1. Mind your own business

You would be surprised how many people that go to prison don’t follow this simple rule and get caught up in some pretty nasty business. Minding your own business simply means “keep your nose out of other people’s business.” In fact, if something is developing on the yard or in the unit, walk the other way or return to your house (cell) and stay there until the development has transpired. If a fight breaks out, rather than look to see what’s going on, turn and ignore the altercation. Simply by watching an altercation, one can attract the attention of the prison staff.

2. Do not gamble

Even if you’re the best man you know at Texas Hold ‘Em, don’t gamble. Many of the games are rigged and you will lose your shirt. And losing your shirt can lead to other unsavory losses as well. There is always someone better, faster, trickier and far better at misdirection than you. This rule would also apply to sports betting, sports pools and the like. It is difficult to find a straight game or pool in the joint so the best advice is to simply stay out of the entire mix.

3. Do not get involved with drugs

Although many fish (people new to this environment) see using drugs as a way to escape the maddening atmosphere that is prison, do not, under any circumstances, become involved in this business. You will most certainly be taken advantage of and will end up paying far more than what the original cost of the drugs were in the first place. The rule here is more about airing your dirty laundry such that everyone knows your business. By purchasing and using drugs you are deemed a mark (someone who is naive and generally ripe for being taken advantage of).

4. Do not associate with gangs or clubs or other "groups”

There is a gang for every culture, background and lifestyle. Once a new fish joins a gang he is expected to put in the work required to show his loyalty. This could include running drugs or commissary items from one location to another, to providing a warm body when acts of intimidation or violence are called for. Being label a gang member by prison staff will mark you for your entire stay and can prevent you from re-entering the community at the scheduled time. It is far better to “roll solo.”

5. Do not accept gifts or favors from other offenders

Although this may seem harmless on the surface, accepting a gift from an offender when you first arrive could set you up for pain and heartache on down the line. Gifts might include commissary items including food, candy or postage stamps. It might be offered as a welcome gift to a new fish that doesn’t have much when he first arrives.

A stamp can mean the ability to write home to family and a candy bar can be a much needed break from the typically dismal prison fare. But acceptance of this “gift” could lead to an incredible over-charge of what the item is actually worth. “You owe me $10 for that commissary and stamp I gave you,” one might hear after acceptance. And if there is no way to pay this price monetarily, others ways can be considered to pay off the debt.

6. Do not become overly friendly with the prison staff

This behavior might very well lead you to be hung with a “snitch jacket.” This is pretty self-explanatory and the consequences can be overwhelming. Many times offenders are forced to live in solitary confinement for the duration of their stay. This solitary confinement is often referred to as “protective custody” or PC and it would be a very horrible way to live. One confined in this way wouldn’t mix with the general population and with humans being social animals, this would be a difficult existence at best. Confined to a cell for twenty-three hours a day, with an hour out for solitary recreation would create a situation that would surely need to be avoided.

7. Keep yourself and your area clean

This item cannot be over-stressed. Since you are living with scores of others, keeping yourself and your area clean isn’t just about you, it’s about everyone who comes into contact with you. No one wants to smell another man’s dirty feet. No one wants to look at another man’s dirty cell. I’ve seen issues around cleanliness escalate into life changing situations. People have been sent to the infirmary or worse, have lost their lives over an issue of keeping one’s self and one’s area clean.

8. Join an Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous or other self-help group

Most prisons offer these groups and the groups are facilitated by members of the surrounding community. Not only can these groups provide a much needed respite from the boredom that often accompanies a stint in the joint, they offer a means by which an offender can better themselves through introspection and self-discovery. These groups are seen by the majority of the prison population as a good thing and are accepted as a legitimate way for an offender to better himself.

9. Get a job

There are regular jobs in the facility that an offender can apply for and take advantage of. Working in the kitchen preparing food, working as a tier porter cleaning the unit, working in the prison library. Any job in prison is a good job as it allows offenders to make use of their time in a constructive manner and will normally add a small stipend to the workers account allowing them to purchase hygiene items, stamps and writing material or the occasional food item.

10. Do not give up hope

Understand that the time you spend inside, locked-up doesn’t have to be “dead” time. Reading self-help and self-development books, spending time playing an instrument, attending self-help groups like NA and AA, exercising, meditating or praying; these can all turn “dead time” into productive time. The time can be used constructively to plan for an eventual release back into the community. Hope can be a dangerous thing, but if perceived and utilized in a pro-social manner, it can mark the difference between success and failure.