To the Editor:

“Brutal Price Paid for Guard’s Injury, Inmates Say” (front page, Nov. 15) brought back bad memories of my 12 years doing hard time in Sing Sing prison.

I can attest to the violence that occurs in prison. The violence that occurred when I was there came from both prison guards and prisoners. This is the way life in prison is. It’s a horrible place that breeds a pervasive predatory environment that includes both prisoners and prison guards.

I learned to adapt to my situation, but adaptation came at a cost. I became desensitized to the violence that I witnessed around me. One thing you learn on the inside is how easily the ugliness of prison life seeps into your skin, souring the lives of everyone there, including prisoners, civilians and guards.

ANTHONY PAPA

New York

The writer, manager of media and artist relations for the Drug Policy Alliance, is the author of “This Side of Freedom: Life After Clemency.”