Do Prisons Celebrate New Years Eve?
Do prisons celebrate New Years Eve and prisoners mark the occasion when the clock strikes twelve
Does anyone in prison celebrate the ringing in of the new year?
It was something I was thinking about this New Years Eve. As I watch all these people crammed into Times Square counting down the clock, wearing their silly hats, blowing their noise makers and awaiting the new year to arrive – is there any kind of celebrating in prisons at the same time?
I would imagine someone serving out a lone prison sentence isn’t as thrilled as everyone else that another year has passed. They probably aren’t exactly jumping up and down that the calendar has just changed. I would think it’s kind of a depressing milestone.
Prisons probably wouldn’t make a big deal out of it anyway. They wouldn’t want the inmates to have a chance to act up for any reason. Even if the big ball in Times Square is dropping the place most likely sticks to its daily routine. It’s probably just another day and the whole place is quiet at the stroke of twelve every January first.
Maybe there’s a few people who make note of the occasion in the Big House, but I bet there’s certainly no sounds of party horns being heard.
Imagine what the guards and staff must be going through.
I guess it would depend if the warden would want to knuckle down on the prisoners or not.
I once watched a documentary about Johnny Cash and his prison concerts. Cash said he wanted to do it because he liked the audience enthusiasm from the prisoners. Guys who have nothing to do except chew their nails are very welcoming of a celebrity singer.
When Cash was asked about what the prison staff thought. He said he was getting requests from all sorts of prisons. Wardens want Cash to come because when the prisoners got a emotional release from a concert. They were calmer and much more easy to control when the concert was finished.
I wonder if that would apply to New Years. Would wardens let the prisoners have something to break the mood. Even a little bit.
If the warden is smart about it and feels generious, maybe something would be planned. If the warden wants to be tough, I doubt anything would planned except the next day’s parole hearing.