Debt, and what happens when you owe somebody (part 1 of 1) federalprisondude.com/going-to-federal-prison/what-it-is-really-like/debt-and-owing-people 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.