While you're in federal prison

# Debt

Debt causes more problems than anything else in this guide. There is no cash in here, so almost everything you do economically creates one, and new arrivals walk into that without recognizing it.

The mechanics

## Stamps or commissary

There is no cash. Nearly every transaction is either an exchange of stamps (the inmate currency) or a promise to pay on a future commissary day (going to the store). That means almost everything you do economically creates a short-term debt, and the interest has the potential to be high.

The rule

## Pay when you said you would pay

That is the whole rule, and it is not really about the money. A small unpaid debt escalates far out of proportion to its size, because what is actually in question is whether your word is good. The amount is beside the point. Once you are someone whose word is not good, every subsequent interaction gets harder.

In practice

## Practical guidance

Cheat sheet

- **Do not borrow anything in your first month** beyond your car (your social group inside)'s intake supplies.
- **Do not lend** to anyone you do not know well.
- **Do not accept unsolicited gifts** from people outside your car. A gift that later turns out to have been a loan is a standard play, and it is run on new arrivals specifically.
- **Do not gamble anything you cannot cover** — which in practice means do not gamble during football season until you have been there long enough to understand the stakes.
- **If you are going to be short, say so before the payment is due** , not after.

That last one matters more than people realize. Coming to someone in advance is a normal conversation. Being found short after the fact is a different conversation entirely.

Where the credit actually comes from — stores, rates, and what things cost — is covered in [the economy](/going-in/while-youre-in/the-economy).

Keep reading — part 5 of 9

### [Information and trust](/going-in/while-youre-in/information-and-trust)

Assume that nothing you say stays where you said it. That is not paranoia. It is a structural feature of a place where several hundred bored people have nothing to trade but information.

For your people

## Hand the rest of this site to your family

You will not be able to look things up once you're inside. They can, and this is where: [everything written for the one waiting](/for-families) — a twelve-part guide to mail, visiting, money, and your release date, plus their own FAQ and checklist. Alongside it, a [guide to every facility](/resources/facilities) with [email alerts when visiting stops](/lockdown-alerts/subscribe), the [support group directory](/resources/support-groups), calculators for your release math, and [free answers](/contact) when they have questions.

Send them the link before you report, not after they can't reach you.

**Need help with this? Just ask.**

These pages cover the general rules. Your situation has details they don't. Email me a question. **Answers are free** , and "you don't need to pay anyone for this" is my most common answer.

[josh@federalprisondude.com](mailto:josh@federalprisondude.com?subject=Inside%20question)

I answer in the order received, usually within a couple of days. I have a day job. If your situation genuinely needs more than an email, I take a limited number of consults, so say so and we'll work it out.