Cook County Jail

Closing Advice

Interview with Jason, Kat, JM Advice, Brian, DavidP, keke, Teabag, Crystal, Edward, isaac, Lucky and Laydie

JM: Is there anything else you would want a friend or family member to know if they have a loved one going to jail?
Jason: PRAY with all there heart that God keeps them safe..Never stop until they are out..
Kat: Know that your loved one and be prepared to be mentally degraded by guards at Cook County regardless of your charge. You will not have a pen or paper for a week or two because you have to order them from store. Take some cash with you to put on your books when you go in this will speed that process up.
JM Advice: Know 3 to 5 phone numbers - many people now store all their friends' and family members' phone numbers in their cell phones. However, your phone is confiscated when you get checked into jail before you get to make your phone call. Have 3 to 5 phone numbers memorized or written down to carry with you to jail so you're prepared when you get your call.
Brian: Well, I'd want him to know, first of all, if he thinks it's going to happen to him, it's all about preparation. Obviously, I didn't know what to prepare for, because it was my first time in jail. Now, I would memorize at least three to five different phone numbers. A lot of people have a lot of different numbers, but it's all in their cell phones. You need to know a minimum of three to five phone numbers to call, because that's obviously the first thing you need to do when you're in there. You need people to call to bail you out. I think a lot of people don't realize that because they think, "Well, I've got it in my phone." But they don't let you keep your phone. If I didn't remember those numbers, I would have been in there longer than I would have had to have been, because no one knew that I got pulled over.
DavidP: Well, I would say stay out. It's such a dirty, mean place. The guards are mean, the inmates are mean. All I would say is that as much as inmates get on your nerves and grate on you, you may think you're tough, but you're never tough enough. Keep your mouth shut. You can talk with people, but be careful who you interact with, and don't start problems. You'll either get killed or get thrown in the hole. The guards don't waste a second. You're either going to get hurt, or you're going in the hole and get your time extended. Also, have your family and friends put money in your account. The best thing is the commissary. Be aware of it, let people put some money in your account. For $20 a week, they give you snacks and other things. Because of the food, you'll be starving in there. You have to have something. For $20 or $30 a week, it gives you more of a decent living.
keke: no
Teabag: Watch ya back and Plug In !!!
Crystal: Have your family send you money to buy socks, underwear, sweatshirt (its very cold in winter and you shiver all night) if you are there more than two weeks.
Edward: keep your mouth shut,hope for the best and expect the worst.your there because you screwed up just do your time and go home,listen to the officers.try to get a in house job that helps pass the time.
isaac: respect the co's they have no rules and if i had to deal with alot of shitheads all day id be an ass too for the loved ones send mags books letters and be there for phone calls it helps
Lucky: It's not that bad.
Laydie: be considerate of the workers time and patience and treat them with the utmost respect for you are in there hands while serving time

JM: Is there anything else you would recommend to a future inmate?
Jason: Pray, stay to your self as much as they can, do not give any info about your outside life.
JM Advice: Know how to get to the jail - you may need to tell someone how to come cover your bail or tell them how to come visit. If there's a possibility of going to jail, you should acquaint yourself with how to get there so you can tell others how to find you.
Brian: Well, if someone thinks they're in that situation where they think there's a good chance that they're going to go to jail, they need to not only have the phone numbers, but have their friends know where the county jail is. A lot of people, depending on where they live, know people or have friends in jail, but don't know where the jail is. There are a lot of different locations. They should just let their friends know, in advance, what the address is. They should give them instructions, if there's a good chance that they'll get pulled over, or if there's a warrant out for their arrest. They need to inform their friends. Their friends might want to help, but they might not know where to go. They can look things up on the internet and figure those things out. If someone's in a situation where there's a warrant out for their arrest, they should know they could be arrested at any point, and go to jail. If someone feels that they're in that situation, they need to be prepared. Know the numbers, know the address, know exactly the situation because if they don't, they could be in there for many more days than they should be. No one would even know that they're there. And another thing is, in terms of bailing them out, if it's a higher bail, obviously they'll need more money.
DavidP: Be aware of commissary, have people put money in your account, stay out of trouble, and try to get that time off - get out as quickly as you can. That's about it - try not to go there at all. Just try to prepare yourself before going - be aware of what I've mentioned. Also, once a week, you do have visiting time, also, but it's a real old and small building with smoky glass. You can hardly see the person, and you have to put your mouth right on top of the glass to talk, and the other person has to put their ear right there. It is a weekly visiting time, but it's a hassle for the visitors, because they have to go through all these checkpoints, and it takes an hour to get through. It's difficult once they do get through, but it helps to have visitors come.
keke: never go to cook county jail its nasty it stank the female gaurds are haters they are sheisty the men get treated better and they talk to you like you aint sh* they try to make you feel beneath them when they aint on sh* theyself i hate cook county gaurds
Teabag: Stay the f* outta jail!!!!
Crystal: Pray and try to figure out which guards are sadist, psychopaths, and sociopaths. Say very little to them. Stay away from them. Follow orders. Don't ask for anything unless you have to. Ask your attorney as many small specific questions as possible and keep your mouth shut about your case and personal info.
Edward: if you can go to dorm 4 or dorm 1 c deck.as far as i know these are working decks.working really helps pass the timetry to find someone in clothing to.they can get you cloths that fit.after getting your cloths "DOC" was them regardless if they been washed.all of mine were extreamly dirty coming back from the wash.keep the cloths that you have because the next clothing change you wont get ones that fit also if you take the tooth brush that they give you and a pen that you buy from commissary you can make a tooth brush.the tooth past is really good for cleaning your cloths too along with the soap.use your grey box that is givin to you with your bunk to wash your cloths in it.to press your cloths for court use the space between the bunk and sleeping mat and lay on it for a couple of days.
isaac: dont tell anyone when getting out people like to cause shit right before u leave
Lucky: Save your milk cartons and your lunch trays.
Laydie: co-operation respect patient and keep a low profile but on and understandable level ,most of all go along with the program ok.