White Collar Prisons

Prisons are not always strict, having razor wire on the tall and strong walls and strict security. Some prisons are like camps and easy, having normal sized-wall and less strict security, they have good environment in which the prisoners learn and do their jobs they are less paid.

Such types of prisons are designed for the white color prisoners whose crimes are not that much big and they are sentenced with the punishments less than 10 years.

Their crimes may befraud, corruption, not paying the taxes or stealing something within their organizations. Let’s embark on the journey of the white color prison.

What is A White Collar Prison?

White Collar Prison is a kind of prison with low sized-walls having the minimum security and no violence. The prisoners are not much the big criminals and they have provided the learning environment of skills, business education and other professions.

They also are allowed to do the jobs that are less paid and mostly state related. The White Collar Prions have no or almost zero violence, they are also called as federal camps. There also some sophisticated names which used for them.

The other names used for the white collar prions are; the minimum security cells, the federal camps, and many more. These name are given to them according to their; environments, the security, the prisoners, the foods, the officers, the skill and learning other professions.

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Definition of Crime

Some theorists defined the white collar crimes and given them some new definitions that are widely used in the thesaurus of the crimes and the prisons.

One of them writes that these crimes are the sociological construct and these are not officially recognized and have no legal category.

Searchers draw the lines and define these white collar crimes by defining the concepts of offender-based and offense-based crimes.

The offender based crimes are those that are committed by a person within his occupation and who is having high social status and respectable family background. While the offense-based crimes that also considered as the white collar crimes are committed by the means other than physical to grab money or property.

Definition of Offenders

As discussed in the previous sections that the white collar offenders are mostly from the noble and respectable backgrounds.

They commit the crimes within their organizations by the non-physical methods, by it we mean that their hands are not directly involved in committing the crimes.

They crimes may be corruption, not paying taxes, stealing something within the course of their own professions. According to their offenses they are sent to their related prisons.

Are Prisons Minimum Security Camps

White collar prisons, often synonymous with minimum security camps or "country club" prisons, cater to white collar inmates convicted of non-violent crimes such as fraud or embezzlement.

These facilities contrast starkly with higher security prisons, featuring low fences and dormitory-style living arrangements rather than locked doors and armed guards.

Inmates at these minimum security facilitates typically enjoy a less restrictive prison life, with more privileges and freedoms. However, despite the relaxed environment, white collar inmates still adhere to the rules enforced by prison staff.

What Inmates do

Within these federal correctional institutions, white collar inmates often find themselves in the company of former executives, politicians, or other individuals convicted of financial crimes.

They may engage in activities like tutoring fellow inmates or participating in vocational programs offered by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Female inmates are also housed in separate sections within these facilities, although the inmate population is predominantly male.

The atmosphere in minimum security camps is generally less tense than in medium or maximum security prisons, fostering a sense of camaraderie among inmates despite the underlying circumstances of their white collar crime convictions.

Who Goes To White Collar Prison?

You may be wondering about the fact that who goes to the white collar prisons. Those criminals whose crimes are not big and not that much violent are sent there.

These include; fraud, corruption, not paying the taxes or stealing something within their organizations.

These crimes are not that much big and they are sentenced with the punishments less than 10 years. These prisoners are professional people and their crimes are also not violent so they are given the cells that have no hardships.

Their criminal histories are clear and that are their first crimes, they can learn skills and other professions.

Minimum-security prisons: -

The white collar prisons are also called the minimum-security prisons and are further categorized into different types. The two major types are the Federal Prison Camp and the Satellite Prison Camps.

A). Federal Prison Camps (FPCS)

The first and the foremost type of the white collar prisons are the Federal prison camps that are mostly located near to the military bases of the states, on account of the fact they will serve the military in their labor and other physical works.

Most of the prisoners in such prions are those who are involved in the offenses of drugs. White collar prisoners are often sent to the federal prison camps.

These prisons have further stand-alone federal prison camps that are; FPC Alderson, FPC Bryan, FPC Duluth, FPC Montgomery, FCI Morgantown Camp, FPC Pensacola, FPC Yankton.

B). Satellite Prison Camps (SPCS)

The another one type of the white collar prisons are the Satellite Prison camps which are relatively smaller in size than that of the federal camp and have less recreational opportunities than those of the federal prison camp.

These are always located near the high security federal prison. The prisoners are given the tasks of the high security institutions, they do their physical tasks that are not much hard but laborious.

