If you’ve been arrested for the first time, you may feel anxious and stressed about what’s to come. The jail experience is presented as a seedy, frightening experience in film and on television—especially in true crime documentaries.
While the experience is often exaggerated, in reality, being jailed varies from facility to facility. It also depends on your crime, the inmates, and the duration of your stay.
In this blog, we’ll walk you through three steps to avoid an unpleasant experience in any Texas jail and to help yourself. Keep reading, implement these strategies, and stay on your best behavior until you make bail or your sentence ends.
1. Keep to Yourself
Most people feel too anxious in jail to speak. However, an inmate or even an officer may provoke you during your stay. This isn’t uncommon; it happens all the time. No matter how many times your buttons are pushed, make sure you keep your emotions in check and keep to yourself.
Avoid answering any questions or making small talk. If you’re spending a couple of hours or a day in prison, follow this rule throughout your entire stay. If you’re spending a few days, weeks, or months in prison, however, keep communication to a minimum.
2. Develop a Positive Mindset
It’s easy to feel dejected while in jail. You may reflect on the incident that put you in jail and develop a lot of guilt, shame, and perhaps even resentment. While learning from past mistakes is important, staying stuck in a cycle of doom isn’t.
Develop a positive mindset and reflect on ways you can avoid being incarcerated again. What could you have done differently if confronted with the same situation? Were you wrongly accused of a crime? If your trial will be starting soon and you’re waiting to make bail, think of the next few steps you need to take with your lawyer. Take advantage of any resources both inside and outside the jail that can help you understand the law better or help you when you are released.
The important thing here is not to focus on the past but to look forward while helping your attorney provide you with more effective representation. Looking forward keeps your mind from revisiting your mistakes and pushes you to focus on hope.
Recommended Read: What Are My Options When Charged With a Criminal Case?
3. Call Attorney JL Carpenter Today
Whether you were arrested for drunk driving, drug possession, BWI, or any other crime, you’re going to need an attorney to represent you in court. Call Attorney JL Carpenter.
As one of the most detail-oriented and trusted criminal defense attorneys in the Greater Houston area, JL fights aggressively for her clients. Explore her case results and, when you’re ready, schedule a consultation.
JL represents clients in Clear Lake, Friendswood, Webster, and the surrounding neighborhoods.