It's hard to imagine that anyone released from prison would actually miss living there. While it may seem strange to most, there are things ex-cons miss about prison. While it's probably not the guards or the lingering threat of violence, prison nostalgia is real. True stories from prison are always interesting to learn about, whether rife with violence or surprisingly inspirational. It is almost inconceivable for anyone to imagine waxing nostalgic for anything even remotely related to a time spent incarcerated, but the following guys are here to remind us that even in the midst of our darkest days, there actually is a little bit of a silver lining on every storm cloud. Here are the surprising things that cause prison nostalgia for ex-inmates.
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The Respect
officialanswer shared:
"Respect. I was so surprised how blatantly rude and cruel people are in the real world. I don't know if it was the threat of violence or the fact that people can't run away from each-other, but for the most part people were a lot more respectful."
The Economy And Bartering Systems In Prison
sotriggeredx shared:
"The symbiotic economy. Need tampons? Trade some stamps. Need shampoo? Bang out a nice birthday card for that lady's kid. You can sew? You don't even need to buy whites. Court tomorrow and wanna look good? Get that cosmetology chick to give you a hand and you'll bring her some snacks on the way back from the kitchens.
I also miss how creative I was while incarcerated. I haven't drawn anything in a little over two years. I drew daily in jail and prison."
Not Having To Pay Taxes
Bigindianjoe shared:
"Not having to pay taxes was really really nice. I went in right after high school, and when I got out, I was 22 and had never paid a bill before. That was a weird transition into the real world."
Free Time And Hobbies
Cuck_the_humans shared:
"Free time to read and work out."
Motivation To Get In Good Shape
Robbie6769 shared:
"I miss the motivation I had to get in shape. Jail and prison life can be very boring so you tend to get into routines. Working out jogging and playing ball was just a part of my everyday routine. It as important to me as eating or sleeping but when you get out you tend to lose a lot of that motivation and routine."
The Structure
Grampsa shared:
"The structure. It helped tremendously with my ocd, anxiety and believe it or not, depression.
Knowing when I was going to eat, shower, sleep, exercise and the like... it was very helpful for me, personally."