If you have a surrender date on the calendar, what to do before going to jail comes down to a short list: give someone legal authority to act for you, put every bill on autopilot or cancel it, protect your credit and benefits, lock down housing and custody arrangements, and show up on surrender day with only what the facility allows. The weeks between sentencing and surrender are the last stretch of time you control, and how you spend them shapes what you come home to.
Sign a Power of Attorney First
A power of attorney is the single most important document to execute before you surrender. It names someone you trust as your agent and gives them legal authority to act for you while you’re incarcerated. Without one, nobody can touch your bank accounts, pay your bills, file your taxes, or make decisions about your property.
You need two separate documents. A financial power of attorney covers money: paying bills, managing accounts, handling investments, filing tax returns, and dealing with government agencies. A healthcare power of attorney, sometimes called a healthcare proxy, lets someone make medical decisions for you if you can’t communicate your own wishes. These are distinct legal instruments, and the agent you name for each can be a different person.
Make the financial power of attorney “durable,” meaning it stays valid if you become incapacitated. Be specific about the powers you’re granting. The document needs your signature and, in most states, witnesses and notarization. Handle this before you surrender. Arranging notarization from inside a facility is complicated and unpredictable. Give your agent several copies of the signed original, because banks and other institutions will want to see the original or a certified copy before honoring it.
One area people overlook is digital accounts. A standard power of attorney may not give your agent access to password-protected online accounts, email, or social media. Most states have adopted laws requiring explicit authorization in a power of attorney before companies will grant access to digital assets. If your agent will need to manage online banking, email, or social accounts on your behalf, spell out digital access in the document.
Put Your Finances on Autopilot
Set up automatic payments for every recurring obligation: mortgage or rent, car payments, insurance premiums, credit cards, and utilities. This is the simplest way to prevent late fees and credit damage while you’re away. Call your bank and let them know you’ll be out of contact for an extended period. Accounts that go dormant with no activity can get flagged or frozen, and sorting that out from a prison phone is not a situation you want.
If your accounts are scattered across multiple institutions, consolidate into one primary account your agent can manage. Create a master document that lists every financial account, the institution, account numbers, login credentials, and customer service numbers. Store it securely and tell your agent where to find it.
Cancel every subscription you won’t use: streaming services, gym memberships, app subscriptions, meal kits, cloud storage. Small charges add up fast over months or years, and they’re easy to forget once you’re focused on bigger problems. Pull the last three months of bank and credit card statements and go line by line to catch anything you missed.
Protect Your Credit and Deal With Debts
Identity theft against incarcerated people is a real problem. You can’t monitor your credit from inside, and you won’t know someone opened accounts in your name until the damage is done. Before you surrender, place a security freeze on your credit reports with all three major bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. A freeze blocks anyone from opening new credit in your name. You can request it online, by phone, or by mail, and it’s free.1USAGov. How to Place or Lift a Security Freeze on Your Credit Report
Federal student loans don’t disappear during incarceration, but you have options to prevent default. If you can’t make payments, you may qualify for deferment or forbearance, which temporarily pauses your payment obligation (though interest may continue to accrue on some loan types). Another option is switching to an income-driven repayment plan, where your monthly payment is calculated from your income. If you have zero income while incarcerated, your required payment could drop to $0 per month.2Federal Student Aid. Federal Student Aid for Individuals Exiting Incarceration
Child support is where people get into the most trouble. The obligation does not automatically stop when you go to prison. Payments keep accruing, and you can come home owing tens of thousands of dollars in arrears. File a petition with the family court to modify your support order before you surrender. Incarceration with loss of income is generally treated as a substantial change in circumstances that justifies modification. Do not wait, because most states will not reduce support retroactively past the date you filed the petition.
Government Benefits and Taxes
Social Security
If you receive Social Security retirement, disability (SSDI), or survivor benefits, payments are suspended after you’ve been incarcerated for more than 30 continuous days following a criminal conviction. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) follows a similar rule. The suspension is automatic once the Social Security Administration learns of your incarceration.
Benefits can be restarted relatively quickly after release. If your facility has a prerelease agreement with SSA, you or a prison representative can contact Social Security up to 90 days before your scheduled release date. If not, call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 after you’re out and bring your official release documents to the appointment. Payments can begin as soon as the month after release.3Social Security Administration. Benefits After Incarceration: What You Need to Know
Medicaid
Starting January 1, 2026, states are prohibited from terminating Medicaid eligibility solely because you’re incarcerated. Coverage gets suspended rather than canceled, which means you won’t have to reapply from scratch when you’re released. Federal Medicaid funds generally cannot be used to pay for medical services while you’re an inmate, with narrow exceptions for inpatient hospital stays.4Medicaid.gov. Prohibition on Termination of Enrollment Due to Incarceration
VA Disability
Veterans convicted of a felony face a reduction in VA disability compensation starting on the 61st day of incarceration. If your disability rating is 20 percent or higher, payments drop to the 10 percent rate. If your rating is 10 percent, payments are cut in half. The reduction does not apply if you’re participating in a work-release program or living in a halfway house.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 38 USC 5313 – Limitation on Payment of Compensation and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation to Persons Incarcerated for Conviction of a Felony
Taxes
Being incarcerated does not excuse you from filing federal income taxes. If you earned income during the tax year, from wages before surrender, investments, or any other source, you still owe a return. Your agent can file for you using IRS Form 2848 to establish tax-related authority. If filing by April isn’t feasible, submit Form 4868 before that deadline for an automatic six-month extension. The extension gives you more time to file but does not extend the deadline to pay.
