There are no more powerless people in the zone than the “lowered ones.” They can be called: “separated”, “punched”, “leaky”, “roosters”, “ridges”, etc. Most often they are given female names. These are prisoners (zk, convicts) with “low social status” who do all the dirty work, have no voice in the prison environment, and can be subjected to humiliation and beatings.
“Roosters” are not born, they are made. Almost all topics of insults, jokes and conversations in general in the zone are related specifically to the “omitted”. The worst thing that can happen to a prisoner in prison is a transition to the lower suit of “rooster”. This can happen not only from some wrong actions, but even from an incorrectly spoken word.
"Roosters" in modern prisons
In the adult zone, it is quite difficult to become a “rooster” or a “comb” (what types of omitted ones are there?). To do this, you really need to do something out of the ordinary, and most stories, anecdotes and horror stories are just rumors and if such relics of the past remain somewhere, then they gradually become a thing of the past.
Considerable efforts have been made by prison reform and the prison administration itself to change the situation with the “humiliated”.
Nowadays people are increasingly becoming “roosters” of their own free will . They have not been “carred” by prisoners against their will for a long time, as this is considered lawlessness. Among other things, in order to have sex with a “cock”, you will definitely need to pay him. Naturally, food, cigarettes, tea, etc. can be used as currency.
Moreover, it is very important to pay off the “lost” one, because otherwise, it will be considered that the sex happened out of love, and only someone like himself can love the “lost one”.
The main tasks of the “omitted” person are only to provide intimate services and clean the premises. All of them are divided into those who provide services of this kind and those who simply do dirty work and maybe other humiliating duties. Since they are paid for sex, they increasingly become sex workers of their own free will (this is one of the methods to survive in prison) or after being in prison.
"Cocking" of youngsters
In prisons with juvenile offenders, things are much worse . Here it is easier to be “groomed”, since there are a huge number of different “taboos”, violating which, even out of ignorance, you can get the label “omitted”.
Sometimes even the prisoners themselves don’t know why they can’t perform this or that action, they just know that it’s a “bummer”, which means it’s better not to take risks. For example, it’s a shame to pick up things from the floor, especially cigarettes or a toothbrush.
There are a very large number of taboos associated with food; the forbidden list included chicken, sausage and lard. You cannot pick up fallen soap from the floor in the bathhouse, etc. Naturally, such rules were not observed everywhere before, and even more so now, but in fact they could serve as a reason to “lower” a person.
Most of the prohibitions disappeared with the collapse of the USSR , including the color red, since it was believed that this was the color of the communists, and they were the enemies of the “right boys” and “thieves” in their youth. In those days, it was even a shame to smoke Prima cigarettes, because they came in a red pack.
The “youngster” also has its own prison concepts, but they are quite vague, so they are often “lowered” not even for any offenses, but simply for the sake of entertainment. Most of the “roosters” in the adult zone came there in this status precisely from places of detention for juvenile offenders.
How to avoid becoming a “schmoozer” when you’re a teenager? Advice from a juvenile offender
In the Reftinsky special school for minors near Asbest, several dozen juvenile criminals destroyed the dining room, broke the glass, and then escaped. What prompted the boys to revolt?
According to one version, people who have authority among teenagers and promote “thieves’ romance” are behind the riots. And the purpose of all the “hustle and bustle” is to clearly show the authorities that the inmates of the special school are “guys with concepts” who must be taken into account.
Life talked about this with one of the adherents of the subculture A.U. E. (Prisoner's Way of Life is One) - rapper Ruslan Cherny. The performer explained “on the fingers” how to position yourself so that the “right guys” respect you.
Let us note that the Life expert is not a theorist, but a practitioner of prison life. He received his first conviction at the age of 14 for possession of weapons and theft, and a year later he was sent to prison for robbery.
If you found out about the impending escape
- So that you don’t see, it’s better to pretend that you don’t know anything. Even if you yourself are not planning to escape, then under no circumstances should you talk out loud about the escape of others. But as practice shows, walls always have ears,” the rapper said.
Registration in the house
— Registration also happens for minors, but this does not affect their lifestyle in any way. Registration in correctional institutions is a cruel and mocking procedure for a newcomer to join the ranks of prisoners. This mainly happens in those huts where the dads sit. The old men are the “reds” from the adult regime, installed by the administration. They, feeling their power, begin to mock the youngsters and extort sincere confessions from them. Thus, juvenile criminals who are weak in character take on other people’s affairs, while the spiritual ones refuse, and then throw such a dad out of the house,” said Ruslan Cherny.
Castes and suits
- In children, as in adults, there are decent, red and offended ones. The latter are the “sniffs”, those who knock, “rat” food, and steal from the boys. The Reds are the administration's henchmen. Decent boys are all those who are not “schmoozers,” the young man explained.
