3. Inmate File
After your character is housed in the Miami Correctional Facility, he's given his inmate file (128G, paperwork, rep sheet, legal papers, and so on). The inmate file includes all of the information regarding the inmate, such as: name, date of birth, charges, cooperation with the law as a confidential informant, simply any legal information that the government has. As you're accessed to the yard, you're most likely to be checked in by a gang member of your character's race with your paperwork; they do that to validate you're solid, decent and loyal person.
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4. Rights of an Inmate
Just like inmates do, so should you know the rights of your character whilst serving his sentence. Every convict in prison has a set of rights and a set of obligations. It's important you know what they are, because it will help you get along with the program and know how the legal side of the correctional facility works.

If you will learn the rights of your character it will also be easier for you to manipulate other characters roleplaying as Correctional Officers. It's easier to manage a character when you know what he is allowed to do and what he is not. To explain this in a more simple form, if your character commits a murder on the outside, he will be incarcerated for a certain amount of time - is it important for you to know that? Yes it is. Same goes with the rights of your character, know them and use them for your own interest.
You're free to read them here:

• Inmates have the right to be free, under the Eighth Amendment, from inhuman conditions because those conditions constitute "cruel and unusual" punishment. The term "cruel and unusual" was not defined at the time the Amendment was passed, but it was noted by the Supreme Court in 1848 that such punishments would include "drawing and quartering, embowelling alive, beheading, public dissecting, and burning alive," among other things. Today, many of these punishments may seem antiquated, but the basic scope of the protection remains the same. Any punishment that can be considered inhumane treatment or that violates the basic concept of a person's dignity may be found to be cruel and unusual.
  
• Inmates have the right to be free from sexual crimes, including sexual harassment.
  
• Inmates have the right to complain about prison conditions and voice their concerns about the treatment they receive. They also have a right of access to the courts to air these complaints.
  
• Disabled prisoners are entitled to assert their rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act to ensure that they are allowed access to prison programs or facilities that they are qualified and able to participate in.
  
• Inmates are entitled to medical care and attention as needed to treat both short-term conditions and long-term illnesses. The medical care provided must be "adequate."
  
• Inmates who need mental health care are entitled to receive that treatment in a manner that is appropriate under the circumstances. The treatment must also be "adequate."
  
• Inmates retain only those First Amendment rights, such as freedom of speech, which are not inconsistent with their status as inmates and which are in keeping with the legitimate objectives of the penal corrections system, such as preservation of order, discipline, and security. In this regard, prison officials are entitled to open mail directed to inmates to ensure that it does not contain any illegal items or weapons, but may not censor portions of correspondence which they find merely inflammatory or rude.
  
• Note: Inmates do not have a right to have face-to-face interviews with news reporters or media representatives. The rationale for this limitation is that the media are not entitled to have access to inmates that members of the general public would not be able to have.
  
• Inmates have the right to be free from racial segregation in prisons, except where necessary for preserving discipline and prison security.
  
• Inmates do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their prison cells and are not protected from "shakedowns," or searches of their cells to look for weapons, drugs, or other contraband.
  
• Inmates are entitled, under the Due Process Clause of the Constitution, to be free from unauthorized and intentional deprivation of their personal property by prison officials.
  
• The Supreme Court has held that inmates who are the subject of disciplinary investigations or proceedings are entitled to advance written notice of the claimed violation and a written statement of the facts, evidence relied upon, and the reason for the action taken. The inmate is also entitled to call witnesses and present documentary evidence if allowing him to do so would not risk order, discipline, and security. In that regard, inmates are rarely allowed to confront and cross-examine adverse witnesses in an internal disciplinary proceeding.
  
• Inmates are entitled to a hearing if they are to be moved to a mental health facility. However, an inmate is not always entitled to a hearing if he or she is being moved between two similar facilities.
  
• A mentally ill inmate is not entitled to a full-blown hearing before the government may force him or her to take anti-psychotic drugs against his or her will. It is sufficient if there is an administrative hearing before independent medical professionals.
  

4. Prison Economy
Basically, as an inmate, your main expanses would be spent on the prison commissary to buy goods (snacks, drinks, vitamins, shampoo, etc). You're given the fund card so you can live your daily life in prison without the lack of basic needs. For example, if you need to take a shower but you ran out of soap, you can always buy it in the prison commissary.

