r/todayilearned 1d ago

TIL real Somali pirate from Captain Phillips is sentenced to 33 years in US prison

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-12486129
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u/Dry_Jellyfish641 1d ago

No he is at Terra Haute which is a medium in Indiana. He is living a normal life unbothered.

u/Nikoladge 1d ago

unbothered

Moisturized. In his lane. Thriving.

u/JaySayMayday 1d ago

He has to use a translator for basic questions and answers. Homeboy is living a life of solitude there with nobody to understand him and nobody he can understand.

u/ThisSiteSucks8485 1d ago

He has nothing but time to learn English 

u/Dry_Jellyfish641 1d ago edited 1d ago

Absolutely not true. Federal prisons operate on racial politics. His charge is considered a “clean” one, therefore he is accepted into either the black car or the Muslim car (if there enough Muslims there and even then they are affiliated with the black car). There are a lot of Somalis in federal prisons, mainly for scamming. Even if he spoke zero English he would learn through immersion. Remember, if he was able to communicate with the captain and crew in crude English then he had a basic understanding of it.

u/Plugpin 1d ago

Plus, I'd have thought basic English lessons would be available, if not mandatory.

u/Dry_Jellyfish641 1d ago

Actually, yes. Every BOP facility is suppose to offer Adult Education to test for a GED.

u/Icyrow 1d ago

right but he'll be there for 33 years. in all likelihood knows more english than he lets on and within 2-5 years will be conversational/close to fluent.

u/MagicalDemons 1d ago

Not if he has no desire to learn English. Especially if no one is helping him.

u/pargmegarg 1d ago

We're all making a crazy amount of assumptions here.

u/Dildondo 1d ago

Reddits favorite past time. Right there with completely making shit up.

u/Tumble85 22h ago

Wouldn't be Reddit without somebody reading "he had a translator in court and 'well actually....-ing' themselves into the idiotic conclusion that this dude surrounded by people who speak English will never learn the language. 

u/MagicalDemons 8h ago

I said IF he has no interest in learning English, he won't learn anything. Never said he'd "never learn the language". nice interpretation though!

u/Convergentshave 1d ago

Why would he spend 33 years “knowing more English then he lets on” and even if if he was fluent I. English with in 2 - 5 why would that make his time there better?

u/400F 1d ago

He wouldn’t, it was only convenient in court. 

u/JesusPubes 1d ago

literally any competent lawyer would their defendant use a translator if you're not perfectly fluent in English

u/xixbia 1d ago

Yup, this idea of 'knowing more English than he lets on' is insane.

He isn't fluent in English, so he will absolutley have been advised to speak through a translator. It isn't a con, it's just what you do when you have to testify in a foreign language.

u/PhasmaFelis 1d ago

  why would that make his time there better?

Humans are social animals and the vast majority of us don't do well without anyone to talk to. With a very few exceptions, even sociopaths want to chat with people now and then.

u/sealpox 1d ago

*terre

- a Hoosier

u/Dry_Jellyfish641 12h ago

You are correct and no disrespect was meant. I just spelled it the way it’s pronounced by people in the Feds. I did misspell it by accident.

u/Malvania 1d ago

He was transferred to Cumberland in 2025

u/Dry_Jellyfish641 13h ago

Wow, I wonder if he is at the camp there. He is probably short enough for that now.