The extreme personalities I met in jail 1/3

There are many distinct personalities that I will never forget in the female dorm.  They do not represent all detainees so please don’t assume that everyone you will meet inside are like this. If you were detained or have ever visited a city jail here in the Philippines then you’d most likely know these. They are honestly entertaining and funny to watch. They make the jail more interesting and bordering exciting. I suppose without them then there wouldn’t be so much action in prison. 

This will be a three-part post because it’s super long! Please watch out for Parts 2 and 3!

1. BAGO

This is what detainees who have only entered jail for less than a year are called; everyone starts here. They are the unruly juniors that still need to mellow out. They tend to be slow and still a little bit freaked out over their situation. They also still lack respect when it comes to the staff and to those who have been inside longer. You almost always need to call their attention, or else they will be the reason why the entire cell will be constantly punished because once inside, ang kasalanan ng isa ay kasalanan ng lahat.

One mistake of a BAGO can make cell leaders look bad, as if they were never oriented.  This causes a lot of reprimands by the officers. 

2.  LUMA

These are the girls that have been detained for many years (I fall in this category). They get more respect, like senior classmates or the sempai-kohai relationship in Japanese anime. They are considered supposedly the role models of the BAGO.  However, there are some that are so familiar with the jail system that they tend to get away with everything to the point that they may break the rules and go against jail etiquette. 

3. TRUSTEES

This is what you call all the jail aides or help who work directly with the officers. They are the ones that get to go around to restricted areas like the kitchen and the Co-op. Either they have a job inside these areas like being a cook or taga-luto, an administration staffer who helps with the records and reports, co-op tindera, or cleaner. Jail officers have their own trustees too who act like assistants in everything, from washing clothes to anything really. . Either way you get to become a trustee when you have a certain skill or they find you trustworthy. 

Trustees are compensated in cash and kind, and they get more freedom than everyone else. They also wake up earlier than everyone else and get back to the cell way later than the normal prisoner since they have many responsibilities. When a cell has been punished and padlocked, they are the only ones that can roam around. At times a trustee is a mini-me of a jail officer, so aside from tending to the officer’s needs, the trustee gets to join when the officer works out or even does fun recreational things like watching movies or doing sports. It can be fun to be one, and the title carries a lot of prestige.

Unfortunately, because of this, trustees also have a tendency na lumaki yung ulo. They forget that they are expendable. They suddenly eat the food officers eat, they earn a little and have influence over their bosses, and they kinda think they don’t have to follow rules that normal detainees are bound by. They constantly need to be reminded that they are still prisoners and they must follow the rules like everyone else regardless of their privileges. 

Trustees are good friends and allies to have. You get the direct scoop from them about the new possible changes that will happen at the jail since they work closely with the officers. Barely any secrets are kept. They can talk a lot. If they started off quiet, they’ll eventually be noisy as months go by. They will most likely tell others who’s currently on the hot seat of the officers and other interpersonal issues. Since they have more privileges, they will give you excess to  food for as long as they like you and their supplies allow it. They can possibly give you free onions, tomatoes, etc occasionally, which are like gold inside. Just don’t piss them off because they can directly have you punished by their officer boss. 

4. QTs (pronounced as CUTIES)

This is what we call Qualified Theft girls. They’re being accused of stealing money, normally by companies. QTs are known to be educated, well-versed and professional. Majority of them worked in corporations. They are normally handpicked as trustees to do paperwork and admin work in jail. They’re easier to talk to because they have a deeper understanding of things. They normally have loving family members supporting them. Unfortunately, their cases can be a little bit hard to win because corporations are brutal in court. Complainant companies have all the files from the offices and take control of them. Anything QTs can use as defense, companies will never let them have so their situations can be challenging. If any of them gets convicted, they face life sentences. Hence  they’re extremely prayerful and do a lot of acts of kindness in hopes that these will help them get home faster. 

5. JO10 (pronounced as J-O-ten)  or JO-WOW

JO1 is a jail officer’s rank. So detainees who act like jail officers are called this. This is never a good nickname. It only means you’re quite feelingera. You walk around like a boss and act like you’re above everyone. This J010 is a trustee who thinks and acts like they’re an officer because they’re always in close relation with their bosses. They are suffering a case of Hydrocephalus, or grabe sa laki na ng ulo na they don’t join in group therapy sessions and believe that the rules don’t apply to them anymore. While girls are seated on the ground in an event, the JO10s stand like the officers and think they’re one of them… they belittle detainee ways because they feel like they’re in a different level already… kaya JO-WOW!!! 

So what do you think? Let me know in the comments section. Don’t forget, may Parts 2 and 3 pa!

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