Ismael was formerly incarcerated as a youth at Riker’s Island.  He talked to us about what it was like to be in prison and why some people would want to join gangs. He told us that it gives people a sense of security, because by themselves they normally get beaten up. Ismael also told how small the solitary confinement sells are and how it affects a juveniles’ mentally. For solitary confinement is meant to break down a person mentally, and some people feel like they just need to get out, so they will acted dead or very sick so that they might be able to get out.

Ismael told us about after he got out of solitary confinement that he was very paranoid and was scared about people going behind him or next to him.  He said you don’t know how to react to people after being in solitary confinement for so long. Ismael told us how most prison guards don’t care about what prisoners do to each other as long as no one gets cut, stabbed, or being beaten to death.