Surviving Detention

Detention is designed to break you. This guide is about how to survive with your dignity intact, protect yourself and others, resist within legal bounds, and fight your way out.

The Resistance Mindset

Core Principles

These principles can help you maintain psychological strength and resist exploitation in detention.

Principle	Application in Detention
Survive	Preserve your physical and mental health. You need to be strong to fight your case.
Resist	Do not cooperate beyond what is legally required. Silence is resistance.
Maintain Honor	Do not compromise your values. Your integrity survives with you.
Keep Fighting	No matter what happens. No matter how long. Never stop fighting your case.
Stay Vigilant	Not everyone is who they seem. Trust carefully. Organize wisely.

The Resistance Code

I will continue to resist by all means available.

This means:

Exercise your right to silence
Refuse to sign documents without a lawyer
File grievances for every violation
Fight your case at every stage
Never give up — no matter what

I will give only the information I am required to give.

This means:

Name and basic identification only
“I am exercising my right to remain silent”
No information about family, friends, or community
No information about how you entered
Silence protects everyone

I will keep fighting no matter what.

This means:

Setbacks are not defeats
Bad news is not the end
Every day you resist is a victory
Your case is not over until you decide it’s over
There is always another option, another appeal, another chance

Trust Carefully

Individual Resistance Strategies

Before Interrogation

Mental preparation:

Decide NOW that you will remain silent
Rehearse the phrase: “I am invoking my right to remain silent. I want a lawyer.”
Visualize staying calm while they pressure you
Understand that they WILL lie — prepare yourself emotionally for false claims

Pre-commitment: Making the decision before you’re under pressure is critical. Under stress, people make poor decisions. Decide now, so when the moment comes, you’re executing a plan, not making a choice.

During Interrogation

The only words you need:

"I am invoking my right to remain silent."
"I want a lawyer."
"I do not consent to a search."
"I will not answer questions without a lawyer present."

Counter-interrogation techniques:

Technique	How to Use
Broken record	Repeat the same phrase. Do not vary. Do not elaborate.
Silence	Say nothing at all after invoking rights
No eye contact	Look at the wall. Do not engage.
Short answers	If you must respond: “Lawyer.” “No.” “I invoke my rights.”
No explanations	Never explain why you’re silent. Just be silent.

What NOT to do:

Don’t try to outsmart them
Don’t think you can talk your way out
Don’t answer “just one question”
Don’t respond to accusations with explanations
Don’t correct their lies (that’s talking)
Don’t get angry and say things you’ll regret

After Interrogation

Document everything immediately (what they said, what you said, time, location)
Tell your lawyer everything
Do not discuss the interrogation with other detainees (informants)
Process the psychological stress — it’s normal to feel shaken
Reaffirm your commitment to silence for future interactions

Group Resistance Strategies

Building Pre-Commitment

Before anyone faces detention, establish group norms:

Everyone stays silent — No exceptions
Everyone asks for a lawyer — First words out of anyone’s mouth
No one makes deals — Any deal offered is a lie
Support those who are detained — Legal help, family support
Consequences for informing — Make cooperation with interrogators costly

The Tit-for-Tat Approach

Based on game theory, the most effective group strategy:

Principle	Application
Start cooperative	Everyone stays silent
Retaliate against defection	Those who talk face social consequences
Forgive if they return	If they recommit to silence, welcome back
Keep it simple	Clear rules everyone understands

What to share:

What interrogation tactics they used
What lies they told
What questions they asked (reveals what they don’t know)
Legal resources and lawyer contacts

What NOT to share:

Details about other people
Information about your case
Anything that could hurt someone if repeated to authorities
Plans or intentions

Maintaining Solidarity Under Pressure

When someone is taken for interrogation:

Remind them before: “Stay silent. Ask for a lawyer.”
Support them after: “You did the right thing. We’re with you.”
If they talked: Assess, but don’t abandon unless necessary
If they informed: Protect others; limit their access to information

Signs of an Informant

If you suspect someone is an informant:

Do not confront them
Do not share sensitive information with them
Warn others discreetly
Assume anything said around them will be reported

Federal Officers CAN and WILL Lie

The Legal Basis for Police Deception

In Frazier v. Cupp (1969), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that police deception does not make a confession inadmissible. Officers can legally lie to you during interrogation and face no consequences.

