Would you survive the first 24 hours in prison?
Maybe, depends on if you know what to expect.
Don’t worry though, we’ve got you covered in this video.
From start to finish we will tell you what the first 24 hours in prison are really like,
and what to do if you ever find yourself in this position.
Introduction to the prison system starts before the accused is actually locked up, so you
can think of this first part as a prequel to what’s to come.
The criminal needs to be tried and convicted by a jury of their peers, then the sentencing
can occur.
The inmate hears the words “you’ve been sentenced to prison,” and the next thing
they know, they are being prepared for transfer to their new home.
The inmate is placed in a transport vehicle to whatever prison will be their final destination.
This could be a bus, van, or other secure vehicle which may house other inmates that
are going to the lock up as well.
Once the prisoner arrives, the intake process begins.
This will take up the first few hours of their time in prison.
The handcuffed inmate is led by armed guard from the transport to the reception area.
This is where things get serious, and a little uncomfortable.
First the inmate’s identity is checked and put into the system.
This is so their every move and action can be recorded while in prison- from what they
eat to what cell they are contained in.
When the prisoner was first arrested their fingerprints and mugshot were taken during
booking and entered into a government database.
However, at some prison facilities they will repeat this process for their own records.
The inmate’s ink covered fingers are pressed against paper and scanned into the prison’s
documentation system.
They then stand motionless in front of a plain backdrop as their mugshot is taken once again.
Interestingly, in certain facilities like Rikers Island, the prison will collect visitor’s
fingerprints as well.
Once all of the information is recorded, and the prisoner is in the system, they receive
a short orientation of the basic do’s and don’ts of the facility.
There will be more rules to come later on, but the prison guards just want to make sure
everyone is on the same page for this next part, because it is about to get really intimate.
It is time for the strip search.
At this point the prisoner has probably been standing patiently for quite a while as all
the paperwork got done, but now they need to take off all their clothing, and prepare
for one of the most uncomfortable moments of their life.
The guard who conducts the strip search will not be gentle, but most certainly will be
thorough.
The guard runs their fingers through the hair of the prisoner to make sure nothing is hidden
underneath.
Then they open the inmate’s mouth wide, and stick their fingers deep into it to look
under the tongue and at the back gums.
Hopefully the prisoner doesn’t have a sensitive gag reflex, because the officer will be in
there for a bit.
They check the teeth to make sure none of them are false and concealing drugs or anything
else.
The guard checks the nostrils and ears, then moves to the rest of the body rubbing and
patting to make sure there is nothing under the skin.
Then the real uncomfortable part comes.
The prisoner is told to bend over and prepare for a cavity search.
First the genitals are inspected and then the rectum is thoroughly examined to make
sure no contraband is hidden within.
After the cavity search, the guard checks the legs and feet, does a once over, and then
it is time to move to the next part of the intake process.
The prisoner gets dressed in their new standard issue clothing, and is brought to the medical
examiner for a quick checkup.
Vitals are taken, and a brief physical is conducted to make sure the inmate is in decent
health.
All of this information is recorded and the prisoner is sent to a holding room.
At this point the newly admitted prisoner has been in the intake process for a few hours.
They receive further information about their stay in the prison by one of the administrators
of the facility.
All prisons are slightly different, but the intake process between them is normally pretty
similar.
The length and depth of orientation will vary depending on the institution.
Some are thorough and give prisoners all the information they could ever need, others—not
so much.
Sometimes the inmate just gets thrown into the mix without so much as a piece of friendly
advice.
After orientation the inmate receives their bedroll which contains sheets, blankets, towels,
and shoes.
This is all they will be given besides the prison uniform on their body.
It is not uncommon for intake, the strip search, medical exam, and orientation to take 6 to
8 hours.
So, a third of the first 24 hours of a prisoner's first day consists of a lot of paperwork and
unpleasantness, but that is nothing compared to what's to come.
Next the prisoner is led through the facility.
They will probably experience some harassment and name calling.
This can be a right of passage, and sometimes will be used to intimidate new prisoners and
put them in their place.
However, some inmates recount an eerie silence as they were brought to their cell.
It is unclear which is worse.
It also depends on the time of day, because each day in prison tends to be a monotonous
copy of the day before.
The inmate is probably pretty hungry at this point, but they missed breakfast, and they’ll
have to wait until the next meal which could still be hours away.
Before anything else, they need to drop off their bed supplies at their cell.
This is when they will most likely meet their cellmate for the first time.
Prisons claim to do a thorough background and personality check to make sure two inmates
are compatible, and there is no bad blood between them.
But it is unlikely this happens in every intake situation.
All that the new prisoner can hope for is that their cellmate is a nice person who wants
to be let out early for good behavior.
Since the new prisoner doesn’t know what to expect, the first interaction could be
pretty tense and go multiple ways.
