Testimonial

United States of America: an average day at the joint

// Series of testimonials “A day in prison” (14)*

In prison, the days follow one another but are not always identical. The conditions of detention, the rhythm of the days, the possibility of receiving visits, medical treatment, food, or even access to the right to defence, vary considerably from one prison to another, from one country to another. Prison Insider publishes testimonials of people who live or have lived in prison and can share their experience. This series of testimonials, “A day in prison,” puts into words the varying realities of imprisonment around the world.

The United States Penitentiary Canaan, in Pennsylvania, holds about 1,300 people. Qwantay A. is one of them. He has been incarcerated for 16 years and will be released in 2034. For Prison Insider, he describes what a day in prison is like.

It is usually still dark outside

I laugh at the fact that I've spent nearly 16 years in prison for attempting to possess marijuana