How to avoid becoming a “schmozher”?
- We must behave like human beings. Physical strength, of course, plays a role, but this is not the main thing. It is the spirit that is important. After all, psychology develops well in a cramped house, because teenagers live their entire life together. A person can be seen immediately who he is and what he is! Even if he pretends and wears some kind of mask, his real face will still appear later. So, in a sound body there is a sound mind,” says Cherny.
Is it shameful to sing a squad song together with the Reds and Shnyry?
— Singing and pacing are the administration’s bells and whistles. And what to do about it is entirely up to everyone. Basically, many people sing and march, but there are also those who will deny all this to the end, despite the fact that he will be beaten and imprisoned in harsh conditions. Walking in line is easy to say, but in reality everything is completely different. Usually, young children are placed outside in cold or hot weather, forcing them to stretch their legs and hold them up. Even if teenagers fall from powerlessness, they must get up and continue the exercises, otherwise they may be beaten,” the rapper explained.
The administration is recruiting as “informers”
— It’s better not to go to the management alone, and if suddenly this happens, then it’s better to immediately share it with the other teenagers. Tell your neighbors in the house what exactly they asked and whether they asked you to become an informant,” the young man explained.
The boys are cutting their veins, what should I do?
“Personally, I also cut my wrists and sought justice, because this is the only way. Decent guys are always for any healthy “kipish”, except for a pointless hunger strike. Sometimes, in organizing a riot, the “decent” are supported by the “offended” and “reds”.
Why are they being lowered?
A sad fate can be avoided, and it is not so difficult to do. Each prisoner in the zone must behave based on the established rules of the prison cell, which are essentially based on the logic of living in a hostel, naturally with its own specifics, subtleties and nuances.
It is immediately worth noting that for a long time there has been no such concept as a “shameful article”, under which previously one could become “offended” in almost 100% of cases , for example, for rape. Nowadays it is not uncommon to find a large number of “watchers” and “thieves” who, among other things, have such an article.
As for pedophilia or rape of a child, under such an article they can still be “banned,” but this does not mean that they will necessarily be punished with fists through rape, or simply assigned a permanent place in the “harem” among the “cockerels.”
In the adult zone, you have to mess up a lot in order for the prisoner to be “let go,” and if he has money, then in almost 100% of cases, he won’t be “let down.”
To become "offended" you need to break one of several serious prison laws, e.g.:
- go into “lawlessness” (violently violate prison taboos, unwritten rules, but even then, most often the newcomer will be forgiven for the first time and explained how to do it correctly “in terms of concepts”);
- snitch on another prisoner;
- not paying a card debt.
They can forcefully lower you using different methods, in addition to some verbal accusations, they can touch your genitals to your face while the prisoner is sleeping. You can get “stirred” even if you touch an already established “rooster” or his personal belongings, such as a plate or spoon.
Lifestyle in the “children's zone”
VK is a correctional colony where convicted minors up to 18 years of age (in some cases - 19 years of age) are kept. As in the case of colonies for adults, these are places with a strictly established regime, but the conditions there are much milder. To those who served a prison term as a juvenile about 20 years ago, the current “children’s zones” seem almost like pioneer camps.
Three meals a day, at increased standards - the characteristics of growing organisms are taken into account. Moreover, the diet includes vegetables, fruits, juices, all kinds of milk, cheese, butter, meat, poultry and fish in sufficient quantities. Many teenagers from disadvantaged families in the colony eat much better than at home.
Convicted teenagers, for the most part, live in dormitories, in rooms of 4-5 people (rarely more). They have everything for a relatively normal life: ordinary single-tier beds with mattresses and bed linen, chairs, tables, bathrooms, showers, TVs in rest rooms and much more. Naturally, there is no Internet, mobile phones and tablets are prohibited.
Teenagers work (until the age of 18 - optional) and study as in a regular school. Naturally, some adjustments have been made to the school curriculum: the lesson lasts 40 minutes, the distribution by class is not based on age, but on level of knowledge. This is understandable: often juvenile convicts “finished” their education outside in elementary school, barely able to write and count.
At the disposal of convicts are recreation rooms, gyms, all kinds of interest clubs, churches, and libraries. Teachers, psychologists and other specialists work with them.
The main task of a children's colony is not to punish, but to educate, to give a start to a normal, law-abiding life.
Moreover, as an incentive, convicts can be released outside the colony or transferred to a preferential regime with residence outside the VC.
How does a day go in a correctional colony?
The daily routine of a convicted teenager, depending on local realities and the preferences of the child himself, can vary significantly, but in general it looks like this:
- The active day usually lasts from 7.00 to 22.00. No night work, wake-ups or other “sudden events” should interfere with nine hours of sleep.