What they can legally lie about:

Claiming to have evidence they don’t have (fingerprints, DNA, video)
Saying your friends or family have confessed or implicated you
Claiming witnesses saw you do something
Telling you they “just want to help you”
Saying cooperation will make things easier

Common lies they use:

They Say	The Reality
”We have your fingerprints at the scene”	They may have nothing
”Your friend already told us everything”	Your friend may have said nothing
”Just tell us what happened and you can go home”	You will not go home
”We have video of you”	There may be no video
”If you cooperate, the judge will go easier on you”	They have no control over the judge
”We’re not immigration, we’re just police”	They may be lying or may share info with ICE

Promises Mean Nothing

Only prosecutors can make binding deals. An interrogating officer has zero authority to:

Promise you won’t be charged
Promise a lighter sentence
Promise you’ll be released
Promise anything about your case

Any “deal” offered by an officer is unenforceable. They can promise you anything, get your confession, and then prosecute you to the fullest extent.

The Reid Technique: How They Break You

The Reid Technique, developed in the 1950s, is the standard interrogation method used by federal and local law enforcement. It is designed to psychologically manipulate you into confessing.

How it works:

Accusation — They tell you they already know you’re guilty
Confrontation — They present “evidence” (often fabricated)
Minimization — They suggest it’s not that bad, anyone would do it
Sympathy — They pretend to understand, to be on your side
Alternative questions — They offer you two explanations, both of which are confessions

The result: 29% of DNA exonerations involved false confessions — people confessing to crimes they did not commit because of these techniques.

Your Only Defense

“I am invoking my right to remain silent. I want a lawyer.”

Say this. Say nothing else. Repeat if necessary. Do not explain. Do not elaborate. Do not try to talk your way out.

The interrogation must stop once you clearly invoke your rights. But you must be unambiguous.

The Prisoner’s Dilemma: Why Silence Always Wins

Understanding the Game

The Prisoner’s Dilemma is a game theory model that explains why staying silent is almost always the best strategy — and why interrogators try so hard to make you talk.

The Setup: Two people are arrested and interrogated separately. Each can either:

Stay Silent (cooperate with each other)
Talk (defect against each other)

The Math

Your Choice	Their Choice	Your Outcome	Their Outcome
Silent	Silent	1 year	1 year
Silent	Talk	3 years	Goes free
Talk	Silent	Goes free	3 years
Talk	Talk	2 years each	2 years each

The Lesson:

If you both stay silent: Best collective outcome (1 year each)
If you both talk: Worst collective outcome (2 years each)
If one talks: The talker might benefit, but only if the other stays silent

Why This Matters in Real Life

In theoretical game theory, talking might seem rational. But in real interrogation:

The game is rigged — Officers can lie about what the other person said
Promises are worthless — They can’t actually give you what they promise
Your statements can be twisted — Anything you say can be used against you, often out of context
The other person may not have talked — “Your friend already confessed” is often a lie

In practice, the payoff matrix looks more like this:

Your Choice	Actual Outcome
Stay Silent	Best chance at freedom; lawyer can fight
Talk	Confessed; case closed; limited options

The Iterated Game: Reputation Matters

When people face repeated interactions (community, family, fellow detainees), cooperation becomes the dominant strategy.

In Robert Axelrod’s famous prisoner’s dilemma tournaments, the winning strategy was Tit-for-Tat:

Start by cooperating (staying silent)
If betrayed, retaliate
If they return to cooperation, forgive
Keep it simple and predictable

For your community: Those who talk become known. Those who stay silent are trusted. Reputation has long-term value that outweighs any short-term interrogation “deal.”

