Knowing how to survive in a Colorado Department of Correction facility is crucial, as it is arguably among the most difficult places to be in – no matter how tough one is. Fortunately, gaining the necessary knowledge isn’t hard. If you would like to discover some crucial survival tips, simply read on.
Keeping in touch with your family members (or relatives) is a good way to survive in a Colorado Department of Correction facility. Communication is very important when it comes to maintaining and strengthening interpersonal relationships. Keeping the communication lines open among family members is most important, especially when you are at the point of your life where you need love, support, and understanding the most.
Effective communication involves content delivery, communication method used, the perception of the person receiving your message and the feedback response. Finding the perfect combination of these four is tricky, especially when your family is still hurting.
As prison is a stressful place to be in, one way on how to survive in a Colorado Department of Correction facility is to have a support system to keep you grounded in reality. Your family is the best support system you can have. However, most prisoners lose contact with their family members while incarcerated. This increases their feeling of isolation and being unwanted in society. This is not good for one’s health and state of mind. Also, it makes integration back to society when they are released more challenging as they have no family to welcome them and help them adapt to the new environment.
Maintaining a healthy and loving relationship with your family even if you are in jail through positive communication should be one of the prisoner’s goals. Initially, there is frustration, anger, and resentment, but if there is sincerity in the act of repairing damaged relationships, forgiveness is possible.
Communication helps you in keeping a healthy mind and body. It increases your self-esteem. It gives you the courage to go on with life and avoid depression and sadness while in jail. It helps lower stress levels and keeps you focused on what is important.
Explaining your circumstances to your family helps them understand what you are going through. They, in turn, can also tell you how they are coping with the effects of your actions. It helps both parties understand the situation they are in better, especially when they are being discriminated against by society. Some family members gets left out or snubbed as an effect of your crime. This is a difficult period wherein family solidarity and support is needed to survive. Talking to them increases your family’s adaptability.
Communication strengthens and increases the family’s bond, making it easier to persevere despite the challenges being faced. This will also empower them, as difficulties are easily conquered when the family sticks and works together.
If you really want to know how to survive in a Colorado Department of Correction facility, keep this in mind – talk to counsellors and your fellow inmates about the situation you are in, but refrain from being too specific. They will give you insights on how to reach out to your family and how it has helped them cope with the prison system. There are also organizations that will gladly help you emotionally through the process of reconnecting with your loved ones.
Here are other tips to help you survive life while incarcerated:
•In Colorado, food items from home can be sent through Union Supply Direct. Ask your family members to send you healthy homemade items. Foods sold inside the prison are mostly unhealthy food. It is better to have your meals and snacks sent by a family member to ensure healthy ingredients on it.
•There are outdoor exercises available at the Colorado Department of Correction. Joining these kinds of exercises would surely keep boredom and sadness at bay. Although you may not be talking to your family most of the time, at least there is something you can do to keep your mind off them.
•An inmate can also join artistic expression programs to help them learn a new hobby. This is another way to help keep you occupied, which will help you cope mentally. It can even be a fun activity. You may not earn from completing arts and crafts projects, but at least you get to learn something.
•Make sure you follow visitation rules to be able to maximize visits from family and friends. Rules and regulations must still be observed, so make it a point to be aware of all the policies involving communication with family members. Policies are found at www.colorado.gov. If a minor wants to visit an inmate, there is a form to be filled out. It’s called a Form 300-01 G Authorization for Minor Child Visitation. If you’re a parent, make sure you are aware of this to avoid problems.
•They also allow infrequent or one-time visitors. If there is someone else who lives far away that you want to see, ask that person to fill out a Special Visitation Application before visiting.
•The correctional facility is also accepting volunteers without compensation to help with the correctional programs. Appointing yourself could help you get paroled early. The Parole Board are always on the lookout for inmates who show exemplary behavior while incarcerated.
•Get involved with sports. It’s an effective way to be fit. If you want to survive inside the prison, you need to be strong physically and emotionally. Just avoid boxing as it is not allowed inside the facility.
These are only some of the things that you can do to survive inside a correctional facility. There are actually fun activities you can join in to help pass the time. When inside a prison, never allow yourself to be idle. It’s never going to help you survive. As much as possible, spend your time learning new things and discovering new talents. Who knows, it will be useful when you finally get out of the correctional facility.