Nobody wants to find themselves in county jail. But there is some good news to hold onto. For one thing, if you’re in county jail, then you’re probably being held for a misdemeanor or minor crime. Longer sentences for more serious crimes are served in state prisons, so the sheer fact that you’re in a county jail means you’re probably looking at a matter of weeks or months of incarceration rather than years.
With that being said, though “it could be worse,” it’s unlikely that your experience will be enjoyable. Spending any amount of time in jail can be stressful. However, it’s important to remember that there are things you can do to make your county jail stint less troubling than it needs to be. If you find yourself in the county jail this year, then be sure to keep our 2023 guide to survival in county jail in mind.
Minimize Your Time There
In any ideal world, you wouldn’t be spending any time in county jail. Alas, that’s rarely an option. What is an option, however, is to keep the time that you spend behind bars to an absolute minimum.
Just because you’ve ended up in jail, that doesn’t mean that you necessarily need to stay there. Once you’ve entered the jail system, you’ll find out if you're eligible for bail, whereby a payment is made which authorizes your release from jail on the condition that you’ll appear in court at a later date.
Posting bail is a common practice that can get your life back to normal as soon as possible. If you don’t have the required funds to post your bail, then get in touch with us here at Mr Nice Guy Bail Bonds, who can pay the fee on your behalf.
Maintain a Positive Attitude
People who find themselves in jail often experience intense bouts of fear, anxiety, and stress, which can have a significant impact on their mental health. This, in turn, can cause them to make decisions that make their stay in jail even worse.
As such, one of the best tools at your disposal is simply a positive mindset. It can be difficult to stay positive when you’re in jail, but it’ll make the time go faster and prevent you from dwelling on any past mistakes that you may have made. Talking to yourself in a positive way and remembering that every day brings you closer to freedom will set you on the right path.
Stay Respectful
Your life inside county jail will be much more straightforward if you have the guards on your side. Well, “on your side” may not be the correct way to say it. You shouldn’t try to make guards your friend, because that could draw the attention of other inmates, and, in any case, the guards will never be your friend anyway.
But there’s value in being respectful and cooperative. If a guard is just trying to do their job, then it’ll be best to just do as they say. Picking fights over trivial issues isn’t the right approach to take, especially since the only person you’ll end up hurting is yourself.
Be Mindful of Who You Talk To
The vast majority of inmates that you meet in county jail will be there for non-serious crimes that have short-term sentences. But due to overcrowding in prisons, some inmates who are serving longer sentences have been transferred to county jail and may be in there with you.
While there’s nothing to say that these inmates will necessarily pose a risk to you, prisoners that are in jail for longer periods tend to be less inclined to keep their heads down and stay out of trouble. As such, it’ll be best to avoid getting caught up with those prisoners who have less to lose than you do.
Use Your Time Well
You can only do what you can, where you are, with what you have. You won’t want to be in jail, but if you’re there, then you can make the most of the opportunity. Now, you might be thinking that the last word you’d associate with jail is ‘opportunity,’ but it’s true. You can begin to develop habits while you’re in jail that could have a life-changing effect once you’re out of jail.
You can practice yoga, meditation, and writing while in jail, all of which can benefit your life once you’re back in the real world.
Make Yourself Invisible
It’s important to avoid trouble while in jail. In fact, it’s important to avoid trouble in all areas of your life, but especially so in jail, where the repercussions can be more severe, including extending the time you have to serve.
Prisoners often find themselves in trouble either by looking for it or by making themselves a target for the other inmates. Keeping yourself to yourself and holding yourself up tall and strong are both effective methods for keeping unwanted trouble at bay.
Managing the COVID-19 Factor
Your physical well being is a top priority when you’re in jail. To this end, California jails have implemented a series of protocols that help to minimize the risk of COVID-19, which remain in effect in 2023. While this is positive news from a health perspective, it does create other problems that it’s important to be aware of, such as delaying court appearances and reducing the number of visitors and visits, which must be scheduled ahead of time with the jail facility.
Contact Mr Nice Guy Bail Bonds Today
Having to spend time in jail is never a nice experience. It’s important, however, that you know to manage this situation correctly. Otherwise, you may make your stint inside county jail more problematic and stressful than it needs to be.
If you’ve been arrested and need help posting bail, then be sure to get in touch with us here at Mr Nice Guy Bail Bonds, the leading bail bond service in California. We’re available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by phone, online, or in person.
