Self-Surrender Checklist: Personal Belongings and Sneakers

When people self surrender to federal prison camp, they leave behind the liberty to access many of the personal belongings that others in society take for granted. It’s one thing to anticipate the austerity that characterizes all federal prisons, but it’s another matter entirely to experience and live with it for months, years, or decades.

I’m used to the restrictions and limitations of federal prison. They no longer bother me at all. Yet I have a duty to help those who may join our gated communities of the federal prison camp system. I want to help them understand how to live with restrictions on personal property–even shoes.

Obviously (I think) people self surrendering to federal prison camp should not expect to access cell phones, computers, or any types of technology that people in the real world take for granted. Many prisons give prisoners access to a quasi-email-service and telephone calls, but numerous restrictions apply.

Self surrendering into the federal prison system is like taking a step back into a much simpler time. It is like when the pace of life moved more slowly–when the most common form of communicating required reliance on the U.S. Postal Service, with days or weeks passing without any news from loved ones.

In my book Prison! My 8,344th Day I describe how I spend a typical day at this stage of my journey. By reading that book and my other writings, readers would understand that despite restrictions on personal property, those of us who adjust wisely in federal prison may still lead meaningful, fulfilling lives.

One recommendation I make to people who are about to self-surrender is that they do not bring much in the way of personal belongings when they self surrender. The primary reason not to bring much of anything in the way of personal belongings is that prison guards will not authorize the individual to carry many (if any) personal belongings inside the prison.

The rules are quite specific about what a prisoner may bring. But guards do have some discretion. On occasion, a compassionate guard may authorize a prisoner to bring a few belongings that will ease his adjustment. In most cases, however, guards will follow strict guidelines that do not allow prisoners to carry clothing, recreational items, or much of anything inside.

Despite what information the self-surrendering prisoner may hear when he calls the institution for guidance, upon arrival the prisoner may be instructed to send the personal belongings home or donate them.

Some exceptions to this rule include a wedding band without stones and with a declared value of less than $100. Prisoners may also bring a religious item like a necklace with a cross or a Star of David—provided its value does not exceed $100.

Those who self-surrender may wear prescription glasses. They should be unadorned, simple, and the sturdier the better; it’s difficult to replace them once the person comes inside.

A person may bring a religious book and legal documents of limited quantity—I don’t recommend anything more than would fit inside a manila envelope.

One big issue is sneakers. If a person brings a pair of plain, white sneakers, without air pockets or anything that guards may consider fancy, and if the prisoner brings a note from a medical professional indicating the shoes may be necessary for medical reasons, the chances increase that the individual can carry the sneakers inside. If guards insist on him donating the sneakers, the prisoner may ask medical personnel or a counselor to intervene upon his admittance into the prison. Bringing shoes inside is a longshot, though. It’s worth the effort because it may take several weeks (or months) before a prisoner can obtain sneakers. Higher security prisons, on the other hand, may carry shoes in stock.

The rule on personal belongings, however, is to bring as little as possible. Space will be extremely limited anyway, and it’s easiest to adjust in prison when a man begins his journey by traveling light.

Rather than personal belongings, what’s most important when traversing a sentence in federal prison is to begin the journey with dignity, character, and determination to leave prison with those values intact. The more money he can bring to purchase items inside, the easier his initial adjustment will be.