Power Dynamics: What Detention Teaches

Lessons from the Stanford Prison Experiment

In 1971, psychologist Philip Zimbardo conducted a prison simulation that had to be stopped after 6 days when guards became abusive and prisoners showed extreme psychological distress.

Important caveat: Modern research has revealed that guards were coached to be abusive and some prisoner reactions were faked. The experiment was flawed science.

But the real lesson is different than Zimbardo claimed:

The BBC Prison Study (2002) — conducted without researcher manipulation — found the opposite: When prisoners developed shared identity, they successfully resisted and even staged a breakout on Day 6.

What This Actually Means for You

Zimbardo Claimed	What Actually Works
People naturally become abusive in authority roles	Abusive systems are deliberately constructed
Prisoners naturally submit	Prisoners with shared identity resist successfully
Situation determines behavior	Group solidarity overcomes situational pressure

Key takeaways:

Detention is designed to break you — but the design can be resisted
Shared identity and solidarity are your most powerful tools
Isolation breaks resistance; connection builds it
You are not naturally submissive — they have to work to make you submit

The Power of Silence

Why Silence Is Your Greatest Weapon

In immigration proceedings, anything you say can and will be used against you. Unlike criminal court, ICE agents are not required to give Miranda warnings before questioning — they can interrogate you first and explain your rights later (or never).

Silence cannot be used as evidence against you in immigration proceedings. The government must prove its case. You do not have to help them. ICE has broad power but remains bound by constitutional limits, including your Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

What Silence Protects

If You Say…	It Can Be Used To…
”I came from Mexico”	Establish country of removal
”I crossed at the border”	Prove manner of entry, enable expedited removal
”I’ve been here 5 years”	Establish timeline, bar certain relief
”My cousin lives in Chicago”	Target your family members
”I work at [business]“	Raid your workplace, endanger coworkers
”I don’t have papers”	Directly admit removability

Even “innocent” conversation can harm you. Casual talk with guards or other staff can be documented and used.

How to Maintain Silence

The only things to say:

“I am exercising my right to remain silent.”
“I want to speak with a lawyer.”
“I do not consent to a search.”
“I will not sign anything without a lawyer.”

Repeat these phrases. Do not elaborate. Do not explain.

Resisting Pressure Tactics

They will try to make you talk:

They Say	The Truth
”It will go easier if you cooperate”	Cooperation = giving them evidence
”We already know everything”	If they did, they wouldn’t need you
”Just tell us where you’re from”	This establishes removability
”Sign this and you can go home"	"Home” means deportation
”You don’t need a lawyer for this”	You absolutely do
”Your friend already told us”	Probably a lie to get you to talk
”We’re just trying to help you”	They are not your friends

The psychological strength to remain silent is difficult but essential. Practice in your mind. Prepare your response. When questioned, retreat to your phrases.

Refusing to Work

The “Voluntary” Work Program

ICE operates a work program that pays $1 per day — 1/60th of minimum wage — for up to 8 hours of labor. Despite being called “voluntary,” it is systematically coercive.

How they coerce participation:

Essential items (toothpaste, toilet paper, soap) only available through commissary
$1/day is the only income source
Refusal may trigger retaliation

Legal reality:

Washington State courts ordered GEO Group to pay $23 million for minimum wage violations
The Supreme Court will hear the case in 2025-26
You cannot legally be forced to work

If You Choose to Refuse

Your rights:

Work is technically voluntary
Refusal should not result in punishment
Retaliation for refusal is illegal

Risks to understand:

Threats of solitary confinement
Loss of commissary access
Transfer to undesirable housing
Harassment from staff

If you refuse:

State clearly: “I am declining to participate in the voluntary work program”
Immediately document any threats or retaliation
File a written grievance
Report to oversight bodies (OIG, CRCL)
Tell your lawyer

Documentation is power. Every retaliatory act you document becomes evidence in ongoing litigation and your own legal case.

