I am going to jail.
The first time I faced going to jail, my first thoughts – after, “How am I gonna make bail?” – were, “How am I gonna survive?” Well, some of the things I learned the hard way on how to survive jail apply to prison or incarceration of any type. When I did enter federal prison, I was lucky in hooking up with a mentor that taught me the secrets to survival. He had been inside for many years and seen people come and go, get hurt or killed and knew how to take care of himself.
The first thing I learned was that violence is an everyday occurrence, so you better have a few friends that watch your back and you watch theirs. So how did I gain those friends? Just by accident, I was following the 1st rule of prisoners. I didn’t know it till later. But it was enough to gain me a little respect and put me in good favor and avoid what happens to most of the new guys in prison. New guys enter prison without knowing anything and have a big target painted on them. They get picked on, beaten and raped. The only way they get any protection is by being someone’s bitch and have to worry about sleeping with their cellmate.
Now, as I said, I was lucky without knowing it. I survived mentally and physically. I had a group of guys that looked after me and I could serve my time in peace and quiet.
If I had known I’m going to jail for the first time, I would want to know how to survive in prison. Like, what to expect the first day of jail; how to act around prisoners to keep from being marked as a target; how to stay out of trouble and adding to my prison sentence; who to talk to and who not to talk to; where the safe areas are in common area, yard, and prison. And in general, just how to handle myself.
Some of the other things I picked up were: how to survive in lockup; prison yard politics; how to get in good favor with the parole board; survive a prison sentence; which inmates are going to give me protection; how to balance living by prison rules and getting along with the guards; how to handle myself in a fight and what not to say during a probation hearing. But most importantly, I was taught how to pick the best attorney who was going to take care of me.
Getting along with the prison administration
The administration wants to think the prison system has made a change for the better in you. There is one crutial secrete you can do to give them what they want.
Learn How to Survive Prison
Getting along with prisoners
Show respect and don’t get into debt! Show respect to your cellie. Don't do things that will irritate him (keep the your house clean), like passing gas or defecating he is in the cell.
Keep your mouth shut. Don’t spread gossip or personal information to inmates or guards. Talk about your crime only with your attorney.
Never back down from a confrontation. It marks you as weak and a victim.
Don’t gamble, you will lose and if you don’t have the cash to pay your debt, guess how you are going to work off the debt?
Don’t “play” or kid with anyone. You can’t trust anyone to take is as a joke. Respect is everything, and any slight will get you in trouble. Prisoners will do anything to keep respect.
When you first enter prison, keep your own company. Don’t make the mistake of hanging out with a known mole or snitch or worse a pedofile – known as chesters, shorteyes or rapos. Get to know who is who before being associated with them.
If the guys you hang with ask a favor, take it as an order. Trust me, they aren’t asking. Prisoners really do run the prison.
Don't get yourself marked as a victim. Learn How to Survive Prison Click Here!
Getting a prison job
Prison jobs are coveted for a reason. They can be used to gain favors and you can trade services for things you want. Aim for the best job, ones that pay the most or give you the chance to do favors for others.
Learn the secretes of getting a prison job and your incarceration will be much easier.
Prison economics
Prisoners have their own underground economy. If you have access to cash, you are in the best position to make deals, but there is a system of trading for things you want. There is an underground of goods and services that can be traded for almost anything. Make yourself a valuble resource using this method to protect yourself. Nobody wants to hurt you and will even protect you if your providing something everyone wants.
The first time I faced prison, it seemed like my life was over. I had ulcers, depression and I could only wonder how to survive in jail. And unless you are armed with knowledge, it is going to tough to survive the most traumatic time of your life. Knowing what to do and what you are going to face is half the battle of how to survive in lockup.
Looking weak will get you killed and knowing how to operate in prison will let you project confidence and give you a state of mind that will keep the predators away.
There are rules on prison etiquette and you have to learn them fast. It’s a catch 22, you don’t know the rules, but you can’t ask what they are. You can’t ask other prisoners because you don’t know who to trust and you can’t ask the guards because you could be labeled a snitch. Snitches suffer the most abuse and are the most despised of all prisoners, except for pedophiles and you really don’t want to be ranked with the pedophiles. Learn How to Survive Prison Click Here!
There is a tremendous amount of information that you will need to know to survive prison and a lot of it cannot be covered in this public forum. The newspapers have been filled with stories of well known, high level corporate executives. Many of these executives hired consultants to prepare them for prison. These consultants were excons that survived jail, and then got paid $5,000 or more for information that can be found in a How to Survive Prison book. You can get the same information and the same advice, for a lot less money.
