How to Survive a Night in Jail

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: August 11, 2024 References

Sometimes through our own choices, mistakes, or bad luck, we find ourselves facing unhappy consequences – like a night in jail. For many of us who have never been arrested or spent time in jail, this is a very scary and anxiety-filled thought. If for some reason you are facing the possibility of spending a night in jail, don’t panic. Stay calm, keep a cool head, and tell yourself that this is most likely just one night. Once you’ve accepted that you’ll live through a night in jail, you can then think rationally about what you need to do to better cope with such a scary proposition.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Being Prepared and Following the Rules

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1
Stay positive even when circumstances feel difficult. Try to stay as positive as you can going into and through your jail experience. The fact is that being in jail is a miserable time, but it’ll be more miserable if you put yourself in a poor frame of mind.
- Tell yourself you’re going to be okay.
- Continually remind yourself of your expected release time.
- Think about how this will be a great story to tell to kids, grandkids, and friends.^{[1]
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Regardless of whether you’ll be staying in jail the night as a result of a pre-decided court decision or if you’re in jail because you were pulled over for driving drunk in the middle of the night, you need to be in contact with your lawyer or advocate before you enter jail. Having an attorney or someone else advocating for you will help make sure that your release in the morning (or whenever) will go as smoothly as possible. An attorney or an advocate working on your behalf will also make sure you’re not somehow forgotten and spend more time in the slammer than you need.^{[2]
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Obey the correction officers within the scope of the law. Do whatever the correction officers tell you to do, as long as they’re not asking you to do something that puts you in harm or violates your safety. When you do comply, comply quickly, politely, and don’t show attitude. If they are trying to make you comply, and are rude to you, deal with it and suck it up.
- If you don’t comply, they’ll use physical force, and you may get hurt.
- It’s not worth taking a stand on something trivial or out of principle.
- The only time you should not comply is when your rights are being directly violated, as in the case of rape or abuse.
- If you don’t comply with a lawful order or request, you might face additional charges.
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Use the phone as soon as possible. If you’re going to jail unexpectedly, you want to be able to contact someone who can bail you out. This is a little trickier than you might think. Oftentimes, cell phones can’t receive collect calls. You probably won’t remember most people’s home numbers. Collect calls, in some areas, now require people to set up an account with a prepaid amount in order to accept the call. Therefore, you need to be tricky yourself.
- Memorize a reliable person’s home number for these types of situations.
- Use the collect call system against itself. Oftentimes, you’ve got a couple seconds to record your name so it can be played back for the person you’re calling. Try blurting out “John jail Nashville help me” or something similar so the person will know what to do without talking to you.
- You are often allowed to make more than one call.^{[3]
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Trying to get an empty cell will make your stay a whole lot easier and more pleasant, as you’ll eliminate coming into contact with troublemakers or bullies. Request one in advance of the walk into lockup. If you notice an empty one on the way in, request to be put in there. Don't talk about any special reason why, as this might get you shoved into a group cell anyway.^{[4]
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Part 2

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Dealing with Other Inmates

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1
Never show fear to the other “guests.” For many people who frequent jail, fear is equated with weakness. If they sense your fear, they’ll know that you are weak and they’ll try to give you a hard time. Consider:
- Try your best to appear calm, collected, and cool.
- Don’t come across as a someone who is overly tough, as other inmates will try to challenge you.
- Make sure to control your emotions. While you might be a nervous wreck, crying or shaking typically won't help you. Such behavior will just mark you as someone that others might want to mess with.^{[5]
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Avoid sleeping in a shared cell. While you might be exhausted, do your best to avoid sleeping in a cell that you are sharing with someone else. Falling asleep will leave you vulnerable, and if there is a troublemaker or a bully, they might mess with you or hurt you. Consider:
- If you’re trying to rest, sit on the floor with your back to the wall, preferably in a corner.
- Don't lie down, as you'll just be making yourself vulnerable.
- Stay mentally active by thinking about other problems you need to solve, such as fixing your transmission or bathing your dog.^{[7]
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Since you’ll be in the cell for a while, you’ll probably want to make yourself more comfortable by taking off your shoes, socks, or even your belt. Don’t do it. Taking anything off will make your more vulnerable to potential troublemakers. Someone might take them from you, or give you a hard time in general.
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Keep to yourself, if you can. If at all possible, don't start a conversation with anyone else. Starting a conversation might open the door to someone harassing you or giving you a hard time. It will also draw attention to you, as other inmates in the lockup will notice you conversing with someone else.
- As a rule, try not to be noticed.
- Try as hard as possible not to be rude in any way.
- Answer questions with short responses that don't reveal any personal information about yourself.
- Don’t be too polite, as over politeness might be construed as weakness, too.^{[8]
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Refuse any favors, politely. Accepting or requesting favors can be seen as an invitation for harassment or bullying. Resist the temptation to ask for help from fellow inmates. Decline any offers of favors, as they might signal your vulnerability.
- Never ask for a seat. This could provoke a fight from someone looking for a fight.
- Don’t ask permission. If there is plenty of room available on a bench, and you won’t be getting into anyone’s personal space, take a seat. If not, don’t ask anyone if you’re allowed to sit there. Asking permission will signal fear or subservience to troublemakers.
- If someone offers to do something for you, politely decline. But don’t say “no thank you.” Try something like “I’m okay” or “That’s cool.”^{[9]
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If eye contact is made, turn away immediately, or look downward, but never take your eyes completely off of the other prisoners. Know where they are at all times. The less you do to engage the other inmates, and the less noticeable you are, the better. You don’t want to give anyone an excuse to give you a hard time.^{[10]
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Own your crime. Don’t articulate the fact that you’re innocent or that you don’t deserve to be in jail. It’s pretty likely that others sharing the cell with you or others in lockup feel the same. Other people there, though, might not feel the same. They might be proud of their crime or they might think you’re weak.
- If someone asks you what you did, be honest.
- Don’t give anyone any more information than you need to.
- Don’t verbally judge anyone else’s crime.^{[11]
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What if you're in handcuffs?

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You'll probably only be in handcuffs if the officers think you are a threat to yourself, other inmates, or themselves. Typically handcuffs are only used for a limited time -- to calm you down until you're rational and no longer potentially violent. If you are completely calm and rational, and are not charged with a violent crime, politely ask the officer to remove your handcuffs.

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Is there a phone call privilege?

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Yes. Most police stations may limit the calls to one. You may take more than one call. If you're not listening and call more than allowed, your bail may go up, or your jail time may increase.

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Can I join a gang to survive a night in jail?

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No. Joining a gang just gives rival gangs a reason to mess with you. It's best to try to stay invisible and out of any groups, especially if you're only going to be in there for a night.

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Tips

Don't attempt to cover monitoring cameras with clothing, blankets or toilet paper. Attempts such as these will only cause those items to be taken away from you.

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Warnings

Use your manners. Rudeness is not tolerated. Everyone's attitude factor is sitting on "explode" in a holding cell. Don't be the one that lights the fuse.

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Complaining about being locked in a cell will only worsen things for you. Crying "I don't belong here" or "You gotta let me out of here now!" repeatedly will only annoy both the cops and other inmates.

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Never ask another inmate "What are you in for?" One does not discuss their crimes in jail. You may be met with a rude response (the rudeness is deserved) reminding you that it's none of your business.

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Watch your mouth if you are in a conversation. Overheard racial slurs are a fast train to a good beating.

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Rudeness to cops or inmates will usually lead to some sort of fight. It's best not to make too much conversation with anyone.

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