Most of the prisoners were better behaved. However, there were exceptions to the rule, like these kids. A convict, like the bully on the bus will be boistrous and obnoxious when he has an audience of fellow convicts to entertain, but get him alone, and he turns into a sniveling baby. Many times, after an inmate had been placed in a special housing cell because of misbehavior or a fight, his mother would call the facility, trying to find out why her son had been locked up. The only way she could have found out was by one of the other inmates on the unit calling her to let her know.
And when an officer would tell an inmate he couldn't do something, or get a specific item through the package room, he'd run to a Sergeant to see if he could get the Sergeant to overrule the officer. When that didn't work, he'd try to find a Lieutenant or above to cry to. This behavior is no different than the kid who is told no by his mother, then whines to his Dad to see if he can get Dad to overrule Mom. Instant gratification was a must. Things were starting to go downhill in the prison system at the time I retired in 2003. I can't imagine what it must be like now.