Substitute Addictions (A Death Row Inmate’s Christian Perspective on Addictions)

In my fairly lengthy lifetime of experiences, I’ve had the opportunity to observe human behaviors, which includes addictions. I’ve noticed an increase in the number of people who have addictive natures in general. Such people become addicted to things that allow them to escape reality and/or make them feel good physically, mentally, and/or emotionally, and they’ll place that psychological “need” above all else. Sadly, others often suffer as a result. With my being incarcerated for over 26 years now, I’ve encountered many prisoners who claimed to be mainly addicted to drugs in the freeworld. If unable to obtain and continue with their drugs of choice while in prison, they turn to substitute addictions to make them feel as good as possible, whether consciously or subconsciously. Following are examples of substitutes I’ve observed people engaging in:

1. Different drugs to what they took while outside prison; obtaining any other kind of drug in prison will be their main desire for a substitute. Something called “K2” seems to be the most common and easiest to get smuggled in.
2. “Hooch”. This jailhouse wine is usually the number one substitute for drugs in general.
3. Medications. Whether these be prescriptions of their own, obtained from other inmates, or over-the-counter meds such as for allergies and “cold-busters”.
4. Food. An over-indulgence of eating.
5. Sweets. For a sugar high.
6. Caffeine. Coffee, tea and/or sodas.
7. Sex. Masturbation, or any way they can get it.
8. Gambling. We all know how popular this addiction is in prison; winning gives them a high.
9. TV. Most especially soap operas they never would have bothered watching in the freeworld. (What’s up with that?!) But, like drugs, watching TV takes their minds away from dealing with the realities of life.
10. Reading books. Especially fictional fantasies for the escape of reality.
11. Confrontations. This generally stems from people’s minds being in an unsettled state of chaos. When people have conflict within themselves, they get appeasement from outer-conflict with others. This results in physical fights, frequent arguments, over-aggressiveness playing sports, and other acts of aggression against staff and inmates alike – due mainly to getting a high from an adrenalin rush.
12. Chess, dominoes, and other such games. Here, again, we all know plenty of chess and domino addicts, but they’ll never admit it’s an addiction. These confrontational games can also be considered a mild form of a confrontations addiction.
13. Wheeler-dealers. These guys always have things going on above and beyond normalcy, such as: sending and receiving kites all the time; always wanting to buy or trade items with others; wanting to have, buy, and/or sell contraband items; wanting extra items like radios, etc.; and running store. The guys we get stuck passing for a lot. The ones who don’t even like us – but we’re their best friend when we’re in the dayroom and passing for them. Such guys may also have been drug dealers in the freeworld and still have that need to feel like a big shot in prison too. Many are obsessive-compulsive with unsettled minds and can’t feel content if they don’t always have something extra going on. 
14. Thrill-seekers. They push the envelope with actions like intentionally breaking rules where staff and fellow inmates see and/or hear it going on. They challenge someone to say something against them for a confrontation, or want fellow inmates to praise them for being so bold in front of staff who are usually “too afraid” to do anything against such inmates. Either way, they get a rush out of it all.
15. Attention-seekers. Including guys who sing loud, laugh loud, clap loud, yell a lot and/or talk loudly, have and blast speakers loud, chat with staff a lot, and/or… wait for it… write into the prison unit’s radio station a lot so they can “get a rush” hearing the DJs announce their names and talk about them on the air. You know, the guys whose names we hear mentioned all the time, affectionately  consider “suck-asses”, and roll our eyes and shake our heads at as we hear all the “woo-wees” from guys tired of hearing the same names so frequently. Here at Polunsky Unit, if you don’t listen to ‘The Tank’ (especially at noon), just look for the guys the Field Ministers spend the most time with, because it’s the same guys who write to ‘The Tank’ a lot. I’m laughing as I write this! But, unfortunately, mentioning those guys’ names on the air, and staff and Field Ministers catering to them over other guys, is playing into their hands and feeds “positive reinforcement” for them to continue this negative behavior (plus it creates negative feelings amongst other inmates who witness all this).
16. Liars, scammers, gossipers and drama creators. Some guys just can’t go without stirring poop and creating drama wherever they go. It gives them a high to have the power to manipulate other people’s emotions, actions and beliefs so easily. Thus, half the fault lies in those who allow themselves to be manipulated by such people instead of ignoring them. It’s a shame so many people are so gullible because it equates to positive reinforcement.
17. Excessive talkers. Oh, how we all too well know too many guys who just love hearing their own voices. They don’t care that the vast majority of their neighbors can’t stand hearing them because such guys are addicted to pleasing themselves above all others. The word they repeat most often is usually “I”. They think they know everything and that they are smarter than everyone else. They ramble on and on for hours and hours every day and even late at night, making all that noise while not even saying anything important or meaningful. They live at their doors, driving others nuts who wish they’d develop chronic laryngitis But here, again, these talk addicts can only carry on like that because there’s always someone else willing to listen and talk back. Talk addicts, like attention-seekers, are actually very insecure. When people give them the attention they crave, it makes them feel important, and hence a high from thinking their lives have tremendous meaning above other people’s. But overcoming insecurities comes from within; not from others. Men who are secure in themselves are quiet and have better things to do than stand at their doors every day, and they do their talking via letters because they have friends on the outside who enjoy hearing from them.
18. Excessive exercisers. Yes, some guys become obsessed with exercising for many hours each day. But, so long as they’re quiet while working out and don’t stink up the surrounding area or shower booth, it’s an addiction others aren’t adversely affected by, and is much healthier than drugs or alcohol.
19. Religious fanaticism. The key word here is “fanaticism”, i.e. a taking of religion to an unreasonable abnormal extreme, and usually trying to force one’s beliefs upon others. If claiming to be a Christian, he’ll constantly talk about Jesus to the point of driving normal people away from him and sometimes from Jesus for their not wanting to be anything like the fanatic who they consider to have some kind of mental disorder. Fanatics also enjoy judging other people’s salvation and condemning them to eternal damnation while considering themselves to be oh-so-righteous. 
20. Thieves. Some guys get off intentionally “jacking” others out of stamps, commissary items, etc. Other guys are so addicted to stealing they don’t even realize how wrong it is; all they know is that it makes them feel good to take what they want when they want. In a line for someone else’s “read and pass” magazine and newspapers, they’ll cut out photos and articles, keep complete sections of newspapers, or flat out steal the entire magazine or newspaper with no regard that they’re depriving others from reading them, and disregarding the owner’s directive to pass them to others in the line.
21. Busybody know-it-alls. They have a psychological need to know everything going on, and everything about everybody, and make sure to let others know how much they know. They’re always talking to staff and SSI inmates to get the latest news and gossip, have friends on the outside feeding them the latest prison information, listen to news and other sources of information, and even obtain and read other inmates’ cases from the law library. They know every staff and inmates’ names, and who people can get items or favors from. Such guys routinely butt into people’s conversations to give them information or “correct” them on information they heard them discussing, and/or just to give their opinion on the topic (which they believe is always right above anyone’s differing). 
22. Control freaks. These guys bully fellow inmates, and/or think they own any woman they want for romance. Such guys have the usual traits of being selfish narcissistic egotists. 
23. Players. These guys give all prisoners a bad reputation. Their victims are people on the outside; most of whom are women, and many living in Europe. The inmates who play and manipulate them love bragging to fellow inmates about how they “got game”. Sadly, many of those guys also refer to those kind-hearted women as “hos”, and guys like me are forced to hear such degrading hate-filled talk against such caring human beings who are giving those guys love and physical help they don’t even deserve – unless they undergo a complete change of heart and mindset. As with control freaks, it’s incredible how many women allow themselves to be played and controlled by such guys.
24. Romance love. These men can’t be satisfied with friendship love; they have to have romance to feel good about themselves, and will pursue romance with almost any woman who writes to him. But, once obtained, if a more attractive woman writes, he’ll pursue romance with her and dump the old for the “new and improved version”. Not really a “player”, because he will be content with one woman, but he simply wants the prettiest he can get to make him feel the best possible in here. The most understandable addiction, but an addiction nevertheless that hurts the women who get dumped for having been a stepping stone. 

