Serving jail time is challenging. It not only takes a massive toll on a prisoner’s mental health, but can also leave them feeling isolated and lonely. By law, inmates only get four hours of visiting time per month, and they expect visitors to say uplifting, encouraging things.
Here are four things you can do or say to encourage, inspire, reassure, and cheer up you’re imprisoned loved one.
1. Don’t Judge—At All
Judging an imprisoned person leaves a long-lasting, negative impact on their mental health. It makes them question their existence and feel vulnerable to the atrocities of life. Another worst thing you can do to an incarcerated loved one is to ignore them after they’ve been sent to prison.
Prisoned inmates deserve respect too. Prison politics and emotional stimulation can be disastrous for their physical and psychological health. And your few honest words of encouragement and care can help them stay sane and make their time a bit more bearable.
2. Entertain Them
The atmosphere inside a prison is interspersed with silence, loneliness, and suffocation. Unavailability of sunlight and monotonous routine turns an inmate’s life into a solemn, somber state of nothingness.
Albeit just for a while, you can cheer them up by sending books, letters, or a board game to reduce their solitary confinement. Yes, it’s allowed to send presents to an inmate, but before you proceed, go through the guidelines for sending care packages to an incarcerated loved one.
3. Share Your Joys and Troubles
Inmates are bound to follow a pre-set routine. Don’t hesitate to share your joys with them. Happiness is contagious, and regardless of the pain an inmate might be inflicted with, your joyous words can still cheer them up.
4. Make them Feel Loved and Important.
Sharing joys with a person in jail is extremely advantageous for their wellbeing and mental health. But, don’t forget their sufferings when telling them about your joyous days. Tell them about your bad, uneventful, boring, and dull days too.
You’d be surprised to know that prisoners are great listeners and might even end up consoling you with compassionate words.
If your loved one is innocent and hasn’t committed any crime to get arrested, use your right to apply for a bail bond. Our bail bond agents at DeLaughter Bail Bonds would be glad to help you post your bail in Allen County, Hamilton County, Lake County, and several other areas across Indiana. Get in touch with us for more details.
