Are you waiting to be tried for a crime? I know how that feels; it’s like a weird time warp has taken over so that your days (and the sleepless nights) drag by hour upon hour as you dread the trial and worry about the outcome, but at the same time, your life is flying by as you speed toward the dreaded date. How to survive prison is something you have to consider, and the sooner you start learning what you will have to face, the better. You can hope and pray for a better outcome, but you must consider ways of surviving in prison if you are found guilty and given a prison sentence.

The time to think about how you will survive in prison is now; putting it off would only mean you have less time to prepare yourself for what you will need to do to cope with life behind bars. You will be locked up with people who have committed crimes, some of them violent; you might even find yourself sharing a cell with a hardened violent criminal. You need to learn what to do, how to behave inside prison.

The first thing you should learn is that you must not show any vulnerability. You must exhibit a strong and unemotional exterior. When you first enter prison stand straight with your head held high and maintain a facade of strength; don’t let your body language signal that you are one of nature’s victims. You might be terrified and full of despair, but you must not let these emotions show; if the other inmates detect any weakness, they will exploit it and you will have a harder time trying to survive in prison.

Time will pass slowly in prison; boredom is one of the most common causes of complaint among prison inmates. Find constructive ways to pass your time. Reading is always a good defence against boredom, and most prisons have reasonable library facilities. Board games and card games are popular, but don’t get drawn into gambling. If you enjoy sports, you will get the chance to join activities such as basketball. Whatever your level of fitness, it is a good idea to spend regular time working out. Improving your strength and stamina will be beneficial to your general health and will also make it less likely that other inmates will see you as a soft target and push you around.

Try to keep on friendly terms will everyone you meet in prison, but don’t get too close to anybody and never let down your guard. Keep your personal feelings and worries private and don’t confide in anyone; there will be people who act like they are your true friend, but are really on the lookout for signs of weakness they can use.

It is important to stay on the right side of the prison guards, but don’t make the mistake of appearing to friendly in case you are suspected of being a “snitch”; the mere suspicion is enough to earn you a sound beating from your fellow prisoners. Just keep your behaviour appropriate, do as you are told and remember that this is not going to last forever: all you want to do is survive in prison until you have served your sentence and then you can resume your life on the outside.

The best way of surviving in prison is to appear strong, do as you are told and don’t get into any trouble with the guards or the other inmates.