If I was sentenced to prison for distributing methamphetamine, I would spend my time in prison as

productively as I could. (I honestly have been in a situation similar to this) and when I was locked up I
spent my time working for the most part to try and make money to have on my books so I could have
commissary, spent my time taking classes, going to law library, socializing with other inmates (because
let's face it, being locked up is not easy and it will be beneficial to befriend some of the other inmates), I
would do my best to stay out of trouble and not get into fights, especially when it comes close to going
home, because realistically, the other inmates will provoke fights and try to get you to lose your good
time, because what it all boils down to is that misery loves company. I would spend my time also
learning as much as I could from the law library and trying to benefit as much as possible from my time
there, trying to see if there is any way I could get my sentence reduced and making myself
knowledgeable about my case, learning every aspect of it that is possible.

While I would be locked up in prison I would also try and use any abilities I have to my advantage, for
instance, I am a pretty good artist, so I would do drawings to try and make extra food/money/cigarettes.
Being in prison is never an easy thing, you must adopt as much as possible and get used to having your
dignity and pride stripped from you, being used to having someone say when you can shower, eat, go
outside, use a bathroom, etc. You must try and not forget the person you are and never lose sight of
that. You also must become a whole different person pretty much while there and trying not to forget
who you really are is never an easy thing.

Most people who spend their time locked up usually will learn more about different crimes or how to do
the one they are in for better. It is just a negative fact about prison and the things that go on there. Even
if you are trying to keep to yourself and not interact with anyone else, it will cause issues: other inmates
will say you think you are better than everyone else, or that you are a stuck up snob, and this will tend
to lead to fights with other inmates which will result in a loss of good time, making your sentence even
longer.

“One of the most frequently cited and dispiriting statistics about the American criminal justice system is
that more than half of state prisoners end up returning to prison within five years of their release”
(slate.com, 2015)

Thankfully, I am one of the few who did not return, the last time I was in prison was in 2005 and since
then I have managed to stay out, but not without some obstacles. From 2005 till 2017 I was homeless in
NYC. Both my parents died in 2003 and my brother took everything that was left to me and left me in
the streets. In 2008 I lost my first son to SIDS at five and a half weeks old. It was definitely not an easy
time for me, but it does prove that things do not always work out the way that statistics believe.

References

Slate.com (2015) Why Do So Many Ex-Cons End Up Back In Prison? News and Politics, Why do so many
prisoners end up back in prison? A new study says maybe they don’t. (slate.com)