Survive Prison — Ask the Inmate
Surviving prison, mentally, physically, and with your record intact, requires a set of skills and strategies that nobody teaches you before you go in. The adjustment is enormous, and how you handle the first days and weeks sets the tone for everything that follows. This section covers the practical realities of daily life inside a correctional facility, how to navigate the social environment without becoming a target or a participant in activities that will extend your sentence, how to protect your mental health during a long sentence, what the research shows about maintaining family connections and why they matter for survival, how to use the time productively rather than letting it use you, and what the people who come out strongest have in common. The guidance here comes from someone who served 66 months in the federal system and built a business around helping the people left behind. Do the time. Do not let the time do you. See also our sections on Prison Violence, Prison Discipline, and Re-entry and Rehabilitation.
Related InmateAid Services
This a small facility in the heat of Louisiana. There is nothing to like about jail, it's confinement with limited privileges. There is no air conditioning but the medical staff is compassionate and willing to help. Just have you inmate ask to see the nurse.
Read moreServing time sucks. It's boring and you are cut off from the world you knew before going in. For me, it felt like i had died but i'm stuck watching my family and friends live on without me. The first year seemed like forever. But, as you point out, the place becomes a home and you adapt to your surroundings. The worst time is when there is something happening outside that you can't attend. For me I missed my mother's
Read moreThe honest answer comes from someone who has been there, and it is yes without qualification. The depression that sets in during incarceration is not the kind that announces itself dramatically. It is a slow, grinding weight that accumulates through the relentless passage of time in an environment that offers almost no stimulation, no privacy, and no control over anything that matters. The distortion of time is one of the most disorienting aspects. On the outside, a busy day
Read moreThere is a little of both in there. There is no A/C, that is true and the state issued clothing is also true. Depending on how much money he has received on his commissary account will determine what the state will give him in the way of toiletries. The inmates with no money on their book DEFINITELY get the basic supplies. Inmates with money on their books are able to buy their own personal, upgraded brand name hygiene supplies.
Read moreThe beds are a blue paper-thin foam mattresses that are laid atop mental bed frames. They are not soft to sleep on as you feel the hard metal immediately upon laying down. There is nothing "soft" about time on the inside.
Read moreNo. Santa Cruz is a MEDIUM security facility with 1-2 man cells, and controlled movement. San Carlos is a MINIMUM security facility. The Minimum facilities have an open dormitory style with many inmates in one large area like military barracks and limited supervision. Medium is a much more strict environment than Minimum
Read moreFights and bullying happen on the street, they also happen in jail. If your inmate can keep to himself they will avoid any conflict. On the other hand, if your inmate doesn't pay attention and respect others, there will be incidents.
Read moreNot sure where your inmate is now, but Gun Club in Palm Beach County FL is no joke. It's a "county maximum" facility with very restrictive visitation and movement. Hard to believe there is another place that is "worse"
Read moreCall the facility and ask to speak to the counselor. There is nothing we can say to assure you that your inquiry would be kept confidential.
Read moreNO smoking in just about every facility in the United States. Three days!?!?! Three days is a long time, we hope you survive. You might not get to go to commissary for a three day stay but you might put $50 on your books for phone calls.
Read more