15 Jan 08

On Shanks (Part 3)

“What kinds of circumstances lead to prisoners getting shanked and what’s your advice to a new prisoner?”
“The circumstances include drug debts, plain stupidity, disrespect, or trying to get in the mix with the gangs. My advice is: do your best to stay out of the gangs and things that bring problems, especially drugs.”
“If things have developed to the point where a prisoner suspects he’s about to get shanked, what defensive measures can he take?”
“You take magazines (preferably National Geographic, that’s the best one) and you strap them around your waist using either Saran Wrap or garbage bags, and you tie it on with clothes or whatever works. Saran Wrap out of the kitchen is best. You have to tie it up to cover your middle-torso area. The magazines act like body armour. Then, if you haven’t got big fists, get a big stick, a rock, batteries or a padlock in a sock, or anything else like that you can lay your hands on.”
“Say someone catches you offguard and shanks you in the heart, how long have you got left to live?”
“It’s just a matter of minutes.”
“You touched on how slow it is for the prison to get a prisoner to a hospital. Exactly how slow is it?”
“If they life flight you out, it’s usually at least half an hour. It takes time for them to figure out what’s going on. Then they gotta call for the helicopter. The helicopter has to fly in, land, pick you up, fly out. If they wait for an ambulance it takes a lot longer. Plenty leave on the helicopter and don’t come back. I’ve seen cops leave on the helicopter and not come back, and they get the helicopter here a whole lot faster for the cops.”
“How common are shankings in the prison system?”


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