The Moral Calculation

Working for $1/day:

Enriches private prison companies
Subsidizes the detention system
Exploits your labor

Refusing:

Disrupts their operations
Maintains your dignity
Carries retaliation risk

Only you can make this decision. There is no shame in participating to survive. There is honor in refusing if you can bear the cost.

Using the System Against Itself

File Grievances Relentlessly

The grievance system exists because they are required to have one. Use it.

When to file:

Medical care denied or delayed
Threats or harassment from staff
Retaliation for exercising rights
Unsafe conditions
Religious practice denied
Legal access restricted
Any rights violation

How to file:

You can present informal grievances orally to any staff member within 5 days
If unresolved, request the formal written grievance form
Be specific: dates, times, names, what happened
Keep a copy of everything
Follow up in writing if no response

Why this matters:

Creates official record of violations
Required for some legal remedies
Builds evidence for habeas petitions
Forces them to respond

Report to Oversight Bodies

Multiple agencies accept complaints. File with all of them.

Agency	How to Contact	What They Do
DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG)	1-800-323-8603, oig.dhs.gov/hotline	Investigates fraud, abuse, misconduct
DHS Civil Rights & Civil Liberties (CRCL)	dhs.gov/file-civil-rights-complaint	Investigates civil rights violations
Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO)	dhs.gov/OIDO	Reviews detention conditions
ICE Office of Professional Responsibility	1-833-4ICEOPR, [email protected]	Investigates ICE employee misconduct

File through multiple channels simultaneously. Redundancy ensures your complaint is heard.

Request Your Records

You have the right to your own file:

A-File (Alien File): Submit FOIA request to USCIS for your complete immigration history
Detention Records: Request medical records, incident reports, grievance responses
Notice to Appear: You must receive the charging document

Errors in your NTA (Notice to Appear) can be grounds for dismissal. Review it carefully.

Know Your Rights in Detention

According to ICE Detention Standards and the ERO National Detainee Handbook:

Right	Legal Basis
Phone Access	Direct calls to courts, consulates, legal services must be permitted
Legal Visitation	7 days/week; minimum 8 hours on business days; confidential
Legal Materials	Cannot be read by staff (only inspected); you may keep all legal documents
Religious Practice	Reasonable accommodation required
Medical Care	Federal law requires necessary medical care
Grievance Process	Required; must have formal process

Demand your rights. Document denials. File grievances.

Psychological Survival

The Mental Battle

Detention is designed to break your will. The monotony, isolation, uncertainty, and powerlessness are features, not bugs. Research shows severe mental health impacts from isolation:

91% of isolated individuals experience anxiety
77% experience chronic depression
70% feel impending nervous breakdown

You must fight for your mental health as fiercely as you fight your legal case.

Creating Structure

Without structure, time becomes formless and crushing. Create your own routine:

Daily Schedule (Example):

Time	Activity
Wake	Make your bed, personal hygiene
Morning	Exercise (pushups, walking, stretching)
Mid-morning	Mental exercises, reading if available
Afternoon	Legal preparation, letter writing
Evening	Social time with other detainees
Night	Reflection, planning, rest

The specific activities matter less than having a structure. Routine provides control in an environment designed to take it away.

Mental Exercises

Keep your mind sharp:

Memory exercises: Memorize phone numbers, addresses, your legal case details
Mental math: Calculate, count, solve problems
Language: Practice languages, expand vocabulary
Planning: Detailed plans for your case, your future, your family
Visualization: Picture your life after release in detail

Finding Meaning

Viktor Frankl, who survived Nazi concentration camps, wrote in Man’s Search for Meaning. Research on survival psychology confirms that prisoners who focused on future goals or personal values were more likely to survive psychologically and physically:

“Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’.”

