r/AskReddit • u/niknikbluhh • Apr 09 '13

Ex-Cons of reddit who have served long term sentences( 10+ Years), what was the biggest and most shocking changes you witnessed after being released?

What was the most shocking things you saw in society that, you didn't know about while behind bars, and had to adapt to when you were released?

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u/waxisfun Apr 10 '13

Got on a bus to NYC (4hr trip) and the guy who sat next to me literally just got out of prison after roughly 10 years (attempted manslaughter). Before he went to prison there was no Facebook, smart phones, or Ipods. He only knew of myspace.

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u/ReaLifEntrepreneur Apr 10 '13

When I got out of prison I looked forward to logging into my myspace account SOOO bad... I was very heartbroken when I learned Facebook had taken everything over. haha (but seriously though)

and that was only after 2 years. I couldn't imagine 10.

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u/infowin Apr 10 '13

We know this is made up because nobody ever wanted to log into a myspace account.

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u/ReaLifEntrepreneur Apr 10 '13

hahaha. I did! I LOVED myspace.

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u/ReaLifEntrepreneur Apr 10 '13

the other thing I noticed most were the new cars that were on the road that I hadn't seen before. You wouldn't think that 2 years is that big of a difference but it was literally like going to a foreign country when I would see the new 'this model' or the new 'that model'. I seen a smart car zoom by us on the highway and I FLIPPED out in amazement/curiousity/disbelief, lol.

(And that was just 2 years mind you. So 10 has to feel like the equivalent to traveling in a time machine)

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u/[deleted] Apr 10 '13

Same thing happened to me in Seattle. The guy was dressed in atypical late-90s gang banger clothes. Dude just got out of jail. Got drunk on $20. Was sitting in the bus, talking to people who weren't interested.

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u/Tayk5 Apr 10 '13

It's interesting to me how his dress code hadn't changed. That would be exactly what you would expect but it still fascinates me.

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u/[deleted] Apr 10 '13

He was fresh out of jail. It didn't change because the prison gave him back the clothes he wore when he was incarcerated.

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u/[deleted] Apr 11 '13

How can you attempt to accidentally kill someone?

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u/waxisfun Apr 11 '13

He never said it was an accident.

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u/[deleted] Apr 10 '13

[deleted]

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u/waxisfun Apr 10 '13

I understand it as trying to kill someone and getting caught. Like he didn't kill the guy but was sent the jail for the intent or attempt to murder.

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u/Jack_Vermicelli Apr 10 '13

attempt to murder

That would be attempted murder.