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
Subject: Survive prison
Most inamtes do their time without ever having to fear for their safety. Others seem to find conflict at every turn. A lot has to do with the type of person that inmate is, are they argumentative, are they mouthy and challenge everything people do? Obviously, the more that the inmate keeps to themselves and is not disrespectful to others, the more peace they will have. The guards in most instances are well trained and have empathy for the offenders...
Read moreSubject: Survive prison
All the boot-camp prisons incorporate the core components of military basic training, with physical training and hard labor. Most target young offenders convicted of nonviolent crimes such as drug, burglary, or theft. Participation is limited to those who do not have an extensive past history of criminal activity. The major incentive for entering the boot camp is that the boot camp requires a shorter term than a traditional prison sentence.
On a typical day, the participants arise before dawn, rapidly dress,...
Read moreSubject: Survive prison
The contact that you are engaging in now is great. The writing, the visits and the phone calls are showing him you care. He will be away a long time and this is going to get tougher on you as the time passes. We highly recommend sending magazine and newspaper subscriptions as the frequency of incoming mail is very soothing. If he likes to read, get him hooked on books. He can either read different genres with different authors OR...
Read moreSubject: Survive prison
In the TDCJ, Byrd and Gurney are similar institutions. There are various potential reason why your son was moved within the first week. There might be a program at Gurney that was not available at Byrd. There might be an issue where another inmate is related in some way to your son's case and they have to keep them separated. We don't think there is anything to be overly concerned with regarding the quick move.
To get a transfer, the offender...
Read moreSubject: Survive prison
You might try mailing a letter or postcard. The guards are normally not permitted to pass notes to inmates from the outside. All correspondence is supposed to be monitored and cataloged.
Subject: Survive prison
The SHU or Special Housing Unit is the area of segregation that has no time limit. Prison rules are set by and followed only by prison personnel and no other outside forces may weigh in. Inmates are not entitled to attorney representation or other rights afforded by regular citizens. When the BOP states "they are investigating", there nothing an inmate can do. They have to deal with the rigors of the SHU. Our advice is to send him a lot...
Read moreSubject: Survive prison
There are no segregated penal systems anywhere in this country. The men and women are never placed together at any point of their incarceration
Subject: Survive prison
Staying to yourself is not about being antisocial. It is a deliberate strategy for getting through a sentence without unnecessary conflict, and it works. The concept is simple: find a routine, stick to it, keep your head down, and do not give anyone a reason to involve you in their drama.
That said, doing all the right things is not a guarantee. Some people follow every unwritten rule and still end up in a bad situation through no fault of their...
Read moreSubject: Survive prison
This is a question that is not for us to answer for you. You cannot let the silence convince you of one thing or another. If you confirm it, that is one thing but to break up "thinking it is someone else" might be a mistake. There might be another explanation since the whole prison-thing is about isolation. They might have phone privileges suspended, or he might not have funds to call, or maybe he thinks you are with someone...
Read moreSubject: Survive prison
Yes, you can send money, letters, books and magazines. Private prisons are owned by a corporation and work under a contract with the agency that supplies them with inmates. They are paid by-the-inmate, for each day of incarceration. It is a controversial but effective means of incarceration.
The bigger problem is that these companies spend millions lobbying Congress promoting incarceration rather than rehabilitation. It's a onflict of interest for those seeking to reduce sentences and find a better way, especially...
Read more