The Benefits Of Prison Camps

The white collar prisoners are easy going and they are not required the high security and the large amount of security guard to control them.

By locating the prison camps near to these military bases have the benefits that the prisoners are given the physical laborious tasks without paying them. They voluntarily do the tasks and the military bases enjoy their help.

Minimum-Security Prisons Vs. Others

Both the prisons are very much different from each other, there are lots of differences between the both.

Key Features of the Prisons

White-collar prison or minimum-security prison typically offers more comfortable conditions and shorter sentences compared to higher security facilities.

Inmates, often have access to amenities and may serve time for non-violent crimes like fraud or embezzlement and usually abide bye the rules of the jail. Lets share salient features of the prisons: -

1). Etiquette Is Serious

Prison is prison either is strict or not in the case of the white collar prison but you will be far away from your home and your beloved ones.

etiquette is serious, you will start living with other criminals, some of them may be psychologically disturbed and you should keep yourself away of them.

“The first two to three weeks were a real tragedy, many sleepless nights. It was unbelievable and I felt fully dissociated”. (Michał)

2). Learning Cooking Skills

Eating meal in the white collar prison may be heart-wrenching for you in the very beginning. White collar offenders or criminals are the elite or middle class people from the noble background and eating beans etc. may not be good for them.

In some prisons there you may get the opportunity of cooking meal for yourself and you should learn the skills.

“I'm not saying the food was awful… but in comparison with the previous standard of living that I was torn from ... zero sanitation, and on top of that, that diet ... I'm also vegetarian, and this alone was kind of difficult”. (Jan)

3). The Prisons Are Awful

The minimum security prisons are less strict and have very easy going, learning and friendly environment but the white collar people are not used to that awful environment.

Their first experience of leaving out of home somewhere there is no proper hygiene, luxuries etc. so they find it very awful.

“The time in the actual prison wasn’t so painful considering my earlier experience of remand. In a correctional facility, I’m doing my time but at least I know when I’m leaving it. On remand, however, I didn’t have the slightest idea when I’d be out”. (Szymon).

4). Ordinary Criminals; Prisons Are Homes

The cold blooded murders, the thieves, the snatchers, the kidnapper etc. people are not afraid of the strict and tight security prisons, they can live in the cells for years and can bear all the hardships of the prisons.

When they are sent into the minimum security prisons they feel happy and enjoy the environment, some of them learn some skills and other things from the white collar prisoners.

5). Fear Of Cellmates

There in the white collar prisons you may find to observe the cold blooded murders, the thieves, the snatchers, the kidnapper, serial killers, and other dangerous and frightening people who are always in the search of teasing the white collar cellmates.

So you may have the fear of them and you may not get better food, sleep, clean water, etc. out of fear.

“I was afraid of this envy. And that's why i did my best to - god forbid - never show that i was any different. And yet, of course, they saw it. But i would have been a stupid asshole if i tried to show off”. (Tomasz).

6). Survival Of The Fittest

To live normal life in there you must learn all the etiquette of the minimum security cell. If you are white collar criminal and from the very noble background you may find the people there as aliens. 

You also keep aside yourself for a month but living out there almost less than a decade of years will be tough. Keep in mind the survival of the fittest rule and get everything you need. Count yourself as one of them and befriend some of the prisoners.

“The first days in any such institution are spent observing 'who is who'. Then there is an attempt to adapt to it, so that you are tolerated. Because this is the basic strategy to survive without difficulties interacting with such people”. (Włodzimierz)

7). Feeling Boredom

After spending some days in the minimum security cell the white collar criminals may get bored because they are not used to idleness and they tend to do something as their activity.

Some of them may start reading books, writing their memoirs, learning skills or teaching some skills to the other people. You will have all the opportunities of doing the work there. “Inactivity kills. One would just lie down and think.

Therefore, work is also a sort of escape. I used to write a lot. I could write out two pen refills in a week”. (Włodzimierz)

8). Showing-Off May Be Dangerous

While learning the survival of the fittest rule in the prison may be dangerous for you, all you have to do is to avoid the showing off. If you show up that you are better than them, you are educated, rich, clean, skillful etc.

They may get jealous and may harm you are may become your enemy. To get rid of such envy just adopt the natural ways of their daily lives and show them you are not different from them.

9). Teaching And Learning Process

The next thing while adopting the culture of the white collar prison is participating in the learning and teaching process. If you have some skills not only try to teach them very carefully without showing up but also try to learn of them as well.

