Before coming to the Atwood Prison Camp, I had no personal reference to dealing with the judicial system in a criminal nature, nor did I know what prison was like outside what I would see on True Crime series or in the movies.
Should you be told you are coming to this camp, there are some things you should be prepared for.
1. If you have newly been indicted with a white collar crime, your best bet honestly is to go with a public defender. Don’t waste your money on a private firm, because the judge will most likely just utilize the guidelines that are set by the judicial system for your crime. I wish I had learned that lesson when I was indicted. It would have saved me $15,000 that I could have used towards my restitution.
2. On Mondays, at 1pm PST, 4pm EST, Justin has a free zoom call to help prepare people for the entire process. I highly recommend attending those calls, they are very helpful.
3. The amount of stress you will have during the entire process is NORMAL. It is very stressful. Life feels like it is upside down, and you no longer have any control over your future (or so it seems). Get therapy. Have your spouse/significant other get therapy. Have your kids get therapy. You are not alone and there is help.
4. Get all your affairs in order. Financial. Medical. Dental. Get a physical and get a teeth cleaning before you come in. If you’re coming to this prison, do not bring your medications. They will throw them away. Do bring a list of all your meds with the doages however, as well as a list of your medical providers.
5. Make a list of all of your contacts. Mail it to yourself at the prison and bring a list with you.
6. Bring ear plugs. They are allowed
7. Wear clothes to the prison (if you self-surrendered like I did) that you either don’t care about and they can throw them away, or they will mail them back to your home
8. Have about $400-$500 for your Commissary the first month. I had challenges because the smallest show size they had here was an 8 (I wear a 6), so I had to order shoes. Also, it’s winter, so I had to order a jacket, sweats and long johns. You also will need to purchase the basic toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, deoderant, a towel, lotion, detergent, socks, a brush, etc. I avoid buying any of the junk food in the Commissary, but the basic needs and paper, envelopes, stamps, vitamins, etc – none of these things are offered, so you spend a lot of money when you first get here. Also, just writing these messages cost money as well, so be prepared.
9. Plan out your day to keep yourself preoccupied. You will not have a job the first two weeks you are here. This is a working camp, and everyone gets a job eventually.
10. The other inmates will share more information than the staff will here. I didn’t get a formal Orientation until I had been here 2 weeks. There are inmates here that are very helpful and understand what it’s like to be new to the system.
11. Unlike what the website states, this is NOT a medical facility for the women. The medical facility is at the men’s prison. They have inmates over there who are at all levels of care needed, all the way up to hospice and from minimal security to MAX. You will go over there for Xrays and labs however, or if you need to do a telehealth visit with a specialist. The camp has a clinic, but only takes care of basic needs. If you need intensive medical care, they will send you to Texas, and that prison is behind a fence.