The guards may watch for a few moments, but once the door is shut behind them, the new
cellmates need to figure it out for themselves.
Depending on what time it is, the new inmate might be put to work immediately.
If it is time for chores they could be assigned to wash dishes in the kitchen.
Or maybe they are sent to the laundry room where they will fold freshly washed linens.
Since they haven’t shown the guards what they are capable of yet, the new prisoner
will probably be asked to do menial tasks until work time is over, and they can move
to the next part of their day.
If they haven’t missed lunch from the long intake process, or if the prison even serves
lunch, the new inmate will probably sit alone for their first meal.
Hopefully they will be left to eat in peace, but this is not always the case.
Depending on the prison and its inhabitants they could be introduced to the hierarchy
of the members at their new home.
If left alone, the first meal is normally eaten by a new prisoner in silence as they
contemplate the predicament they’ve found themselves in.
At some point in the afternoon the inmate will be given recreation time.
They are likely halfway through their first 24 hours in prison at this point, and if everything
has gone smoothly, they’ve only been violated by the prison guard during the strip search.
Again, it depends on the facility, but oftentimes there will be some sort of outdoor space for
the inmates to spend recreational time in.
The new inmate probably hasn’t made any friends yet, so they may just sit and watch
a pickup game or the other prisoners work out.
According to inmates who have been interviewed, the first day of recreation time is a little
nerve racking.
They normally just keep their heads down and wait for it to be over, because the next part
of the day is what every prison movie makes out to be the worst place in the whole facility.
After recreation time it is shower time.
New prisoners might skip this, but it is recommended that they keep good hygiene, so they don’t
offend anyone else with their body odor—especially their cellmate.
The new inmate grabs their towel and goes to the showers with the rest of the prisoners.
Most accounts given by those who have been incarcerated say that the shower process is
nothing like the entertainment industry makes it out to be.
But the new inmate is definitely on guard, especially if it is their first time in the
prison system.
After shower time, the day is slowly coming to a close, and the prisoner’s first 24
hours are almost over.
There will be dinner, because regardless of the prison, inmates are almost always given
some sort of meal at the end of the day.
However, the time at which they’re fed can vary based on the facility, and some of the
meal times are pretty strange.
In some prisons dinner can be served as early as 3:00 P.M. meaning that inmates go hungry
until breakfast the following morning, which can be as late as 11:00 A.M.
Depending on the facility this may be their first meal of the day.
The food probably isn’t great, and for most first time inmates they will not have the
resources necessary to order anything from the commissary during their first 24 hours.
So, they are stuck with whatever is on the prison menu for that night.
This brings up an awkward problem for the new inmate.
At some point they will need to use the bathroom.
And if prison food doesn’t agree with them, it could be a messy process.
This is unfortunate, because the toilet is in the cell, and their cellmate will have
nowhere else to go while the new prisoner does their business.
It is probably best for the new inmate to ask their cellmate what their preference is
for bathroom use, but regardless of how either person feels, when you gotta go, you gotta
go.
Needless to say, the first time going in front of a new cellmate is going to be pretty awkward.
Many federal prison facilities do allow structured time for inmates after dinner.
This means that the new inmate may find the end of their day filled by an activity assigned
to them by the medical professional that assessed them at intake.
These activities could include Alcoholics Anonymous, religious meetings, anger management,
or any number of other programs that are organized by the inmates themselves.
The newly incarcerated probably wouldn’t have joined a group at this point, and may
be given the time to watch television or write a letter to whoever is waiting for them on
the outside.
Again, it would depend on the prison and the inmate themselves, but the first 24 hours
are pretty lonely.
They most likely don’t know anyone in the prison if it is their first offense, and people
in prison are not always the most welcoming since they tend to have trust issues.
After around 12 to 18 hours in the prison the new inmate is sent back to their cell
where the door is locked, and they are left to stare at the underside of the bunk or ceiling.
The lights will remain on as the guards do their rounds and check to make sure everyone
made it back to their cells okay.
Around 11:00 P.M. the lights go out, and the echoes of whispers and snoring fill the cell
block.
The new inmate probably doesn’t know their cellmate well enough to talk to them yet,
so they lie in silence.
Sleep probably is a long way off, if it even comes at all.
Many inmates recount their first night in prison as restless.
They toss and turn playing and replaying the events that led to that moment through their
mind.
In some prisons when it is lights out inmates are to remain silent, but this is not true
everywhere.
The new inmate might end their first 24 hours in prison listening to conversations being
held between cells, or the sobs of other prisoners who are slowly losing their minds.
Regardless of which prison a new inmate finds themselves in they probably won’t sleep
much the first night.
They will just lay in the darkness, waiting for the sun to rise the following day, and
the next 24 hours of their prison sentence to begin.
Now watch “"I Spent My Whole Life In Prison."
Or check out “Prison is Horrible But Not For the Reason You Think.”