
If you truly were a dealer, then someone in prison is bound to know someone on the outside who should know of you. If you're in for something such as a sex offense, don't lie and tell anyone that you're in for something like drug dealing. In prison, blacks, Mexicans, Chicanos, Asians, and whites all look after their own.You can be "friendly" with people of other races after that. Especially the "important" figures within your race. You get to know inmates of your race first.It simply means whichever race you are associated with, you seek them out first and introduce yourself. This doesn't mean you have to get a swastika on your forehead or "Blood for Life" tattooed on your chest.If you're white and you walk in slapping high fives with the brothers before you shake hands with the white dudes, you're going to send a rift through the whole community. If you are some white suburbanite 19-year-old kid that pledged yourself as a crip, and you used to buy the dope you got busted selling from your crip homeboys in the projects, that doesn't mean you can link up with them in prison.

It is crucial to your survival in the prison system to immediately show your allegiance to your race-though this doesn't mean you have to join a gang to do it. 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. What starts out as a petty argument over a trivial issue can turn into someone bearing a strong personal grudge against you. You can easily be misunderstood or deliberately misquoted by someone who's trying to provoke trouble.Prisoners like that don't have a warning written on their forehead-they look like regular guys. Some of the prisoners you'll encounter may have a short temper or are mentally ill, of low intelligence, or just plain bad.Don't refer to the people doing time with you as inmates.Obvious subjects to steer clear of are religion, politics, racial issues, or your own personal feelings about someone or their family and friends. Otherwise, it can easily get you into trouble. Avoid discussing dangerous conversational topics. Anything you say to guards or prisoners, no matter how innocent you think it is, can be used to hurt you, manipulate you, or be taken out of context. Though you'll get medical care in prison, it's better to get medical attention before you're locked up.Ĭhoose your words carefully. If you're lucky enough to have some time before prison, get a check-up or address any medical issues you've been having.As with dental care, you've got a better choice of lenses and frames outside prison. Also, if you wear glasses you may want to have an eye exam and get new lenses if you need them.X Trustworthy Source National Conference of State Legislatures Bipartisan, nongovernment organization serving the members of state legislatures and their constituents Go to source After all, if you're in prison and you don't like the prison dentist, where else are you going to go to have your teeth fixed? So, if there's time to do it, consider having a dental check-up before you self-surrender and get anything important fixed. Certain treatments that you take for granted might not be available in prison, or won't be nearly as good. The choice and quality of care are significantly better outside of prison. Be sure to take advantage of any medical care outside of prison if you have enough time.
