Cook County Jail

Clothing

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

JM: What types of clothes were most common?
Jason: Close as I can tell they are like scrubs
Kat: Two piece V- Neck
JM Advice: Clothing consists of two-piece outfits that were color coded based on your level of security. You get a V-neck top and an elastic- waisted bottom.
Brian: 2 pieces - pants and a shirt.
DavidP: Some jails have jumpsuits, but in this case, it was a two piece - pants with a v-neck top. You're given one when you go in, and once a week you change. You all go in order, you follow the line like third graders, you go in to this large room, and you actually disrobe in the room. You have your underwear on, but you disrobe in the room, and you throw the old ones in a bin and you get new ones. The t-shirt and underpants are yours; you buy them on commissary, along with socks. The pants and the shirt are exchanged weekly. If you get them dirty, or spill your meal on them, you're going to wear it for the week.
keke: blue hard a* suit that when they gave it sometime it wasnt clean
Teabag: Socks (if you had them on at the time of your incarceration). Underwear (if you had them on at the time of your incarceration). WHITE T-Shirt or Deigo-Tee (if you had one on at the time of your incarceration). And a DOC Uniform which were similiar to Hospital Scrubs (heavier fabric) Brown in color with D.O.C. silkscreened onto the fabric. Uniforms were very worn out, you had to be a Gang Member to get fresh (Newer) DoC's where the lettering was Crisp and Bold. Basically affiliated inmates got DOC's fresh out of the package. Otherwise they were worn out always 2 sizes too small (you looked like a clown in some tight ass pants and shirt)
Crystal: Only the jail issue scrub-type uniform. Tan for men and blue green for women.
Edward: t shirt and D.O.C cloths
isaac: doc or white tees
Lucky: the beige ccdoc uniforms, white t-shirts.
Laydie: jail attire

JM: Did you have a set uniform? What did it look like?
Jason: Yes...
Kat: Yes - Blue V Neck Shirt and Pants
JM Advice: You change out your uniform once a week, so take good care of it, especially at the beginning of your week. You have to buy your own underwear, undershirts, and socks at the commissary
Brian: It was gray. I think it was for a lesser offense. It wasn't like the orange one. It comes in small, medium and large. I took large. I think guys with violent offenses had different color clothing but I never saw them.
DavidP: We had blue, and I know there's an orange and a yellow, but I don't know if there were any more than those three. I know that those colors represent different degrees of your being there. I don't know if yellow was maximum security, or if the orange was, but I know there are different colors for different inmates. Everyone where I was had the same - blue.
keke: blue wit ccod on it
Teabag: Light Brown, fashioned after hospital scrubs. The shirt size printed on the Breast Pocket
Crystal: Scrub type outfit.
Edward: brown top and brown pants with D.O.C on the back of them and the side of the pant leg
isaac: brown
Lucky: beige two piece.
Laydie: yes

JM: Were there any assigned clothes in high demand that an inmate should look for when getting clothing assigned?
Jason: Something that comes close to fitting
Kat: NO
JM Advice: Chicago can obviously be very cold in the winter and the jail is no exception. You will definitely want to by an undershirt (like long underwear) from commissary to keep a little bit warmer during these months.
keke: hell no just blue
Teabag: 3XL Uniform...... Fitted the best and looked the best....
Crystal: No no options.
Edward: yeah the ones that would fit

JM: Was the clothing different between men and women?
Jason: Dont Know
Kat: NO
JM Advice: Clothing for women and men are basically the same.
Brian: It was pretty similar. Actually, it was exactly the same. Obviously, different sizes, but it was the same thing, two pieces - not sweats, though. It was thin [fabric], but no buttons on the fabric - just an elastic waistband.
DavidP: Yeah, it was the same. The color is coded according to the area you're in, which is determined by the degree of your offenses, like medium security, or high security, or whatever. To be honest, it's rare to see women, but because of the medical deal, I had to go once every two or three weeks to a mini hospital for an overall checkup, and that is the only area where you see women, and it's only a few at that. I only saw them through a window. I did see that they had the same color uniform as we did. In any jail, they never mix the two, but you didn't even see them in this jail. I only saw them because of the medical deal.
keke: women get a hard a* blue suit and men get a hard a* beige suit
Teabag: Brown for men Blue for women
Crystal: Only color.
Edward: we had brown and the woman had blue
isaac: no
Lucky: yes, colors. men wear beige women wear dark blue.