Former prisoners have revealed exactly what happens behind the mystery doors which can often be found between cells.
Spending your days locked away in a prison cell isn't something that's supposed to be entertaining or enjoyable, which means that inmates have to get creative in order to pass the time.
According to a post on Reddit, this would also include coming up with creative ideas about what could be hidden away in various off-limits areas.
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One particular thing which has captured imaginations online are the smaller doors which are located after every couple of cells, with one person making a thread on a prison subreddit to ask about them.
The responses from former inmates ranged from helpful to bizarre - with many revealing the made up stories they would tell newer prisoners.
"Make-out closet," one person joked, while another said it was a 'secret escape route'.
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Other users also revealed the wild stories they'd make up, with the swimming pool theory being a popular one at various prisons.
"Used to tell the new guys it was stairs up to the rec/pool room," a third person claimed, adding: "Then you tell them they have to get on the list with the CO [corrections officer] to be able to go up there. They'd get a CO and some of the funniest shit is watching them be like 'can I get on the list for the pool' and watching the reaction."
Well, you have pass the time somehow.
Unfortunately the truth is far less interesting, with the doors actually leading to an area where the plumbing and maintenance of cells can be taken care of.
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"Called a pipe chase. Gives maintenance access to plumbing and electrical in the two adjacent cells," one person explained.
"Pipe chases at my facility. If a house has a water issue or the inmate is purposely flooding their house, we can shut the water off," a second added.
Once you learn that the doors lead to maintenance rooms it's pretty hard to see it any other way. However, the idea of a gullible new prisoner falling for the notion that good behaviour means a trip to the mysterious, member's club-style pool is infinitely funnier.
Some ex-inmates would even claim to take things further by putting newbies through the bizarre jail equivalent of hazing.
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"Lol I remember the thing where I was at was that 'you needed to get your mattress stamped' you gotta carry you mattress up to the CO podium and he’ll stamp it for you. Funniest s**t ever," one user recalled, to which another person replied: "I remember saying that to several newbies. Gave us something to do in county lockup."
Brenna Cooper