Surviving Prison: What They Don’t Tell You Before You Go In

If you think you know what prison is like because of movies or what your homeboys told you, let me tell you right now—you don’t know sh*t until you’ve lived it.

Prison is designed to break you. The first thing you realize is that other people are in control of your life. You're a character in a video game. If you are game goofy, it can cost you a wigsplit. It’s always best to say as little as possible and study the room.  

Your First 24 Hours Will Hit You Like a Brick

The moment the bus drives through the gates, the bottom of your stomach hollows out. You see guards standing outside waiting for you to get out of line so they can bust your head. The air is heavy, the noise is constant, and the smell is something you won’t forget—stale sweat, metal, and whatever institutional food is being served that day. It’s a mix of boredom, fear, anxiety and aggression that overwhelms you..

The moment you enter the unit, you are being sized up.. People are watching how you move, what you say, and what energy you bring. If you walk in with your head down, looking nervous, you’re a target. If you come in acting tough, you’ll get checked quick. The best thing you can do is stay on point, keep to yourself, and handle your business when you have to.

That first night in your cell is when it really sinks in. The metal toilet next to your bed, the thin mattress, the reality that you can’t leave—it all hits you at once. That’s when you realize the time is real.

You’re On Your Own—Choose Your Moves Wisely

One of the hardest lessons to learn inside is that nobody owes you anything. The concept of trust you can throw out the window. There may be one person you can trust behind the wall and that may take months to find out. Dudes will act cool with you one day and line you up the next if it benefits them. You gotta move like a jedi.

Everything inside prison runs on politics, and whether you like it or not, race is an issue. You don’t get to pick who you associate with—it’s already decided for you. I chose to roll solo and not be associated with any particular click, but if shit was to hit the fan I was still obligated to roll with the blacks. Drama comes easy in prison, and you don’t even have to go looking for it. It could be over something as small as where you sit, what you say, or who you talk to. That’s why you have to stay in your lane and think before you act.

Hygiene & Respect Goes A Long Way

Nobody wants to be in a confined area with someone who smells like hot ass. If you don’t shower, if your clothes are dirty, if your breath stinks—someone will call you out on it. And in prison, when someone calls you out, you either handle it or get dealt with..

Keeping yourself clean is about more than just respect—it’s about keeping your sanity and giving a damn about yourself. The same goes for how you talk to people.

One careless joke can turn into a fight. One wrong look can turn into a beef. If you bump into someone, say excuse me. If someone gives you something, pay them back on time. Better yet, try to go without. These small things mean everything inside, and if you ignore them, you’re asking for problems.

The COs Are Not Your Friends

Some people go in thinking they can play it smart by getting on the good side of the correctional officers. That’s a mistake. The COs aren’t there to help you, they’re there to keep you locked up.

Some of them are dirtier than the inmates, bringing in drugs, phones, and other contraband for a profit. Others get off on making your time harder just because they can. If they see weakness, they will exploit it. If they see you trying to play both sides, they’ll make sure you regret it.

The best thing you can do? Stay out of their way, don’t ask for favors, and don’t make yourself a target.

Hustling Can Keep You Afloat or Get You Caught Up

Everybody inside has a hustle. Some dudes sell snacks, tattoos, artwork, legal work—whatever they can do to get by. But not every hustle is safe.

Gambling is a one-way ticket to problems. Some gambling tables can have up to $10k on the line. Owing that kind of money in prison can cost you your life. Not paying in prison is about principle. There have been guys who have been killed over a few soups. And don’t think checking in the hole will save you. Messages make their way into the hole and follow you to other institutions. You may be somewhere else thinking it’s all good and get hit when you least expect it.

Drugs? That’s a whole other game. Some people make money moving dope inside, but that life comes with heavy consequences. You’re either making enemies, getting in debt, or getting more time added to your sentence if you get caught.

If you want to run a hustle that actually helps you, work on yourself. Learn something new, exercise, and figure out how to make money legally when you get out—because the best hustle is not coming back.

The Goal Ain’t Just Surviving—It’s Staying Free

The real challenge isn’t just getting through your time—it’s making sure you never go back.

Too many dudes do their bid, get out, and come right back because they don’t change how they move. The same bad decisions that got them locked up pull them right back in. The game they thought was feeding them? It was really starving them the whole time.

If you don’t want to end up on that cycle, you have to make different choices. That means cutting off the people holding you back, leaving fast money behind, and building something real for yourself. It ain’t easy, but neither is losing years of your life to a prison cell.

The choice is yours. You gonna learn now, or the hard way?

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