When I served time on a chain-gang in the Old South (1963-65), snitching was practically unheard of. The one snitch that I recall in general pop where I was at was punked out. He gave handjobs to all comers for candy bars, and blowjobs for smokes.
Joe Wilson & Valerie Plame
Today’s a different story. Over 90% of convicts have either “accepted responsibility” and pled guilty for a deal, and/or “cooperated” by snitching out others (even when they had nothing; police and prosecutors would provide) for an even better deal.
Certainly there are rational and responsible reasons for taking a plea—assuming you do so on yourself. But snitching when you’re a player in the game? You’re a punk.
These realities don’t exist in a vacuum. The prison system is a reflection of the people who create and run them. From the top-down. more…