- Meals three times a day, according to schedule. Most colonies have separate rooms for eating in their free time (that is, “consuming” transfers).
- Studying is strictly required. Teenagers can study at a school or technical school at VK, take the Unified State Exam, and enroll in universities as part-time students. They have the right to work, and at the age of 14-16 years - up to 24 hours a week, at 16-18 years - up to 35 (in accordance with the Labor Code of the Russian Federation).
Teenagers have enough free time. They study in various sections, clubs, circles and so on. For the best, access is also open to the territory of the colony (naturally, accompanied by educators).
Attempt to change no....
“I did my time, got out, got a permanent job. I worked at the Svetoch Municipal Residential Unitary Enterprise, established myself well, and after six months I was even promoted. Around this time I met a beautiful girl, my future wife.
And you understand, everything seems to be fine with me, and I’ve come to my senses, but I still can’t get rid of my old life and old habits. Drugs happened from time to time, and other people's goods stuck to my hands back and forth. And every time you do this, you don’t even seem to realize that you could be imprisoned again. Or you don’t want to realize. You think it’s nonsense, they won’t catch you.
I loved my girlfriend very much, and tried to come to my senses... I tried so hard that I went back to prison for two years (Sasha smiles ironically). Again for theft. I was 31 years old...
- But the girl didn’t leave me! I arrived at the zone and there we signed. During this imprisonment I was a truly exemplary prisoner. He didn’t go anywhere, didn’t break anything, wanted only one thing – to free himself as quickly as possible.
By the way, in the zone they treat this with understanding. If you don’t want to go anywhere, for God’s sake, it’s your choice. They don’t drag you into anything, they don’t force you to join any groups.
My Olya probably loved me very much, since she agreed to become my wife. We talked a lot with her, she convinced me that everything could still be changed. You just need to do something for this...
And it happened! I'm free! And I make a decision that became a turning point in my entire life. I decided to take a rehabilitation course!
Who are the downtrodden and how not to become a “rooster” in the zone?
There are no more powerless people in the zone than the “lowered ones.”
They can be called: “separated”, “punched”, “leaky”, “roosters”, “ridges”, etc. Most often they are given female names. These are prisoners (zk, convicts) with “low social status” who do all the dirty work, have no voice in the prison environment, and can be subjected to humiliation and beatings. “Roosters” are not born, they are made. Almost all topics of insults, jokes and conversations in general in the zone are related specifically to the “omitted”. The worst thing that can happen to a prisoner in prison is a transition to the lower suit of “rooster”. This can happen not only from some wrong actions, but even from an incorrectly spoken word.
He sat down like a little kid. First term
— I had already developed a certain way of life: constant drive, company, drugs, it even came to crime, because drugs had to be bought for something.
The first time I sat down was at the age of 17. And on three counts at once: theft, extortion and theft. There were four of us, such a small organized crime group (organized criminal group - author's note). We did everything we could - we stole and took money from people... They gave me, in general, two years.
Since I always moved in a criminal environment, I was not afraid of prison. I knew what awaited me, I was ready. But it was still scary, I just didn’t show it. The most interesting thing is that the thieves' romance did not go away when I sat down. And the conviction that it is authoritative to be a criminal has not been shaken! When I turned 18, I came to an adult colony and showed myself to the fullest. He did not comply with the detention regime, rebelled, did not obey, refused to work. I was often in a punishment cell (punishment cell - author's note) for this. In short, I did everything to become an authority in the zone...
I didn’t sit in the “children’s” area, I didn’t have to. It turned out that I came of age in a pre-trial detention center. But, as a teenager, I was there with my peers. I know that the “children’s” zone was very tough in those years. I don’t know how it is now, but back then it was a game of survival. You had to become a beast so that you would not be “put down”, or so that someone with authority would stand behind you. To take it unceremoniously, with incredible impudence... Many destinies there were broken just once or twice. In general, the “children’s” zone is like an adult one, only all the “concepts”, “laws”, “showdowns” there are multiplied a hundred times. The guy there could simply joke about the wrong topic, or hit a “push” with his foot - and that’s all, he had already moved to the rank of “offended”, and from there there was no turning back...
Of course, serving time did not rehabilitate me. On the contrary, I thought that I was now the smartest, the most experienced, the most experienced. When I came out, I was 19 years old, my peers joined the army, and I left prison. Authority…
I repeat once again that it was a strange time then. Then telling everyone that you were a former prisoner was even prestigious. Now I’m ashamed to say that I was imprisoned. And if it’s possible not to report it, I try not to advertise it. And then some even came up with “imprisonments” for themselves, for drugs, racketeering, robbery, robbery. Some kind of madhouse...
