Before that I was in and out of various mental hospitals. I lost track of how many people I've met that have suicided. I don't remember most of their names but I do remember the sense of mental anguish they exhibited before they did it. That would be the final act of disobedience to The Creator. That would be losing the war to the instinctual will to survive and the foolish will to futilely try to escape torment by destroying this temporary body. It disturbs me every time it happens. Some of them go immediately after they put a guilt trip on me. Like for instance, one of the told me he needs me to appeal his case - he had no one else - he's innocent. Then five minutes later he's bad mouthing me to others w/o realizing I'm in back of him. I told him to stay the f--- away from me. Two days later he is dead. Nobody liked him, but it still feels bad. May Allah protect us all from that.

Jim

http://betweenthebars.org/blogs/2291