Decide What to Tell Your Employer
No federal law requires you to tell your employer about an upcoming sentence, but your employment contract or company handbook might. Many employers have policies requiring disclosure of arrests or convictions, and ignoring them gives the company grounds to fire you for cause, which can affect eligibility for unemployment benefits. Read the handbook carefully before deciding what to share.
If you do disclose, keep it short. Provide the specific dates you’ll be unavailable. Some employers, particularly larger ones, offer unpaid leave or hold a position for shorter sentences. For longer sentences, termination is likely regardless of what you say, so the practical question is whether you’d rather leave on reasonable terms or be fired for failing to report.
Lock Down Housing
If You Rent
Review your lease for clauses about extended absence or criminal activity. Some leases let the landlord terminate if a tenant is convicted of certain offenses. For shorter sentences, you might arrange for a trusted person to stay in the unit, pay rent, and maintain the property, but most leases require the landlord’s written permission before anyone else can occupy. For longer sentences, negotiating an early lease termination is usually the practical move. You may owe a penalty or forfeit your security deposit, but that’s cheaper than owing rent through the end of a term you can’t fulfill.
If You Own
Contact your mortgage servicer immediately. Some servicers offer forbearance or hardship programs that temporarily reduce or pause payments. Explain your timeline and ask specifically about hardship options. If you can’t afford to keep the home, selling before you surrender gives you more control over the process and the proceeds. Renting the property out is another option, but it typically requires lender approval and someone to manage it in your absence.
Either way, arrange for upkeep. Transfer utilities into a spouse’s or agent’s name. Make sure someone handles basic maintenance so the property doesn’t look abandoned, which invites break-ins and code violations.
Arrange Care for Children, Pets, and Property
Children
If you’re a parent, a formal custody arrangement is non-negotiable. A temporary guardianship gives another adult legal authority to enroll your children in school, consent to medical treatment, and make day-to-day decisions. This typically requires court approval. Some states also allow a power of attorney for parental authority, which lets you delegate caregiving rights for a set period without the full guardianship process. Either way, finish the paperwork before your surrender date. Schools and doctors’ offices need documentation before they’ll deal with anyone other than a legal parent or guardian.
Pets
A family member or close friend willing to take your animals is the best outcome. If that’s not possible, look into long-term foster programs through local rescue organizations. Boarding facilities work for shorter sentences but get expensive quickly. Don’t leave this to the last minute. Rehoming an animal on short notice often means a shelter.
Vehicles and Belongings
Decide whether to sell your car, store it, or let a family member use it. Selling eliminates ongoing insurance and registration costs. If you store it, you’ll still need insurance (or a planned non-operation filing with your state’s DMV) and registration renewals. If you transfer use to a family member, update the insurance policy to show the new primary driver. For belongings, rent a storage unit for furniture and larger items, and leave important documents and smaller valuables with a trusted relative. Write a full inventory, who has what and where it is, and give a copy to your agent.
Check Your Voting Status
A felony conviction affects your right to vote, but exactly how depends on where you live. A handful of states and territories allow voting even from prison. A larger group restores voting rights automatically on release, even if you’re still on probation or parole. Others require you to complete your full sentence, including parole and probation, before rights are restored. In a few states, restoration is not automatic and requires a separate application, and certain convictions can result in permanent disenfranchisement.6Vote.gov. Voting After a Felony Conviction
Look up your state’s rules before you surrender. Registering to vote when you’re not legally eligible can itself be prosecuted, so get it right.
Set Up Communication Before You Go
The federal Bureau of Prisons uses an electronic messaging system called TRULINCS. You can only send and receive messages from people on your approved contact list. After you arrive and submit names, the system sends an automated message to each person asking whether they accept communication from you. Nothing needs to happen in advance, but warning your contacts to watch for that email and accept it saves time.7Federal Bureau of Prisons. TRULINCS Topics
For in-person visits, you’ll complete a Visitor Information Form after arriving. You fill out your portion, mail it to each potential visitor, and they finish it and send it back to the facility for a background check. Up to 10 friends or associates can be added beyond immediate and extended family.8Federal Bureau of Prisons. How to Visit a Federal Inmate
Family and friends can deposit money into your commissary account through Western Union’s Quick Collect program. Funds can be sent through a mobile app, online, at a Western Union location, or by phone.9Federal Bureau of Prisons. Sending Funds Using Western Union
Surrender Day
The court will give you a specific date, time, and location to report. Show up on time or early. Say your goodbyes before you arrive, because friends and family will not be allowed inside with you.
Wear simple, comfortable clothing with no logos, drawstrings, or metal hardware. You’ll change into facility-issued clothing during intake. Bring:
- A government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or passport
- Your Social Security card
- Copies of your judgment and commitment order, plus paperwork for any pending litigation
- Current prescriptions and any over-the-counter medications for review by facility medical staff, who will issue replacement medications from the prison pharmacy if medically necessary (you will not keep your personal medications)
Identification documents go into your central file and are held until release.10United States Courts. Allowed Items for Voluntary Surrenders to the BOP You may also bring a plain wedding band and religious medallions, though both typically must have a declared value under $100. Anything the facility doesn’t authorize gets shipped home at your expense, so travel light.11Federal Bureau of Prisons. Voluntary Surrender Information
During intake you’ll be searched, photographed, and fingerprinted, go through medical and mental health screenings, and sit for an initial interview with the case management unit.12Federal Bureau of Prisons. Entering Prison Any cash you bring will be deposited into your inmate commissary account, which you’ll use to buy items like toiletries, snacks, and stamps.