Do you feel prison life is accurately portrayed in shows such as OITNB and Wentworth?

Question

Bonus questions:
1. Have you been to prison?
2. Do you know anyone who has?
3. If yes, how do they feel about these shows?
I haven’t seen many prison shows so feel free to include other examples.

Answer

1) no
2) yes, i've put someone in there
3) these shows are just entertainment. They have some aspects like prisoners health/food/work correct. Prison is much harsher and scarier than OITNB's portrayal. 
Other shows that correctly show prison life would be lock-up and other such shows which are documentary style and have real prisoners speaking of their experiences.

Answer

1. No
2. Yea, two of my exes. One before we met and one after we broke up. The first was arrested for attempted rape and sexual assault (told me it was for a bar fight). The second was for possession and intent to sell. The first never really talked about what it was like, but the second said prison life is very different. He said drugs were available in far larger quantities than you would ever find outside of prison, aside from being a drug kingpin. I remember going to visit him and I was turned away because my shorts were too short. The guards were worried that the prisoners might say or even try to do something even though there were always blockades between us. My shorts went down to my knees. 
3. I've only seen OITNB. I find it entertaining.

Answer

No. My ex-fiance spent 4 years in prison, my father spent years in prison, and my aunt spent years in prison for manslaughter. I assure you it's completely false. My aunt did leave her husband for a girl she met in prison though. That was a plot twist.

Answer

It's entertainment...

Answer

1) Only overnight in the police station when I was a teen (nothing like establishments in those shows) 
2) yes biological dad
3) he ain’t out to watch em

Answer

1) No 
2) Yes 
3) I don't think they give a shit. I mean they probably find it annoying, that's its so different. Prison, from what I gather, is mostly boredom with intermittent interruptions of heavy fear. That's why ppl get ptsd n stuff. its not exactly entertaining.

Answer

I have never been to prison, but have visited several family members in prison, jail, camps. Some were with the telephone through the glass and others we got to be in the same room. The youngest I remember going was when I was like 6?
With that being said, it also has to do with the type of security that the prison has. OITNB would be considered low security and the set up and layout would be fairly accurate from what I heard (my cousin just got released today and she said it’s similar—but she only did about a month).
My uncle is serving 25 years. He’s been from minimum, to high, to low security. He’s “retired” now, as far as the politics go. He’s over 60 so he doesn’t get involved in shit and they leave him alone. And most of what I know is kind of through him but he doesn’t tell me details. But we talk about the food, the points system, lockdown, his job, etc. he mostly has been in cells with one other “celly” or roommate. We joke how deployments and jail are similar (I’m military)
The details on the politics have come mainly from my other two cousins. And I remember them confirming most of it when we were watching a documentary.
Then lastly there’s a bunch of other family members that will just sit around and talk about prison life (how to make a good spread, how to take a shit when you’re sharing a cell, etc.)
The shows don’t bother me, probably because I’ve never been to jail. I can only judge from what I’ve been told and seen and all the ones I’ve visited have all been pretty different themselves. I’m sure life isn’t as entertaining in them as it is on OITNB.

Answer

Prison, no. Jail, yes. It’s definitely nothing like jail but I’m sure prison is very different from jail. 
I think the shows obviously embellish quite a bit, but there are some (very few) aspects that are somewhat accurate (OITNB and the privatization of prisons, budget cuts, etc.).

Answer

1) no
2) Yes
3) don’t think they care.

Answer

My husband was in prison for a few years long ago. He said it basically is a giant gym with a bunch of bunk beds.  He was obviously low security. He said it's just really boring.  There were a few fights here and there but it was just more like sitting in a giant gymnasium for a few years.  You had some opportunities but honestly it was just sitting

Do you feel prison life is accurately portrayed in shows such as OITNB and Wentworth?

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