Initially, prisons had the good goal of re-educating the criminal. But for some reason this did not succeed, since there is no special program that could be guided by. In many countries, the authorities are calm already because by imprisonment they manage to protect society from negative elements.
Why don't they say “thank you” and “please” in the zone? Features of the prison vocabulary
Life behind bars is fundamentally different from ordinary life. It has its own established rules, a hierarchy among prisoners, and even everyday words are used in other meanings. The rules vary from country to country, but not significantly. Russian prisons are no exception.
There are specific rules of “etiquette”, the non-observance of which entails the punishment of transferring prisoners to the lower caste. One of the interesting points of this “etiquette” is the inability to use the usual form of gratitude. In this regard, many who are far from prison rules may have a question about why they do not say “thank you” in the zone?
Alternative option
If you say “thank you” to another prisoner, then such a gesture is considered an insult to the second. Acceptable forms of gratitude should be limited to one of the following options:
- “From the heart” is the most common option.
- “Thank you” is permissible.
- The phrase “thank you” is laudable.
- “Mentally” - as one of the options.
The thank you taboo extends beyond verbal communication. It cannot be written in messages and letters to other prisoners. By the way, they are called "little ones." Those who know why they do not say “thank you” in the zone are assigned to a special category - “right guys”, that is, to their people. There are several reasons for this rule.
Demonstrative politeness
Behind bars, they are negative for those who demonstrate their upbringing and politeness. Vivid signs of such behavior are the words "thank you" and "please." And their constant use by prisoners seems to be an attempt to emphasize their belonging to the higher strata of society. According to unwritten rules, everyone is equal in prison.
The logic of the rule about why they do not say “thank you” in the zone is as follows: a person has been imprisoned and this fact indirectly confirms that he has crossed social norms of morality and laws. But the true intelligentsia is unusual. So is there any point now trying to prove the opposite?
Training "new"
"New" do not know the whole code of prison rules. At best, they will be taught this for the first time. A typical way of learning is a few warnings. If the “beginner” does not remember the rules and repeats “thank you” and “please” again, serious measures are taken, up to physical punishment with serious consequences.
There is also a class division in the prison. Belonging to a particular class is determined depending on the behavior of the prisoner. If he is familiar with local rules, then his authority among prisoners immediately increases. If you are not familiar, they will teach. If “training” does not produce results, then punishment will follow. But in most cases, punishment can follow immediately, without warning. After this, the new prisoner will be guaranteed to know about why it is forbidden to say “thank you” in the area.
Rule history
The special rules of prison life developed over a long period of time. They cannot be called simple bragging or tricks due to the excess of free time. Each rule has a logical, often even ideological basis.
A negative attitude to the manifestations of intelligence, in particular to the words of gratitude, arose during the period of the Stalinist Gulags. The intelligentsia at that time was only forming, and the remnants of the past in the form of a feudal system were still fresh in the memory of the people.
In prison life, various classes of society were distinguished, from simple “peasants” to “framers” - representatives of the intelligentsia. The behavior of the intelligentsia annoyed the rest with what was perceived as a manifestation of superiority over the others. Hence the story of why the word “thank you” is not spoken in the zone.
Who can?
The ban does not apply to other prison life figures. For example, this is the supervising unit, investigators, security guards, prison officials and court representatives.
According to prison concepts, law enforcement officials are considered their ideological enemies. These people are not required to abide by the prison rules. But prisoners do not allow interference in their unwritten rules. On this basis, there is another reason why they don’t say thank you to the zone. This is a peculiar way to emphasize your belonging to a certain group.
Principle of justice
In general, what could be the circumstances behind bars in which words of gratitude would be appropriate? Basically, gratitude is customary to show for household "benefits" like treating with tea or tobacco. In prison, such things are worth their weight in gold. Usually they are provided by relatives and relatives of prisoners, passing along with food on rare dates. In such cases, it would be appropriate to say simply “thank you.”
Another reason why the zone does not say "thank you" and "please" is the lexical origin of these words. As you know, a typical word of gratitude comes from the expression "God save you." Initially, they said so. Over time, the phrase has changed to this option - thanks.
In prison, it is believed that such a wish is not enough to express gratitude. Especially for such values as tea and tobacco. Hearing “thank you,” the offended prisoner with a solid experience in prison understands that in fact his comrade is not concerned about his relationship with God. In this sense, "thank you" takes on the character of hypocrisy. This is another reason why the zone does not say "thank you", but say "from the heart."
Other rules
One more rule from this series - you can’t say that a comrade is “offended”. This word is also prohibited. The “offenders” are the other, lowest class in the prison hierarchy. Usually, those who commit an extremely immoral crime: rape, pedophilia, or gross violation of prison rules, are relegated to this caste. Instead, the words “chagrin” or “chagrin” should be used.
There is also a taboo on the word "health". In response, a distressed comrade may say, “What do you care about my health!” Instead, it will be enough to nod your head and say “sincerely”.
Conclusion
Questions about why one cannot say “thank you” or other typical politeness phrases in the zone were relevant in the middle of the last century. At that time, especially in the years 1950-1960, these rules were strictly enforced and their violation was really severely punished.
But in 1961, a law came into force aimed at eliminating liberal behavior in places not so distant. Reforms took place throughout the Soviet Union. The new rules were aimed at making the prisoner really not sweet behind bars, so that at the end of the term they never had the desire to return there again.
The new law limited in many ways. Under the ban were meeting with relatives, the transfer of food and basic necessities. The ban was even on clothes - it was allowed to wear only prison uniforms.
The new rules stated that transfers and parcels are possible only starting from the second half of the serving term. Suppose, if a prisoner was supposed to serve a sentence of 12 years, then the right to a first meeting with relatives came only from the age of 6.
The number of meetings with loved ones from freedom should not exceed 2-3 times a year. The volumes of transferred products must not exceed 3 kg. The ban was meat, sweets, meat products and even fruits. These rules remained valid until 1990. Currently, prison rules are not so severe, and there is definitely no strict penalty for “thank you”. Perhaps only a verbal warning.