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1) Prison guards don't have absolute power over the cons 2) The cons don't have them entirely enthralled, but as I mention in the article, severely weakened ov

1) Prison guards don't have absolute power over the cons 2) The cons don't have them entirely enthralled, but as I mention in the article, severely weakened over time, and vulnerable enough to succumb to minor rules violations that the cons use as leverage against the guards - to extract major favors 3) A lot of criminals are very intelligent and if they were born in an affluent suburb in Connecticut, they would probably end up just as powerful as many businessmen/politicians. Some criminals end up working their way out of prison and end up very powerful. Look at YM/CMB as a great example of this. (Except Lil Wayne is in jail now on a gun charge because it's all tied up with his "hood" image.)

andyjdavis 16y ago
Also the inmates have basically an unlimited amount of time to think things over. They have all the time in the world to go back over past events and plan for the future interactions. The guard may not think twice about a particular conversation while the inmate may spend the next 24 hours going over it in their head and figuring out an angle. If they're not switched on and maybe a bit paranoid the guard may not realize that what they think is a conversation is actually a science experiment with them as the subject. Working with people who can spend every waking moment figuring out how to get into your head could be frightening.
roel_v 16y ago
Who is YM/CMB? Google shows a bunch of rappers, but is there actually one that calls himself "YM/CMB"? I guess that guy drank too much of the Web 2.0 naming coolaid ("Street 2.0"?)
- zackattack 16y ago
  Young Money / Cash Money Business. Also c.f. Young Money Entertainment.
- CWuestefeld 16y ago
  that guy drank too much of the Web 2.0 naming coolaid That would be "Horsedick.MPEG" from the movie Miss March. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_March http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_March

andyjdavis 16y ago

Also the inmates have basically an unlimited amount of time to think things over. They have all the time in the world to go back over past events and plan for the future interactions. The guard may not think twice about a particular conversation while the inmate may spend the next 24 hours going over it in their head and figuring out an angle. If they're not switched on and maybe a bit paranoid the guard may not realize that what they think is a conversation is actually a science experiment with them as the subject. Working with people who can spend every waking moment figuring out how to get into your head could be frightening.

roel_v 16y ago

Who is YM/CMB? Google shows a bunch of rappers, but is there actually one that calls himself "YM/CMB"? I guess that guy drank too much of the Web 2.0 naming coolaid ("Street 2.0"?)

zackattack 16y ago
Young Money / Cash Money Business. Also c.f. Young Money Entertainment.
CWuestefeld 16y ago
that guy drank too much of the Web 2.0 naming coolaid That would be "Horsedick.MPEG" from the movie Miss March. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_March http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_March