Before being sentenced you will probably be in a holding cell with some Numbers (South Africa’s largest prison gang). In the morning they will ask everyone to stand in a circle while the highest ranking number stands in the middle.
They will recite a story making his rank official (you won’t know wtf), then they will go around asking everyone if they are a number, which you will have to prove by reciting your specific number’s story.
If you are not part of the numbers, you will be “skud”, meaning they will take anything of value from you. Don’t fight it or they will kick your ass.
After sentencing and you are on your way to proper jail, in the back of the transport van they will throw something to you on the floor, money, smokes, etc and tell you to put it up your ass.
If you do you will forever be a bitch mule and will be doing that every time you go to court and back, also your chances of being raped go up considerably. So don’t do it. No matter how much pressure they put on you. Even if they threaten violence, don’t do it.
When you get to jail you will be stripped and asked to jump on your haunches to see if you have anything to hide up there. You’ll get your fingerprints etc taken and you go to your cell.
When you arrive, do not enter the cell. Stand in the doorway. One rep/high rank member from each number will approach you and ask what you did, starting with the 28s, then 27s, then 26s.
If you are really bad guy (rape/murder/assault) either the 28s or 27s will want you in their number. Not recommended.
Try and keep it to theft or property destruction so that the 26s will want you. 28s and 27s are fucked up. After each rep has chatted they will discuss and one of them will take you (hope to hell it’s the 26s) to your bunk in their corner of the cell. Stick with them as they will kinda guide you in the ways of survival in jail.
After you’ve been taken they will skud you again but at least it is your group as most things are shared in your number. You are not a number yet so they will usually take half your food and any other luxuries.
Try and get them to make you a “frans” as soon as possible. This means you are affiliated with your number but not an official number member. Soon as you are a frans you get to keep your food and some luxuries here and there.
Becoming a frans means you learn the introduction part of the story of the 26s, learn it well because you will be asked to recite it if you are a frans here and there.
Being a frans means you are under the number’s protection as well, meaning if a 27 or 28 wants something from you they will have to clear it with your group’s captain/general or whatever.
So well done, you shouldn’t get raped, unless you go for a shower alone. Go with your number’s guys. Avoid contact with the 27s and 28s as much as possible.
Follow your 26 captain’s instructions and you should be fine. But I cannot stress how important the little story is. If you don’t know it you will be taken advantage of so get it down asap.
Just follow the routine and keep your head down and you should be fine. Never fight. Never struggle, just let your captain sort everything out. But again you have to know your little story.
One plus of being a frans is that when you get out, if anyone wants to rob you or something you can tell them you are affiliated with your number and most will straight up leave you alone, but some will take half of what you have, which is considered fair, and leave you alone.
This is pretty much all you would need to know to not get raped and have a horrible experience in jail, as if being in jail isn’t horrible enough.
You can go further in the gang if you wish usually but I’ve found, and most other inmates will agree, being a frans is sufficient.
Unless you want to get involved with some serious ilegal shizzle. Btw you will get a lot of job offers, specially if you are white.
Up to you but once you go down that line don’t expect to go back to a normal life after.
Theodore Lee is the editor of Caveman Circus. He strives for self-improvement in all areas of his life, except his candy consumption, where he remains a champion gummy worm enthusiast. When not writing about mindfulness or living in integrity, you can find him hiding giant bags of sour patch kids under the bed.