How Do I Cope in Prison?

Coping isn't about being hard. It's about routine and keeping your horizons short — the men who cope are the ones who give each day a shape. What helps: build a routine in your first week and hold it — exercise, reading, letters, set sleep. Get a job or an education place as soon as you can; both fill the day and count in your favour. Keep in regular contact with home, and break the sentence into stages you can reach — the next visit, the next course, the next review. The hard truth: the first few weeks are the heaviest, and the real opponents are boredom and your own head, not other people. If you're struggling, say so — your personal officer, the chaplain, healthcare and the Samaritans-trained Listeners are all there for exactly that, and using them is how sensible men get through. Asking for help is strength, not weakness.