10). While In Prison Do As Prisoners Do

Summing up the above three or four rules of the white collar prisons, it can be generalize that while in prison do as they prisoners do. If they laugh, you laugh with them, if they weep do the same with them. Follow them in their every act in the very begging to befriend the other frightening criminals.

“On the other hand, you should never let yourself be mistreated, sometimes even call them names yourself. Like a dog in a pack, if you don't bark back, you get in trouble”. (Franciszek).

11). Staff Of The White Collar Prisons

Some people claim that the staffs of the white collar prisons are very polite and cooperative but the case may not be always the same. They may be strict, aggressive, and tend to threaten the prisoners.

The best ways to get them in your confidence is to treat them well and to abide by the rules, they will get to know that you are one of the black sheep. So making good relation with the guards would save you.
“The staff is less stressed out,” he said. “As i like to say, happy staff makes happy inmates.”

12. Abide By the Rules

This one is the characteristics of the white collar prisoner, it is very much true of them that they are very obedient and they abide by all the rules.

You must not fear of them but there may be some black sheep to muddy the water. Mostly the serious criminals are the one who do not observe the decorum and are obedient.

13). The Visitors

The white collar prisoners are respectable and from the very noble background, it is much understood, the best thing about the prisons is that there the visitors can easily attend their loved one.

Family members and friends often come to see their loved ones, they easily enter and also bring something like food items to fed and drink well the one who is in the prison.

“My wife mobilized [lawyer's first name], whom she knew through a friend of hers, a judge. He went to the hearing, and that is how I was released - on bail and surrender of passport”. (Bartosz)

14). Prepare Well

The bad news while living in the white collar prison is that you may not have done some physical hard work or work under the supervision of the military.

You may not be ready to start but unfortunately you will have to abide by the rule and you must prepare to work for the commissions and high security commissions.

15). Hygiene Caring

The worth paying attention aspect is the hygiene of the white collar prisons, what if the hygiene is bad, what if the washrooms are not clean?

Keep in consideration this thing, mentally prepare yourself for the worst situations as well. Some people do not clean their places where they eat, where they live and where they wash themselves.

16). The Worst are Over

Do not worry about the life at the minimum security cells, after spending sometimes you will learn all the rules regulations and the etiquette of the cells and the worst will be over very soon.

You will very soon befriend your cellmates, you will find some activities there to peacefully spend the time there. The food that you think the worst will taste good to you.

After adjustments, live your best life, be happy and show yourself strong to your family members.

“Respect, I think. That's how it worked. If you're asking about material goods, I didn't need any of those. Cause what can you get there”? Fags?- Włodzimierz

17). Tough For Women

Unfortunately, the life at the white collar prisons may be tough for the women. Researchers have shown that all the women who have spent time in the prisons reported that they have been harassed and bullied by the guards, the male officers and other males who live there.

They always gaze the females with very dirty eyes and always in the opportunity to touch them. There may the cases when the females request for making a call to their family members or wishing for some other facilities, they staff always misbehave.

18). Life after Prison

The life you spend in the white collar prisons make you very humble, it completely changes you and teaches you the best lessons of life.

You spend life with all kind of situations, with all kind of people and in all the hardships. So the life after prisons may be very humbling, your family members and friends will be amazed to see you all changed.

Conclusion

White Collar Prison or the minimum security cells or the federal camps is a kind of prison with low sized-walls having the minimum security and no violence.

The prisoners are not much the big criminals and they have provided the learning environment of skills, business education and other professions.

Their crimes may be fraud, corruption, not paying the taxes or stealing something within their organizations. The White Collar Prions have no or almost zero violence, they are also called as federal camps.

Frequently Asked Questions

What state has the toughest prisons?

The prisons and their harshness may vary from state to state and for criminals to criminals. However, the most dangerous and the toughest prisons are present in the Louisiana State Penitentiary (Aka Angola). This American state has the world’s toughest prisons and the prisoners are kept in very miserable conditions.

Who is the famous inmate at Butner?

Not really famous but rather the notorious inmate at the Butner is R. Kelly who was a singer but not a respectable one and is sentenced 30-years prisons for the committing the crimes of sex trafficking and racketeering. He was one the disgraced singers ever the world have seen.

Which two types of prisons house inmates in dormitory settings rather than cells?

White collar prisoners are often sent to the federal prison camps. These prisons have recreational opportunities, clubs, libraries, and other skills and business learning opportunities. Another one is the Satellite Prison camps which have no or almost zero violence.