How to cook in a prison cell? American inmate shares his tips on TikTok

Published on : 07/30/2021 – 10:40

To successfully cook in your cell, which is not equipped with an electric stove or oven, Jeron combs had to get creative: he dismantled a kettle and recovered a small circular hotplate which he then plugged in and placed under his metal bed to transform it into a cooking surface.

On top, he was able to cook meat to make tacos, grill sandwiches or prepare scrambled eggs.

“I want to show that we take initiatives and that we can even be creative”

Jeron Combs posted his first video in May 2020 and has since garnered millions of views on the TikTok platform, where more than 300,000 people follow him. Contacted by the editorial staff of France 24 Observers, he explained his approach.

I started making these videos about two months after the start of the pandemic, we only heard about the virus on TV. This pandemic has also changed our daily lives: visits have been suspended and our outings have been considerably limited.

We decided to film to show the outside world what we do in prison. We focused on these recipes created for us and our friends because we were fed up with the food served in the canteen.

My TikTok account quickly took to crazy proportions, I got a lot of views all of a sudden and I wasn’t expecting it at all. Many people who are not in prison were interested and curious. I had a few negative reactions, but to a lesser extent.

And over time I have become the voice of the prison, which is quite rare. People generally have a very bad image of the prison and the prisoners. I want to show that we have a voice, that we take initiative and that we can even be creative. I wanted to show that, and to film everyday life in an authentic way.

“I remain cautious because smartphones are prohibited in prison”

Beside these videos, I take care of cleaning in the prison and I spend the time like everyone else, playing basketball, chess or scrabble, with reading, writing letters and studying my court record.

Even if I speak for myself publicly, I avoid filming certain things and I remain cautious because smartphones are prohibited in prison. This does not prevent most prisoners from having them and being on social networks.

In the American prison environment, cell phones are considered contraband but are very largely passed illegally to prisoners via corrupt guards, visitors and even drones. In the state of Oklahoma alone, 9,766 devices were seized in 2016, which represents one telephone for every 2.8 detainees.

Jeron Combs is not the only prisoner to have found some success on social media showing tips to improve everyday life. On Twitter, a French prisoner from the Fleury-Mérogis penitentiary shared photos and videos of his achievements like strawberry, couscous and pizza.