I SPENT TWO YEARS IN CENTRAL PRISON FOR ROBBERY: I was bitten by rats in solitary confinement, and even that's better than what's happening to me on freedom (PHOTO)

I. N. (24) from Belgrade was arrested four years ago with two friends for the armed robbery of the jewelry store on New Belgrade. When he ended up in Central Prison (CP) he was 20 years old. He did some robberies before, that secured him tens of thousands of euros and easy life. However, on 22nd September 2012, his life changed completely. 

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- We got out of the car, put masks on our heads and went to the jewelry store. We finished the "business" and went home. The next day I spoke with the guys, we knew the police were chasing us. I was planning to flee to Kosovo, in order to avoid arrest, however, only two days after the robbery, the police caught us.

- I went to my apartment, I did not even shut the door behind me and appeared three inspectors. They told me to be ready soon, and to dress warmly, because there will be cold - our interlocutor starts his story.

Our interlocutors and the rest of the "team" were revealed by a worker from a nearby bakery, which saw them coming out with masks from the car and wrote down the licence plates. When the police came to conduct an investigation, he gave them all the details as an eyewitness, and police caught them soon after.

Foto: Telegraf

Former convict begins his story with this hard words and he explains how he lived before he ended up in Central prison:

"I was left without a father pretty early".

"When i was 18". 

"After that i literally did not come home for 6 months at at time".  

"With my mother I was on bad terms, I was involved in robberies, I dealt some marijuana. It secured a good life, I easily earned a lot of money, and all of it immediately started to rotate, drugs, girls, holidays, apartments".

Foto: Telegraf

On examination, he spent 48 hours, and did not want to admit robbery, we knew what comes in these situations.

- They do their job, I was a bit tortured, few slap, bump, when I do not to cooperate. They deliberately provoke you, when they know that you're helpless, and you can not defend yourself. They tied me even for a radiator, but not even then, and until the end of the sentence i did not admit that i did it.

They had no evidence, except the statement that a third person who betrayed us and pressured the by police admitted what we have done - he said, and we will explain why it is important not to admit the crime within the prison circles.

He spent five days in the solitary confinement, and he was most troubled by the thought what will his mother think, is she alright, will she even come to visit him. 

- Honestly, i expected nothing. During those five days in the confinement, dark, very cold and full of mice, i came to my terms that i will spend following years in prison. And since i am on bad terms with my mother she will never come at all.

But she did as much as she could. And helped as much as she could. I felt bad for her the most, i made what i have made myself into, but she did not deserve it. When i was here and after i got out, the only preoccupation for me was to make up for what i have done. 

Foto: Telegraf

During the stay in prison, you can see who your true friends really are. And our interviewee was down to three friends who constantly asked about him, out of all friends, girls, "palls". The visit was allowed once in every 2 weeks and only the closest family, because e was not sentenced.

IN PRISON MAIN PREOCUPATION IS LIVES OF OTHERS AND WHAT IS HAPPENING OUTSIDE

- What kills you the most in CP is boredom, loneliness and depression. I haven't gone out in three months because i was sick of looking the same people every day, listening to same stories.

Suddenly everything becomes someone else's life and what's going on outside. In there you are focused on the person and the people in the room. You have certain hours when you can walk and that's it. They won't allow you do do anything. The supervision of prisoners is completely controlled. It will never occur that you walk with prisoners from the other black, or to come in contact with them. 

I think no one even considers running. The difficulty of serving the punishment in CP is shown in, for example, one day in CP 20 years ago, was like 1.5 days in other prisons. Now it was leveled, even thought i think they can even compare with CP.

Serving the sentence in any jail, especially in CP, leaves numerous psychological consequences, causes listlessness and emotional damage.

- I have no more emotions, nothing can hurt me. I went out much stronger. I recently thought about anything that can hurt me, besides my mother's death, i can't imagine anything else. Even if it happened i would survive, cause i did already before, when my father died, i would go through the same. I recently broke up a long relationship, i had no violent reactions. When i am feeling hard, i say to myself, there were worse days.

Foto: Telegraf

When I.N. went out of prison, he had difficulties in everything. He couldn't find a job, had two longer relationships that ended. As he said, the girls he was seeing did not understand i was a different man, i changed after the prison.

GIRLS DID NOT UNDERSTAND THAT I BECAME A DIFFERENT PERSON WORKING FOR 30.000 DINARS

- We have fun for a while, and they get it that i am out of it, i am no longer into stealing, thievery, drugs, I am a normal many working for 30.000 and who finds enjoyment to walk a dog, have a glass of beer.

When they realize that I am a different person, say that this is not going to work.

Simply girls look for boys like that, they seek for them.

I am now looking for a normal relationship and normal girl - he says.

Foto: Telegraf

He also said that he is somewhat happy he was arrested when he was 20, because he can't be sure that he would stop that easily making money from "smashing shop windows".

- Who knows what would happen next, there were stories of me going "over" to steal, i would be arrested sooner or later, and the punishment would be even severe, i may not be alive. I am aware of that, i came out of this much stronger, and many decide to go back to former life, i decided to change it from the roots - ends the story our interviewee.

HE CELEBRATES HIS RELEASE FROM JAIL AS SECOND BIRTHDAY 

In May 2014, I. N. was released from prison. Appellate verdict was released after two and a half years in the Central Prison.

- I can't describe that feeling to anyone. I wasn't hoping of going out, gendarmes did not tell me to pack my stuff. I thought they want me to move to another cell. I said "Beat me, do whatever you want, i am not going away from here". I wasn't even thinking about going out.

On that day, i am going out, doors close behind me, everything is like on movie.

Me with black bags they gave me with my stuff in them, rain pouring, i am sitting on a bus to go home. 

When my mother saw me on the door, she almost collapsed. 

Later, my best friend came, whom i haven't seen in two years. Everything was somehow weird, the feeling i can't describe to anyone. Since then, the day i went out of prison, i celebrate as my second birthday - concludes his story for Telegraf, former convict.

Foto: Telegraf

He has 10 more days to serve when they call him.

In the next text, read what are the rules in CP, why it is important not to admit the crime, what can you expect when you enter a room with 10 other prisoners, and does "the law of the stronger" also rule within the prison walls. 

(Telegraf.co.uk / Ivana Lazic)