Justin Welch tells us what he wishes somebody would have told him right when before he headed to prison. It might’ve helped him avoid making all the mistakes he eventually did.    

After doing more then 20 years in total between California CDCR and Wisconsin DOC, I truly have seen it all! From murders to suicide to major drug deals, you name it, I’ve seen it or have even been part of it inside prison.

What I tell young guys or new guys to the prison system is to be yourself, don’t try to act like you’re some tough guy, because you will be tested if you want to act like you are all that.

Prison fucking sucks and, after time, it’s a really sad place to be. You have fucked up enough in your life, and so take it from me, a man who would give anything for a do-over in life, and make the best of your time in prison. If you wish to come in and be a gang member, that’s your choice, and you can do that, but it will not get you nowhere in here but in segregation or stabbed up.

Do you really care what most of the guys in here think of you? They will not be going home with you to your family, they truly don’t give two fucks about you, for the most part. Be smarter than I was; take advantage of education and build your family bonds stronger for when you get out. Plan your future while you’re in prison so you leave with a plan. But you can’t do this if you want to be cool and kick it with the guys in here or run up drug debts.

I know prison life sucks, and I know it’s easier to stay high and try to forget about everything. But I wish I had a guy like myself to sit down with who has been through all the B.S. and knows what to avoid and how to make the best of your time in prison from the start!

Sadly, nobody sat down with me, not in a helpful manner.

You can disregard my advice, and you will fit in great, and prison can be your life. You will become another statistic of the recidivism rate. Or you can make better choices from the start, unlike myself and so many others, and say fuck the B.S., I’m going to do this time and not get caught up in all the prison B.S.

What I would do if I was you, for starters, is get a GED, or if you have that, I would look into higher education like getting a college degree. It’s free in prison! And I would have taken even more time to try and be part of my family’s lives. These are truly the two most important things you can do for yourself while in here.

It’s not going to be easy to be the oddball when somebody offers you drugs and you say no because you want to make the best of your prison life and better yourself. But sadly, I know most men will not listen to me, because most people are followers and will just go with the flow of normal prison life. That’s what it will become for you if you just go with the flow, your prison life! You might get out, but you will come right back, because you didn’t take advantage of any of the programming the system offers.

Beat the odds, man. Be your own man and make your kids or family proud of you, and don’t fall victim to the system. The system makes it easy for you to fail, and they capitalize on your failure. If you don’t do anything with your time, the system knows the chances of you coming back to prison are far greater than not.

Do you like prison? I sure the fuck don’t! Well, if you like prison, just do what everybody else is doing, and this can be your life. But if you want to get out and stay out, be smarter than the system and use what they offer: schooling, trades, or any kind of self-help groups if that facility offers it. If you stay focused on the positive, you will not have time for the negative in prison. Your time will get easier and easier as you get in the motion of your positive thought process. You will also come across like-minded people in prison and have a good support group of guys.

But like I said, it’s all about choices. Do you want to fit in with the people in here, or do you want to get out and stay out?

I just wish I had somebody to be real with me long, long ago. That’s my advice, and I hope you make the right choice for yourself. Good luck, because you’re going to need it. Prison life is not easy or fun, no matter how you play it.

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