How to Survive a Long Prison Sentence

By Beverly Bird, eHow Contributor

Nearly 1.6 million people were incarcerated in the United States in 2008, according to the New York Times. This statistic doesn't take into consideration an additional 723,000 individuals serving time in local jails, so many of those million prisoners are facing extended time behind bars. One of them, Michael Santos, has published a chronicle of his prison time on the Internet, complete with observations as to how to survive if it happens to you.

Instructions

·1  Act strong, even if you don't necessarily feel it. Establish an attitude that tells other inmates that you won't tolerate taunting and bullying, but don't take it so far that you come off as argumentative and looking for a fight. If you don't stick up for yourself, you may be marked as an easy target right from the beginning. This could make your time miserable.

·2  Keep to yourself. Don't share confidences. If you feel compelled to talk about your feelings, write to someone at home or start a journal. Figure out the social order and keep your distance from anyone who might adversely affect your reputation, both among the other inmates and the prison officials. Avoid known homosexuals if you are heterosexual, known gang members and sexual offenders. Maintain a neutral distance from wardens and other staff. Follow their instructions without getting too chummy with them.

· 3  Locate the prison gym and make use of it as often as possible. This serves three purposes. It gives you something to occupy your time, it improves your strength and your health, and other inmates will be less inclined to pick a physical fight with you if it is apparent that you can defend yourself.

· 4  Develop an interest you can pursue during your incarceration. Most prisons have libraries, so you might want to take up reading. According to Santos, many inmates end up lying on their beds and staring at the ceiling for hours on end. This will make your time interminable. Develop and maintain social contacts outside the prison walls. This could be family or friends who regularly visit and correspond with you, a pen pal program or, if your privileges include Internet access, message boards that you may be permitted to access.

· 5  Go back to school. Some prisons offer programs and funding to inmates who want to further their educations while behind bars, or you may have to ask a relative to help or to access your own funds for you. Santos, who is serving a 45-year term, is nearing completion of his graduate degree through an online university. Working toward a degree will not only provide you with day-to-day goals, but it can pave the way for rehabilitation and a job once you're released.

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