Perhaps there is no more significant type of trouble than the one leading to prison. If you’ve been to prison before, you probably know what to expect and how to prepare for prison. But, if you have not been to prison, the idea of being locked up will likely cause confusion and extreme anxiety.
People who’ve never been inside usually base their beliefs about prison on movies and TV. These representations are often unrealistic or outdated. There is probably no better way to calm the stress and anxiety of preparing for prison than to seek truthful information. Having an accurate idea of what to expect and a firm plan on how to behave inside will benefit you and bring peace of mind to your loved ones.
Preparing Yourself For The Possibility Of Prison
If you’ve been charged with a crime with the possibility of a prison sentence, it’s best to begin preparing for this outcome during the trial or plea-bargaining phase of your criminal proceedings. If your lawyer has told you there’s still a chance you might get probation, it’s best to behave as if prison is inevitable. Gather your family, friends, or associates and be honest about the situation to best prepare for prison.
If you’re guilty and plan to plead as such, be open about your involvement in the crime and remorseful about your actions’ effect on others. In life, people harm one another. When we make life-altering mistakes, the emotional toll can often feel overwhelming. It’s important not to underestimate the human heart’s capacity for healing.
No matter how serious the offense, no one is beyond recovery. In a genuinely compassionate society, no one’s life is disposable, even those of us that have caused harm.
How To Prepare Your Family
Talk with your family to help them prepare for your time in prison. Many family members want information so they can attend court to support you. Others may be hesitant to participate in court dates but are willing to meet with you in a more casual setting. When you have official information about the length and location of your sentence, share this with your close friends and family.
Supporting a loved one in prison can be challenging, and you must give people clear information so they can do their best to help. Your behavior may have had severe financial repercussions on your family. If so, help them locate the financial support services they will need when you leave for prison.
Research the Prison
Research the type of prison where you will be serving your sentence. All prisons are different; federal and state facilities have particularly distinctive sets of rules and conditions. Prepare for prison by using the internet to find out where the prison is located and how long the travel time takes from where your family lives.
Do your best to find writings by people who have served time inside your same facility. You’ll need to be wary of exaggerated stories or bad information, but finding credible sources should be calming to your mind.
How to Survive in Prison
The realities of prisons are harsh; there’s no sugar-coating the severity of the situation. Regardless of the security level, serving time in a cell profoundly affects the human mind, body, and spirit.
Once again, preparation based on credible information is the best way to survive. Prisons have one set of rules enforced by officials and another dictated by prisoners and the prison social order. Because prisons are built on racism, they are racially segregated and territorial, so to prepare for prison, it’s important to behave accordingly while inside.
Prison Intake and Admission
When you enter prison, your body will be searched multiple times, and some form of prison official will present you with information. Depending on the prison, this information may come in a handbook or something less official, like a lecture from administrators.
Many people going to prison for the first time experienced some shock during this period, but you must stay calm. This is the best time to advocate for any special medical needs you might have. It’s common for requests to get overlooked in prison, so you will always need to be a strong self-advocate if you want something attended to by staff. Depending on the facility and your prisoner status, prison orientation can also be a time to inquire about possible work assignments.
Speaking to Prison Guards
You will need to interact with the guards while in prison, but try to do so as rarely as possible. It’s best to be polite but reserved. Prisoners notice other prisoners who become too friendly with the guards and are often labeled “snitches.” It’s never okay to “snitch” in prison.
To prepare for prison, it’s best to never say another prisoner’s name in front of the guards under any circumstance. If required to meet with corrections officers, many prisoners take another person with them so everything that’s said can be confirmed.
Guards in prison generally want to do as little work as possible, so problems like intimidation or abuse are best brought to the de facto leader of your racial group.
Speaking to other Prisoners
To prepare for prison, acknowledge that it’s best to be polite but firm when greeting cellmates or speaking to other prisoners. Don’t expect to be received warmly when entering a new cell. Welcoming new cellmates is not something most prisoners enjoy, but it’s widely accepted as a necessary part of prison life.
You may sense the tension in many of your interactions when you’re new. Keep your exchanges with fellow prisoners short and to the point, don’t linger in conversations. Prisons are intensely segregated places, and while in prison, it’s best to comply with the social order inside.
If you have a conflict with another prisoner, a simple apology like “my fault” or “my bad” should give you space to exit quickly. The conflict should be cool, but if not, find someone who looks like the same race should you ask for help.
Toilets and Showers in Prison
Bathroom access will vary based on whether your facility has cell or dorm-type housing. Prisoners typically have 24-hour access to some toilets, but showering occurs during designated times.
Many representations of prisons in movies depict the showers as dangerous places where rapes often occur. While sexual assault is far too common in prison, showers are generally safe, especially at the lower security levels.
High-security level prisons tend to have individual stalls. If you see a stall empty, go for it. If you see a towel or any other form of property in the stall, it’s best to wait. A general rule is to behave as you would in a gym locker room. If a fight does occur in the showers, keep to yourself and leave.
Prison Food
Prison meals are typically prepared by other prisoners and served three times a day. Like many different aspects of prison, the facility will determine the quality of food you eat. Most prison food is basic and bland but somewhat healthy.
Seating for meals takes place in large cafeterias and is also segregated. Be aware of where you sit; if you sit in the wrong place, give them a “my fault” and keep it moving.
In most prisons, you only move through the “chow line” one time. Going back for seconds can result in disciplinary tickets. If you’re still hungry after mess hall and have money in your commissary, you can buy snacks there to hold you over.
Prison Violence
Prisons are violent places. People in lower security levels have less to worry about in this regard, while the medium and higher security levels tend to experience a higher percentage of violence. Bullying, coercion, and intimidation backed by the threat of physical violence are the most common.
Individuals and groups use these tactics to assert dominance. Usually, it does not go further than the intimidation stage, but there are exceptions, and fights often occur. Informants, child sex offenders, and other vulnerable populations such as LGTB prisoners have a much more challenging road.
You should reply to physical threats with verbal force and movement. Use a stern, “Get the fuck away from me,” and walk away. Keep it moving. This lets people know you don’t want to fight, but you will if you have to. The same goes for unwanted sexual advances. These situations are most common in the first few months of a stay until you mesh into prison culture and a particular group.
If you are forced to fight for purposes of self-defense, react quickly and powerfully. Don’t expect help from others or guards, as it typically doesn’t arrive. It is almost always better to fight and be caught than to tell the guards about another prisoner.
Only a feeling that your life is in immediate danger should lead you to speak with guards, and even then, never give names. Also, be prepared that going to the guards will likely land you in the SHU or get you transferred.
Supporting your Spirit
As stated before, preparing for prison is one of the most challenging experiences a person can have. It’s essential to use all resources available to you to keep your spirit strong. Whether it be educational programs, spiritual groups, or simply reading books, look for any opportunity to continue growing.
Do your best to stay connected to your friends and family in the outside world. Learn about the email, tablet, phone, and visitation services your prison offers.
The human spirit is remarkably resilient, even when faced with terrible circumstances.
One of the most often quoted but complicated phrases to accept is, “This too shall pass.” As tough as it can be to imagine, nothing in life is permanent. When we accept this way of thinking, we support our spirit by knowing that even the most unpleasant situations will change eventually and that there are often small moments of hope within the struggle.
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