Find your why:

Your family waiting for you
Your case that must be fought
Your community that needs you
Your dignity that will not be broken
Your future that you will build

Focus on what you can control:

Your response to circumstances
Your adherence to your values
Your relationships with others
Your preparation for your case
Your resilience

Managing Isolation

If placed in solitary confinement:

Physical:

Exercise as much as space allows
Maintain sleep schedule
Track time (scratch marks, memorization)

Mental:

Recite things you’ve memorized
Tell yourself stories
Plan in detail
Talk to yourself (this is normal and healthy)

Know your limit: Solitary confinement exceeding 15 days is considered torture by UN standards. Document everything for legal action.

Organizing in Captivity

Why Organize

Collective strength exceeds individual strength. Organizing:

Improves conditions for everyone
Provides mutual support
Creates witnesses to abuses
Builds pressure for change

Supporting Each Other

Every day:

Check on those who are struggling
Share information about rights and processes
Translate for those who don’t speak English
Share commissary with those who have nothing
Listen when someone needs to talk

Psychological support:

Remind each other: this is not the end
Celebrate small victories
Maintain hope collectively
Do not let anyone give up

Pool your knowledge:

Legal strategies that have worked
Rights that are being violated
Staff members to watch out for
How to file effective grievances
Contact information for lawyers and organizations

Create systems:

Designated people to track grievances
Shared legal resources
Communication networks
Documentation of abuses

Collective Action

Forms of organized resistance:

Work stoppages
Hunger strikes
Petitions
Coordinated grievances
Media exposure through outside contacts

Recent examples (2025): (Freedom for Immigrants)

100+ detainees at California City Detention Facility engaged in sit-ins and hunger strikes
19 migrants at Louisiana’s Angola prison began hunger strike for basic standards
82 migrants at Mesa Verde and Golden State Annex facilities conducted hunger strikes

Understand the risks: (ACLU Documentation)

Retaliation is documented and severe
Organizers targeted for punishment
Solitary confinement used against leaders
Family visits cut off
Temperature manipulation, harassment

Risk assessment: Collective action can force improvements but carries serious personal cost. Weigh carefully based on your situation, your case, and your capacity.

If You Organize

Structure:

Designate spokespersons
Create documentation coordinators
Assign support roles
Maintain unity
Protect vulnerable individuals

Document everything:

Your demands
Their responses
All retaliatory actions
Names, dates, times

Get word outside:

Contact lawyers
Contact advocacy organizations
Contact media
Contact Freedom for Immigrants hotline: 209-757-3733

Medical Care

Your Right to Care

Federal law requires ICE to provide necessary medical care. However, documented neglect is widespread — ICE stopped paying third-party medical providers as of October 2025.

Demanding Care

When you need medical attention:

Request sick call in writing
Document the request (date, time, who you told)
Describe symptoms specifically
Request to see a doctor, not just medical staff
If denied, file grievance immediately
Report to OIG and CRCL

Keep records of:

Every medical request
Every denial or delay
Symptoms and when they started
Any medications you need
Conditions that require treatment

If Care Is Denied

Document and report:

Written grievance to facility
Report to DHS OIG: 1-800-323-8603
Report to CRCL: dhs.gov/file-civil-rights-complaint
Tell your lawyer immediately
Tell your family to contact advocacy organizations

Medical neglect can be grounds for release. Documentation is evidence.

Communication with Outside

Phone Calls

Your rights:

Direct calls (not collect) to immigration courts, appeals board, federal/state courts, consulates, legal services
Phone access cannot be completely denied

Challenges:

Expensive calling rates
Long waits
Automatic disconnection after short periods

Priorities for calls:

Your lawyer
Family member coordinating your case
Advocacy organizations

Visitation

Legal visits:

Permitted 7 days/week
Minimum 8 hours on business days, 4 hours on weekends
Must be confidential (no listening)
Your legal documents cannot be read by staff

Family visits:

Subject to facility rules
May be restricted as retaliation (document this)

Getting Word Out

Contact these organizations:

Organization	What They Do	Contact
Freedom for Immigrants	Detention visitation, hotline, advocacy	209-757-3733
ACLU Immigrants’ Rights	Legal advocacy, know your rights	aclu.org
National Immigrant Justice Center	Legal services, advocacy	immigrantjustice.org
Florence Project	Legal services in detention (AZ)	firrp.org
CLINIC	Legal services directory	cliniclegal.org

Maintaining Your Dignity

You Are Not a Criminal

Immigration detention is legally non-punitive — you have not been convicted of a crime. You are being held for civil immigration proceedings.

