4 Ways to Plan for the Future in Prison

Your future starts today. It is achievable, and it doesn’t need to be complicated. As an incarcerated individual, there are resources available to help you plan for the future and change the trajectory of your life. One step at a time is all it takes to notice progress in yourself. And in the process, you could be the inspiration someone else needs to begin their own journey.

Here are four easy-to-follow ways that you can plan for the future while in prison.

Set healthy daily habits

Habits don’t just happen overnight. They require foresight and planning if you want to see results. Studies show it’s harder to start a new habit, so it’s okay to take small steps at first. Even when you have a setback, you can fight for resilience and seek out accountability to encourage you along the way.

Your healthy daily habits may look different from someone else’s and that’s okay too. The important thing is that you find one or two habits to implement that will help you plan for the future today. If you need some inspiration, pick one of the practices found in 7 Daily Healthy Habits for Incarcerated Individuals, including engaging in physical activity, practicing gratefulness, and making healthy eating choices.

Create SMART goals

Once you have implemented a healthy daily habit, you are on your way to creating goals that will position you for success. The more goals you set, the more intentional you will be with steps to plan for the future. Your goal can be short term or long term, but it’s important to make sure they are SMART.

Specific—be as clear as possible with what your goal is, why you are doing it, and how you are going to achieve it.
Measurable—ask yourself these questions. When will I know I’ve completed my goal? Should I measure my success by the hour, day, month, or year? What markers will indicate the green light of victory?
Achievable—start small and work your way up to a more challenging goal. When you give yourself the reward of achieving a simple goal, it will motivate you to do the harder thing next.
Relevant—the best way you can plan for your future is creating goals that are important to you. If it doesn’t excite you, there will be less incentive to see it through to the end.
Timely—create a goal that has an end in sight. Whether it’s a few days, weeks, or months, determining a start and end time will help you manage progress.

Take an education program

Blackstone Career Institute offers affordable paralegal courses via correspondence for incarcerated individuals so you can plan for the future. The education you receive now can help you find employment after your release, and it’s a SMART goal that can motivate you to keep learning.

1. Paralegal Certificate Program

The 14-volume paralegal program will provide you with the fundamentals of legal research, knowledge of terminology and the different areas of law, and the procedures that are followed.
With affordable, monthly payment plans, you can pursue education and gain valuable experience at a pace that fits your needs.
Throughout the course, you will submit exams that will be evaluated for accuracy to ensure you are understanding the material.
Upon graduation, you will receive a certificate to showcase the effort you put in to plan for the future.

2. Advanced Paralegal Courses

If you are interested in learning more about a specific area of law, you can enroll in an advanced course. You can choose between Criminal Law, Real Estate Law, Family Law, Business & Corporate Law, and more to help you build your foundation of expertise.
With an affordable, monthly payment plan, you can continue to pursue education and gain valuable experience.
Enrollment in the course will provide a textbook and study guide.
Once you have satisfactorily completed the course requirements, you can obtain your certificate.

Gain employment experience

The time you put into receiving education can assist you when searching for a job post-release. But meaningful employment while incarcerated can also help you plan for the future. Finding purpose in your everyday life will bring the reward of impact and it can start with pursuing employment in maintenance, administration, or custodial positions while incarcerated. These roles often include data entry, mail processing, facility upkeep, landscaping, dishwashing, or laundry services.

Working in a prison job today can help you plan for the future by building valuable skills with hands-on experience. These jobs also help you strengthen soft skills that are needed for communication and working well with other individuals and can give you a meaningful routine, positive peer accountability, and potential financial earnings. Your time working while incarcerated can bring meaning to life and will help you prepare for re-entry into society after prison through character building and skill setting.

If you are looking for employment post-incarceration, Jails to Jobs has a New Entry Job Hunting Plan resource that gives you step-by-step guidance on creating a resume, searching for positions, and completing the interview process. This resource starts with the simple actions you can take today, like having a positive attitude and focusing on your strengths.

You can plan for the future today. With small, achievable, and purposeful steps, your new future awaits you.

Written by Laura Conaway

Disclaimer: Blackstone Career Institute, an accredited school, cannot guarantee employment, job promotion prospects, passing exam performance, or income increases. Please see our course pages for the most up-to-date details and pricing.