How To Prepare For Jail Time?

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how to prepare for jail time

Are you looking for tips to prepare for your time in prison? In this article, we will guide you in preparing yourself for prison life. If you have been convicted of a crime, then you might end up in jail.

Therefore, you must be prepared and know what to expect in prison. It might not change the fears of facing the harsh realities of living there. But you can navigate your life better when you know what to expect.

Here is our information guide to prepare you for the possibility of imprisonment.

  • Inform Your Employer

    You need to talk to your employer and tell him why you are leaving. It's up to you if you want to get into details, but it's important to make them aware and not keep things in the dark. They have to arrange and find other candidates for your position in your absence, and that will take time. You will be entitled to wages and holidays so you should inform beforehand.

  • Learn About Custodian Right For Children

    Prepare your children for the situation. They may need some explanations of where you are going and why. It would help if you learned more about custodian rights. Generally, it shifts from one parent to the closest relative (for your child).

    It means if you are convicted and imprisoned, but your partner is free, they will get the right of guardianship. After parents, that right goes to the nearest aunts, uncles, siblings, or grandparents. If your child has no immediate family members to take care, they are placed in foster care for that period.

  • Have A Check Of Mental And Dental Issues

    Before you go to jail, resolve your medical and dental issues. Well, there are facilities available for medical and dental check-ups. Yet the process is slow, substandard, and not forthcoming. Moreover, ask your doctor for all your medical records and keep them with yourself. If you are on some medication, obtain a letter about why you are taking medicine and its underlying conditions.

  • Manage Accommodation Matters

    You have to figure out what will happen to your house or property in your absence. For that, contact your housing authority, landlord, or mortgage provider. If you cannot keep your home safe, you must hire someone to do it for you.

    You can also rent out the home or sell it for some immediate money if you need it. So do look out for your options and get a real estate agent to get it done quickly.

  • Keep Money In Prison

    When you get into jail, your funds can be retained in an inmate trust fund account; so that you can use it to buy basic things. Therefore, you should nominate someone as a business or financial manager to make a withdrawal from an account on your behalf.

    Ask them to send you monthly or quarterly money and use it to buy things that can pass your time faster. Another option you can receive money is through MoneyGram, Western Union, or United States Postal Service. Make sure your account number must be linked to all such accounts. It will make the transactions easier for you.

  • Assign Your Attorney

    Appoint your spouse, parent, children, or sibling to manage your affairs in your absence. Here's a tip if you assign someone else other than your spouse, then grant it to two people. They will take advice from each other before reaching a decision about your affair. You should develop a financial plan or rough budget for your financial needs. You should also hire a criminal lawyer who can take your case further or fight for you while you are serving time.

  • Arrival and Personal Property

    When you arrive in prison, the staff will take your interview and screen you no matter which facility you go to. You have to go through the Admission and Orientation Program to know more about the facility's programs, procedures, and policies. The prison gives you shoes, clothing, food, and personal care things.

    For personal property, the jail management does not allow you to possess any personal stuff while you are in prison. Or retain it during your time there. However, the criminals who self-surrender can take the following items with themselves:

    1. Prescription glasses
    2. Legal files
    3. Approved religious things
    4. Plain earrings for female
    5. Wedding Band
    6. Medical devices

  • Communication In Prison

    Keep yourself connected to your friends and family members to maintain outside relationships. The jail management offers the following ways of communication for prisoners to stay in touch.

    1. Inmate or receiving parties can opt for the payment for phone calls.
    2. If the inmate wants to send an email, they can do that but have to bear the cost of drafting or reading the emails.
    3. Prisoners may get or send the mail through the U.S Postal service
    4. Inmates may get the subscriptions (newspaper, magazines, and journals) directly from the publisher without prior notice
  • Take Care Of Your Physical Health

    If your prison has gotten any gym equipment, then make use of it. However, many jails in the US do not provide such facilities as they feel prisoners will then threaten the guards with their physical strength. However, you still have other options to maintain it. Doing pushups, sit-ups, jogging, and running will keep you in shape, and it may play to your advantage.

  • Make A Contact List

    Create a contact list, including mailing addresses, email addresses, and a number of the people. You may need to get in touch with them during your prison period. Name all your contacts on one double-sided page, as many officers allow you to keep that with you.

  • Read Some Authoritative Information

    It's essential to read or get information from some authentic sources that make you aware of the coming hardships you will face. Today, hundreds of books, guides, and other programs help you prepare for that. Apart from that, you can also reach out to the prison consultants to get answers related to ins and out of jails.

  • Know-How Visitation Works

    Every jail and prison have different visitation rules and timings. Learn those to remind your family and friends for visitation.

  • Keep Outside Of Prison Politics

    Let's face reality. You will be with other prisoners from different backgrounds, personalities, and ideologies in life. There are high chances of conflict and prison politics. But you have to be vigilant and stay outside of it. By doing so your chances of getting out of prison will increase.

  • Conclusion

    Indeed, preparing for prison is very difficult, especially when you go there for the first time. But we have given you ideas that you can follow to spend your time productively. Before going to jail, research the specific prison and facilities, and prepare a contact list. While you are there, kill your time doing exercises and communicating with friends and family. Or you can look for other options like reading books and newspapers.

    We hope this article has helped you prepare for jail and how to make your time served better for yourself. So what are you looking for? Give this a good read, keep your spirits high, and plan your time in the jail now!