That’s all I can think of at this time. Many guys who fit into these categories will likely disagree with me and such basic psychology. That’s called “denial” because most addicts can’t admit they’re addicts. But such guys who are able to admit they were addicted to drugs (and/or alcohol, or anything else) outside prison, must now recognize they have an addictive nature in general. That means they will take on at least one substitute, and must watch for that and analyze themselves to make a logical determination rather than an emotional denial. 

As a Christian, I advocate becoming a Christian and receiving God’s Holy Spirit. The keyword there is “holy”: A holy helper who will guide people to recognize and overcome their addiction(s). When people truly have God’s Holy Spirit within them, they become a new creation. They will lose their addictive nature, and the nature of who they are should then reflect Godliness instead. Their actions will become more Godly. We are all judged by God and man by our actions, not our words, which might sound good but ring empty when our actions contradict any “words of encouragement” we spew. 

Everyone who wants guys with such addictions to stop engaging in those actions, needs to stop giving them any kind of positive reinforcement. A good way, which also avoids confrontations with them, is to simply ignore and avoid them as best you can. An even better way is if Chaplains and Field Ministers can devote some time with them to discuss their addiction(s) and addictive nature(s), and try to encourage them to become new creations, which will result in their improved actions. Helping them to better themselves helps better things for all of us, inmates and staff, and makes prison life more tolerable. 

Let’s all strive to encourage others by doing Christ-like actions. For faith without the actions (works) is dead (worthless, meaningless).

Peace be with us all.