In fact, it's an interesting place for roleplay, even though you may differ on this one. Simple possessions can be tools, they can be influence, they can mean a lot to you and the people around you. If you roleplay as a rich guy in prison, you're to be manipulated.
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5. Gangs / Prison Cars
The next subject is probably going to be one of the largest and the most important one. The reason is because one of the interests of a long-term prisoner in Miami CF is to join a prison gang faction and partake in their activities. Hence, you would most likely need to know the next to obtain enough experience and knowledge-base to be on the same level with the rest of the prison gang faction members. Pay close attention to this and perhaps consider even reading it twice to make sure you clearly understand all of the information given. This subject is one of the hardest to consume and one of the most confusing ones, therefore, you'll have to show patience and consistency.
The term 'Car' is used to describe a machinery constructed of little parts, but without a part, it wouldn't work properly. It may operate in a perfect way only when all parts are assembled together. This is to describe the union among the members and the brotherhood as the most important ideal.

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5.1 The White Car
The White Car is one of the leading racial groups in every correctional facility. Its notoriety level is the highest in a few and if not the highest then it's one of the most dominant prison gangs. The Aryan Brotherhood is the prison gang the literally controls the inmate that fall under the white car and operate them under the interest of its own.


The white inmates on prison yards are called 'peckerwoods' (abbreviated as 'woods'). That's the slang word used to denote a white inmate. Every white inmate who ends up on a prison yard and follows the politics of the white race — is a wood. The white inmate group is collectively known as the white car. All white inmates fall under that umbrella and must follow the prison politics of it. Another name for it is the woodpile.

White supremacy is loosely connected to white inmates, in the sense that they use it as a tool of recruitment and a movement to identify with. Some prisons can be very racially segregated, to the point where you're not allowed to communicate with inmates of other races. Because of this, it's easy for the white supremacy ideology to become relevant in the everyday life of a white inmate, as well as the dominant ideology among the white population.

Many white inmates tattoo themselves with racial symbols such as swastikas, lightning bolts, iron crosses, Runic symbols, or phrases such as "white pride" or "white power". Many white inmates hold strong racial beliefs while incarcerated, although not all do. Some white inmates identify as skinheads. Skinheads are usually affiliated to the majority of the white inmate population identify as peckerwoods.

Typically, the white car upholds high standards of discipline on the prison yard. They have specific rules, which they enforce at all times. Someone breaking any of those rules, would get the person punished. There's a 'shotcaller' (also known as 'keyholder') for the white car, who has a big say in what happens. There are white prison gangs, but that isn't always the most important factor in who gets the most respect on the yard.

Under the white car, white inmates typically form under geographic locations, such as most often their counties. Typically a county car would take care of someone from their location. They will look after him, help him, school him of the rules, and punish him if they or the shotcaller decide that he broke a rule. If a white inmate is from Red County, he would most likely look for other woods from the Red County car. Disbandment from the county an inmate is related to, might get him punished just like breaking any other rule under the peckerwood ideology.

The dominant prison gang for white inmates is the Aryan Brotherhood. Validated high profile AB gang members are typically housed indefinitely in a max security level unit like the SHU, because of their propensity for violence and influence over other inmates on the yard. This is done in an attempt to limit their criminal activity in the prison facility. Gangs like the AB, however, still manage to call orders from the SHU (isolation).

5.2 The Mexican Car(s)
The African-American inmates are collectively known as the black car on prison yards. The black population is heavily dominated by gang members who most of the times are Bloods or Crips. Because of this, there's often a Crip car and a Blood car. Geographical location sometimes also plays part in who is close to who. Black inmates typically have tattoos of gang symbols and gang monikers, showing pride to where they come from.

There's a respected shotcaller for the car, who is responsible for enforcing the order in his race and makes sure politics are followed. Compared to other cars on the yard, black inmates are not as organized, and don't dive deep into prison politics. Whereas the Mexican Mafia controls all Sureños on the street and in prison, as a whole black gang members don't have an "above all" governing body, which gives orders and controls the lesser gangs.

Some black inmates are drawn into their African heritage ideology or black power, but not all. Those who are, are often politically aware, and display interest in George Jackson and the Black Panther movement in the 70s. The peak of this movement was through the 70s and 80s, but since then it has declined, and the black inmate scene is mostly street gang dominated, and not politically oriented as before.

Black Guerilla Family is the most prominent black prison gangs. Like other big prison gangs, validated members are kept segregated in high power units such as the SHU. The recruitment in BGF is done by identifying the best potential members on prison yards, who identify with BGF's ideology and movement, and recruiting them. KUMI 415 is another black prison gang which aims to be organized. Sometimes their members are recruited in BGF.

