▁to ▁protect ▁herself . ▁The ▁next ▁day , ▁Frances ▁is ▁familiar ized ▁with ▁the ▁in m ates ’ ▁daily ▁routine ▁of ▁hard ▁labor ▁in ▁what ▁the ▁other ▁conv ict s ▁refer ▁to ▁as ▁a ▁“ s we at shop .” ▁ ▁Michael ▁M ead ows ▁( M os ▁Def ), ▁a ▁law ▁student ▁who ▁is ▁h ired ▁as ▁the ▁new ▁correction al ▁officer ▁at ▁White head , ▁enters ▁De ase ' s ▁office ▁and ▁introdu ces ▁himself . ▁They ▁have ▁a ▁brief ▁conversation ▁before ▁De ase ▁is ▁called ▁to ▁stop ▁a ▁fight ▁that ▁has ▁occurred ▁between ▁Nik ki ▁and ▁A ish a ▁( T ich ina ▁Arnold ), ▁who ▁the ▁other ▁in m ates ▁claim ▁to ▁be ▁De ase ' s ▁secret ▁mist ress ▁and ▁inform er . ▁After ▁two ▁officers ▁take ▁A ish a ▁away ▁for ▁starting ▁the ▁fight , ▁De ase ▁has ▁an ▁int im id ating ▁conversation ▁with ▁Michael , ▁inform ing ▁him ▁that ▁he ▁runs ▁the ▁prison , ▁not ▁Nelson ▁( Re ed ▁R . ▁McC ants ), ▁the ▁w arden . ▁Nelson ▁approaches ▁De ase ▁and ▁they ▁collabor ate ▁about ▁their ▁plans ▁to ▁increase ▁their ▁profit ▁off ▁the ▁prison . ▁ ▁A ish a ▁enters ▁De ase ' s ▁office ▁to ▁discuss ▁her ▁fight ▁with ▁Nik ki ▁and ▁De ase ▁sla ps ▁her ▁in ▁the ▁face , ▁telling ▁her ▁how ▁un important ▁she ▁is . ▁He ▁presents ▁A ish a ▁with ▁a ▁gift , ▁but ▁ref uses ▁to ▁give ▁it ▁to ▁her ▁until ▁she ▁provides ▁him ▁with ▁any