Peter McWilliams Quotes

I've definitely become more aware of the penal system and more aware of what life could be like inside a prison.

Prison life, fortunately, I spent a lot of years, about 18 years with other prisoners, and, as I say, they enriched your soul.

People in general have a preconceived idea of what prison is, from seeing documentaries or whatever.

I spent my first three weeks there on a wing with 21 murderers. I met some very evil people there but also some men who'd had no upbringing, no chance in life.

Prisons are fascinating places, especially when the inmates are educated white-collar types.

I spent five years of my youth in prison - some very bad prisons.

When a person go to jail, what people don't realize is you're alive, but you're dead to the world. People forget about you. When you go to jail, you're a story.

Prison killed me. It destroyed me.

Everybody knows that prison is not a good place for anyone, and nobody would feel proud to be there. But I'd like to mention that I was treated really well in there.

I had a lot of time and the first year I was in prison, I tried to get the party to stop the shooting, to stop the talk about the gun thing.

I get a lot of letters from prisoners. They say things you can't imagine.

If you meet somebody who's spent any length of time in prison, you don't let your guard down. Ever. And really, that's what that was about-if you open up too much, you're asking to get your teeth kicked in.

Prison has a universal fascination. It's a real-life horror story because, given the right set of circumstances, anyone could find themselves behind bars.

As soon as I ended up being incarcerated, I said, you know, this is not the life for me.

I know prisons from the inside.

I grew to manhood in the Ohio State Penitentiary.

Well I certainly have learned and I hope I'm moving on and certainly two years of prison was a terrible punishment.

So for you people who are filled with fear that I might someday be released: breathe easy, I don't see it happening.

I am proud of being in a U.S. federal prison and surviving it.

And I did wonder - because it's now three years ago since I left prison - whether there would come a time when I would forget it, or it would be in the past as anything else might be - no, it's there every day of my life.

I came out even with all the struggles I endured on Rikers Island.

Going to prison is like dying with your eyes open.

The second time I went to jail, I was like, 'Okay, this is not the move.'

I was kind of excited about going to jail the first time and I learnt some great dialogue.

Prison opened my eyes to so many things. It was a great time. I met interesting people. I got to understand the behaviour of the police and the media. I am an observer of the human race.