5.4 The Others Car
Inmates who don't belong in any of the three dominant race cars, fall in what is known as the others car. The others is a group for Asians, Pacific-Islanders, Arabs, Native Americans, and anything else, which doesn't fall in the rest of the race groups. Although the others might have different cultures and backgrounds, they are the minority on the yard, so they tend to stick together as one group, and bring their numbers together.

Like any other group, the others have a shotcaller, and they follow the prison politics. There isn't a dominant prison gangs, because of all the differences, but there are many Asian street gangs and crime organizations, from which members end up in prison. Like most other gang members, they try to drop their street conflicts and leave them on the outside. The Asians are often aligned or close with to the black inmates in times of conflict.

Prominent street gangs who fall in the others car while incarcerated are Asian Boyz, Tiny Rascal Gang, Wah Ching, Vietnamese Boyz, Satanas, Menace Of Destruction, Sons Of Samoa, and others.
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6. Solitary Housing Unit / Isolation / SHU
One of the more effective methods to punish a disobeying inmate who doesn't follow the rehabilitative and correctional program is the Solitary Housing Unit (SHU). The Solitary Housing Unit is an isolated department from the general population facility.

Anytime that an inmate breaks the law inside the Miami Correctional Facility, he is deemed to be isolated and housed in the SHU for a while. While your character is in Solitary Housing Unit.

You can develop your character while he's in isolation. In real life, people might change a lot while serving time in the SHU. As you can imagine, being locked up in a cell without communication with anybody is rough. For some people, it might end up as a really bad experience with psychological traumas and what not. It's really up to you what path your character will pick for his development. Try to squeeze out the most of it, try to explore it instead of logging. Anything can contribute to your development.
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7. Contraband
The Miami CF Officers has a large responsibility fighting against the contraband in the Miami Correctional Facility, and it seems like the idea of smuggling drugs has never been neglected by common players in prison. A lot of inmates find it as an opportunity to do something different, more interesting and more enriching. Most of the contraband is held under the respective prison gang factions, because they control the monopoly of the illegal products running in the facility. Contraband varies from drugs, to alcohol (pruno) and even shanks - it just depends who you are and how smart you are.


A lot of people think that penitentiaries can prevent from criminals to use drugs or create weapons, but that's not even close to be true. There are a lot of correctional facilities in USA, and there are too many creative inmates who can execute murders and deadly attacks by using their toothbrush, socks, bolts, what not. You can be one of those creative people who could create something out of nothing. It's really up to you.

Hiding your drugs isn't easy, just like any other contraband. Correctional Officers are allowed to frisk you anytime they feel like it, you don't have your freedom and right for privacy while serving a sentence. There are canines sniffing around the facilities and they might catch the scent of your drug and lead to it. You must be smart when hiding your contraband.

Again, when you're hiding your contraband, just like with smuggling it, you will have to take screenshots of your roleplay hiding the contraband and don't forget to add the time your screenshot has been taken, it's important as well, because some might hesitate and not verify your screenshot.

Weapons:
On the streets gangs engage wars with each other, they get a lot of weapons to protect their territory and reputation. Same goes on the mainline - prison gangs engage wars and they need weapons to protect their reputation, but unlike the street gangs, they fight for their ideals. Shanks (crafted weapons) are very essential for a prison gang. It is just like the Tec-9, or the Glock for a street gang member. It means power, autonomy, supremacy, security.


In Miami Correctional Facility, prison gang factions have shanks.
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8. Roleplaying a Sentence
After you have read all of the informational sections, it is time to sum all of the knowledge you obtained and make the right conclusions that will lead your roleplay to be the most efficient and essential as possible while serving in Miamil Correctional Facility. It doesn't matter if you're a long-term prisoner or just a tourist (short-term prisoner, who comes and leaves as soon as the sentence is over), it's important you know how to roleplay around and how to develop your character according to what he's experiencing in prison.

To do that properly, I will first of all start with trying to give you an image of what it is like to be a prisoner in a correctional facility.

Psychologically speaking, the journey of survival of an inmate inside a correctional facility can be the worst nightmare but also a window of business opportunities for the future. People who had no affiliation to a certain prison gang, become loyal and trustworthy members and make a respective and prospering living outside of the fence later on. But you cannot ignore the fact that there are a lot of obstacles while joining a prison gang or even acclimating to the challenging environment of the prison.

