Is Oz True to Life?

The HBO OZ, of course Is prison life really like this show? Sure, things are played up for drama's sake, but it seems to me that it is a bit much. Are there really that many drugs and murders in jail? Again, I know it is just the show, but does Oz an accurate portrait of real life prison. Are there units like Emerald City?

I started watching Oz when I was 10. I think it scarred me. Hm.

Anyhow, one would think that if there were that many murders in prisons, we'd hear about it.

OZ was cool.

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Yes it was. We've been renting the DVD's. We're on Season Four. I can't get enough. It's so fascinating.

It depends on the prison type and the location. In most high-security places, the prisoners are kept in individual lockdown up to 23 hours a day - which kind of negates the opportunity for the kind of shenanigans that go on in OZ. However, it also makes a difference whether it's a state-run or federal facility. The state-run places are usually looser, and therefore more subject to abuse of priveledge. And if you're in a high-crime state (or in a facility that they ship those state's prisoners off to, it can get a little rough.

But honestly, the scenarios depicted in OZ are a kind of condensation of every possible prison scenario imaginable. Not that those things don't happen, just that they're pretty rare. Overall, daily life in prison is exactly what it is intended to be - deadly dull and soul-sapping. Most of the mental torture and fatigue comes from anticipation of events that never materialize.

So I've heard.

Unfortuantely, the realism of space shortage is not a fictional thing - and that leads to some VERY unusual bunking situations. It might not be how the system was designed, but because we keep locking more and more people up for less serious offenses, at some point the lack of space causes cross-overs that were never meant to be - or are any good for either party.

There's a reason that 'prison guard' is considered one of the top-ten careers for the future, and why they keep looking for money to build more facilities. And people would be shocked at the number of prisoners that are transported daily from one institution to another simple because they don't have space. Some of the midwestern states are making a killing housing inmates from the coasts - at an exhorbitant cost per head to the home state.

That's interesting about the show, Skittles - I didn't know that part of the set-up. The only thing I've seen from that show were the clips of Meloni having sex - and that pretty much covered my needs.

SOme of the guys are super hot. It confuses me so...

Well Bobby, the guys are hot because it's television. I can asure you they're not all like that. However, there are a large number of men who do nothing with their time but work-out, so you can draw your own conclusions . . .

I get more...sick, isn't it?

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My friend actually just wrote a paper on america's prison systems and said that most people have no idea. He also said that television shows like OZ and Prison Break are laughable compared to what awful things really happen in prisons.

I have nothing to add to this discussion except that when I think of Oz, I think of poor George Michael dressed up like the Tinman expecting see the Wizard of Oz, but instead, tuning into this show. Oh, Arrested Development!