Don’t ever forget that anything you say can become evidence which can be used against you; keep your mouth shut as much as possible. [2] X Research source
Also, if you wear glasses you may want to have an eye exam and get new lenses if you need them. As with dental care, you’ve got a better choice of lenses and frames outside prison. If you’re lucky enough to have some time before prison, get a check-up or address any medical issues you’ve been having. Though you’ll get medical care in prison, it’s better to get medical attention before you’re locked up.
Alternatively, give your friends and family a shopping list of books/magazines and let them take care of ordering things. There’s no web access in prisons, so make your selections before you enter prison. Though choosing reading material may be the last thing on your mind before you start your time in federal prison, being prepared for reading material (as soon as you’re allowed to have it) can help you feel less lonely and more comforted when you begin your sentence.
Each facility has its own rules—just be prepared for the extreme conditions you may face. Be especially cautious during this time. You will be with other people who are in a state of uncertainty and more likely to be volatile than they will be once they get settled into the prison routine.
Know what kind of prison you might get sent to first. There is a big difference between a minimum security prison than a maximum security or Supermax.
Cash is not necessary; in fact, it will be confiscated. It’s best to go in with a US Postal Service money order as they are widely accepted in all prisons (federal and state). Additionally, don’t let anyone know that you have money. Pretend that you’re poor and penniless. That way there’s no danger of other prisoners trying to extort money from you.
Don’t refer to the people doing time with you as inmates. [8] X Research source Some of the prisoners you’ll encounter may have a short temper or are mentally ill, of low intelligence, or just plain bad. Prisoners like that don’t have a warning written on their forehead—they look like regular guys. You can easily be misunderstood or deliberately misquoted by someone who’s trying to provoke trouble. What starts out as a petty argument over a trivial issue can turn into someone bearing a strong personal grudge against you. Don’t be paranoid. Be aware that things may not be what they seem, such as the prisoner who tells you that gay or black people are like everyone else, then asks what your opinion is—he’s just testing your attitude or yanking your chain.
For example, if you work as a server in the kitchen and a staff foreman tells you to clean tables in the dining room, though you know it’s not part of your duties, the best thing to do is simply clean the tables. Don’t do anything that makes staff feel challenged or intimidated; they have various ways of making you pay for that mistake.
When you’re walking to your cell, do not stare into the other prisoners’ cells. This is considered an invasion of privacy and can get you in big trouble.
If you’re known to get along well with prison staff, other prisoners could (wrongly) assume that you are a snitch. Don’t talk to prison staff more than necessary; while it may be just an innocent conversation about the weather, other inmates won’t perceive it that way.
If you complain to staff, you’re stuck in no man’s land between the staff and inmates; neither will help you. Try to get used to the fact that you have very few human rights in prison, and that you’re largely powerless to change your circumstances.
Prison employees will punish you for making waves much more quickly than they will come to your aid. Sometimes the punishment will be official, in other cases, it will be more subtle, such as “forgetting” or “misplacing” something that you need. You always have the option to ask to be put in the hole for your protection. The hole is unpleasant, but it is relatively safe. Don’t ask for this kind of protection unless you fear for your life, because if you go to the SHU you’ll spend 99. 9% of your time locked inside a cell.
All prison gangs are separated firstly by the races they are typically associated with. Bloods/Crips/Black Guerilla Family (African-American); the Mexican Mafia (Mexicans); MS-13 (Salvadoran/Honduran/Guatemalan/Nicaraguan); White Supremacist/Nazi (Caucasian), etc. There are many different divisions.
This doesn’t mean you have to get a swastika on your forehead or “Blood for Life” tattooed on your chest. It simply means whichever race you are associated with, you seek them out first and introduce yourself. You get to know inmates of your race first. Especially the “important” figures within your race. You can be “friendly” with people of other races after that. In prison, blacks, Mexicans, Chicanos, Asians, and whites all look after their own. This isn’t the time to be colorblind.
But beware of your homeboys if there is anything wrong with you or your case, like if you are an informant, sex offender, or anything else frowned upon by inmates, in which case your homeboys will probably be the ones that will confront you on it. This could include assault, stabbing, or whatever else they think you deserve.
Personal possessions like photographs, letters, and other stuff are very important when someone is in prison. So, never borrow or use something that belongs to another prisoner unless he’s told you it’s ok to do it. Touching someone’s personal possessions without their permission is a no-no.