Simply put, an inmate is taken almost all of his privileges and the most basic one is the freedom. A prisoner has no right for any freedom; movement, speech, privacy, etc. For a decent man and even a tough criminal in his late forties, the freedom means a lot and giving up on it is a great loss to an individual.

Imagine yourself as an inmate in a high security level correctional facility, how would you react? What would be the consequences on your psychological fundamentals? People turn mad and crazy, even psychotic in prison. For us as players it seems like an easy peasy lemon squeezy case, but the truth is, it might be harder than any other thing we go through as individuals in a society. Take advantage of what you're reading right and utilize it in your character development, don't be discharged from the correctional facility in a dull way, leaving without any repercussions on the character, impact on his mentality or even extraordinary experiences.

Physically speaking, every inmate, no matter how safe he can be among his fellow members of the prison gang he is under, he's facing the hardest challenge - survival. It's not rare for an inmate to get iced off (stabbed), it's not rare for an inmate to get bullied by, it's not rare for an inmate to get into more trouble then he already is in.

The vast majority of the inmates housed in the general population facility emphasize the workout and equalize it to a holy daily routine that must be done by an inmate. In prison, your physical mass, your physical strength, your healthiness - this is your only power unless you have a useful brain. It's important you are aware of this ideal and take a note about it when getting inside the atmosphere of the life in prison.

It's important you control all of the knowledge and maintain it in your consciousness level when you roleplay in the Miami Correctional Facility, because it will enhance your experience as a player and will enchant you by the amusement you might accomplish while roleplaying in the prison. Don't underestimate Miami  Correctional Facility because of it being a small area of operation, it is a whole world to explore.
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9. Useful Resources
Good documentaries:
TBA

We wrote this all in one go so please let me know if there's any errors. We intend on expanding on this guide on grounds of culture so people can build their characters.

Triad societies are Chinese criminal organizations active worldwide designed to help the political agenda of movements. Today they've become nothing more than a transnational criminal organization. Its members regard themselves as blood brothers and with a rigid doctrine controls its members activities. Worldwide Triads have developed into all-out organized crime groups. Its members are largely of Hong Kong Chinese origin (Cantonese) and participate in organised illegal gambling, car theft rings, prostitution, drug trafficking and murder for hire.

VIII. Roleplaying a Chinese-American

A majority of Chinese Americans arrived to the United States in the 20th century. The vast majority of all Chinese ethnics in the United States come from the Canton region. Most of them live in the Chinatown areas where they grew up. Therefore Cantonese is the primary language in every Chinatown, rather than English. Because of Chinese traditions, it's occassional that parents will teach their children Cantonese, even if American-born.

Among Chinese gangsters, Cantonese is still actively used. Most of the time, in Chinese communities, it takes an age before you hear a word in English.

The Chinese while at that don't really have a hard time establishing long-distance relationships with relatives and whatnot. They'll gladly travel back and forth between countries to visit their cousin's newborn nephew from France. Particularly because the maintaining of Cantonese as a predominant language, they don't have to deal with the language barrier other cultures would face.

It's hard to distinguish the difference between a Chinese triad and a tong. Mostly because they, from time to time, have a similar structure, and to most people are equally criminal.

Members are often recruited into Chinese criminal groups at gunpoint. They're told to answer to one man and pay money to him in return for advice. They're then used as muscle and are injected into elaborate low-key criminal schemes. If a local, powerful criminal organization does not protect you, you're an easy target. Young gangsters often associate with the strongest group to use their name. Crossing them would mean crossing the tong, having consequences. Further up the ranks, touching a red pole and up would mean war.

The Chinese American underworld is one where people should tread lightly, and in the scenario of being threatened, should sometimes be more subordinate. The Chinese underworld is no place for tough guys that "don't answer to anybody". An external, growing force will not be tolerated. Warnings aren't handed out. You join, or you're dead.

Associates of the mainland China triads linked up with the unorganised Chinese youth gangs. They mostly recruit from high schools and infatuate them with the gangster life. A large portion of Chinese organized crime are loosely affiliated teenagers whom like to go clubbing, do drugs and look for trouble with the law. The ah kung, the link between a youth gang and a tong, provide advice to the veteran members of the proxy gangs and in turn receive money.

The youth gangs are provided everything they need to execute the tong's will; merchandise and weapons. The 'dai lo' or big brothers are veteran members affiliated with the triad society that organise the youth and in addition serve as enforcers.