We all have heard that alcoholic beverages are completely prohibited in all jails and prisons since our childhood.
In ‘Orange Is the New Black,’ a popular television show, the famous character ‘Poussey’ produces toilet hooch out of “Kool-Aid, rotten fruit, ketchup, and mouldy bread raise many questions about what it’s like to be in prison and what inmates can and cannot do?
But How Near to the Truth are These Scenes?
Is it legal to consume alcohol while incarcerated? Are there any repercussions if you do this? Is it feasible for someone to send booze to you while you’re incarcerated?
How much prison drinking still occurs, despite the general tightening of prison security over the last two decades? Is alcohol being smuggled in, or are inmates fermenting and possibly distilling it themselves?
Let’s crackdown on the myths and facts about drinking in prison.
Is it Legal to Drink Beer in Prison?
The simple answer is “No,” but you presumably already knew that and were hoping for something different. But the truth is that alcohol is not permitted in prison, owing to the negative effects it can have on a person.
Its against the law, Alcohol will not be sold to convicts in jails, and inmates will not be able to have alcohol delivered to them or supplied to them from outside sources.
Correctional guards will be able to seize alcohol from inmates if they are caught with it, and depending on the facility, the convict may face further repercussions.
The only beverages offered to convicts are milk or coffee for breakfast, and “juice” for lunch and dinner, which is essentially watered-down Kool-Aid.
They also have the option of tea on several occasions. Coke Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Root Beer, and Dr Pepper are the most common beverages available.
You may also purchase flavoured drink packets and juice, as well as coffee and hot chocolate.
Then How Do Prisoners Make Alcohol?
Before an inmate gathers their booze components, they must ensure that they have all of the necessary instruments.
Most offenders will cook and store their booze in a pair of prison khaki pants. A pair of pants, to be precise.
- Firstly, They sew the bottoms of pants together and line the legs with two trash bags.
- Old fruit, such as oranges or grapefruit, sugar, and water are used in the basic recipe. Then mash the fruit, add the sugar and water, mix it all, and put it in a plastic garbage bag.
- This will assist in getting it started and turning faster. The hooch heats and ferments while the fruit rots, converting the sugar to alcohol. However, it should be ventilated.
- For this wind the tops of the trash bags together around a pen case, leaving an aperture as close to the liquid as possible, to allow it to breathe.
- Tighten the rubber band around the tubing.
- Roll the pant leg up to just above the opening and tie it off. Then locate the best location to hang the bag.
It’s difficult to find a comfortable spot where a prison officer won’t notice you. However, you will need a warm location because the wine will cook more quickly.
It must be able to sit undisturbed for a week. The majority of detainees will seek refuge in the shower, behind a toilet, or in a vent.
After the wine has been prepared, it must be strained through filthy jail socks.
Why do prisoners make Alcohol?
“Necessity is the mother of invention,” Inmates have highly limited access to items that are taken for granted in the free world. This means that nothing goes to waste because everything gets repurposed.
An inmate’s only option if he or she wants to drink alcohol and forget about their problems for a few hours is to produce jail hooch.
It’s all about pruno, or prison wine when it comes to alcohol in prison. Some inmates can produce toilet wine, hooch, brew, raisin jack, and moonshine using goods they can get their hands on from the chow hall or commissary.
There are various reasons why inmates can be so desperate for alcohol that they decide to produce it themselves. Among the explanations could be:
- Since they arrived in the prison, they’ve been calming withdrawals from alcohol, narcotics, and other addictions.
- Numbing the feelings they are experiencing as a result of their incarceration
- Feeling more at ease in the company of other inmates
- To pass the time or to alleviate boredom, people drink.
- Making alcohol to sell it to other inmates for money
- Drowning one’s sorrows
- Developing a new hobby,
- Passing the time.
It can, however, be exploited to make quick cash.
Yes, inmates brew and sell booze, effectively turning it into a mini-business behind the prison walls.
Of course, being able to create and sell alcohol without ever being detected by guards requires a great deal of deception.
Why is it named toilet wine?
The name “toilet wine” comes from the fact that inmates in jail cells with a toilet frequently place the sealed bag inside the toilet to avoid officials discovering it.
What Happens If You Drink While You’re In Prison?
The consequences will differ depending on the facility and location, but you can bet that none of them will end up on your permanent record.
The majority of prisons take drinking or manufacturing alcohol very severely. Some may simply seize your possessions and issue you a verbal warning not to do so again.
However, you should anticipate receiving jail-level sentences and marks on your permanent prison record in the majority of situations.
Some may suffer legal consequences s as well, particularly if they are involved in bribing correctional staff to keep their lies hidden. Bribing an officer can result in large fines and penalties, as well as putting the officer in serious legal problems.
Wrap Up
In short, you are not permitted to consume alcohol while incarcerated. Drinking alcohol is not only against jail rules, but it can also result in legal repercussions depending on where you live.
Many prisons have banned fresh fruit from the chow hall and refuse to offer sugar on commissary to combat the problem of prison wine.
You’ll also be able to think clearly and demonstrate that you’re a responsible person, which will only benefit your record.