Do not internalize their treatment of you. The conditions are designed to dehumanize. Your humanity is not defined by their treatment.

Your Honor Survives

You maintain your honor by:

Refusing to betray others
Exercising your rights
Supporting fellow detainees
Fighting your case
Not breaking under pressure
Maintaining your values

They cannot take from you:

Your integrity
Your dignity
Your spirit
Your identity
Your will to fight

The Long View

Detention is a chapter, not the story.

Remember:

People fight their cases and win
Habeas petitions have 97% success rate
Legal challenges are being won
You will get out
Your family is waiting
Your community needs you

Focus forward. Every day in detention is one day closer to release.

Quick Reference

Daily Reminders

I WILL SURVIVE THIS.

Today I will:
- Maintain my routine
- Exercise my body
- Exercise my mind
- Support a fellow detainee
- Document any violations
- Stay silent when questioned
- Remember why I'm fighting

I am not broken. I will not break.

If Questioned

“I am exercising my right to remain silent.” “I want to speak with a lawyer.”

Repeat. Do not elaborate.

Emergency Contacts

Resource	Contact
Freedom for Immigrants Hotline	209-757-3733
DHS OIG Hotline	1-800-323-8603
ICE OPR	1-833-4ICEOPR
CLINIC Legal Directory	cliniclegal.org

Resources

Legal Support

Florence Project Pro Se Materials — Self-help legal guides
CLINIC Find Legal Help — Directory of providers
Immigration Advocates Network — Searchable directory
AILA Lawyer Search — Find immigration attorneys

Detention Monitoring

Freedom for Immigrants — Visitation, hotline, advocacy
ACLU Immigrants’ Rights — Legal advocacy
Detention Watch Network — Detention monitoring

Mental Health

Torture Abolition and Survivor Support Coalition — Survivor support
Physicians for Human Rights — Documentation of abuse

Know Your Rights

ILRC Know Your Rights — Comprehensive rights info
National Immigration Law Center — Policy updates
ICE Detainee Handbook — Official detention standards

References & Citations

Legal & Policy Sources

Source	Description
CLINIC Court Watch - December 2025	Federal immigration case updates; 97% habeas success rate data
American Immigration Council - Right to Silence	Miranda rights not required before ICE interrogation
The Conversation - ICE Constitutional Limits	Fifth Amendment protections apply regardless of status
ICE Legal Access Standards	Official detention legal access requirements
ERO National Detainee Handbook	Official detention standards and procedures
ICE Visitation Standards	Legal visitation requirements
American Immigration Council - Detention Oversight	Overview of detention oversight mechanisms

Labor & Conditions

Source	Description
OnLabor - Litigating ICE’s Voluntary Work Program	Legal analysis of coercive $1/day work program
Washington State Standard - GEO Group $23M Verdict	Minimum wage violation litigation
Newsweek - ICE $1/Day Pay Under Scrutiny	Coverage of detention labor exploitation
CBS News - ICE Medical Neglect	ICE stopped paying medical providers October 2025

Psychological Survival

Source	Description
Medical News Today - Solitary Confinement Effects	Mental health impacts of isolation (91% anxiety, 77% depression)
British Psychological Society - Survival Secrets	Research on psychological survival in isolation
UN Mandela Rules	Solitary >15 days considered torture

Collective Organizing

Source	Description
Freedom for Immigrants - Hunger Strikes	Documentation of 2025 detention hunger strikes
ACLU - How ICE Abuses Hunger Strikers	Documented retaliation against organizers

Interrogation & Deception

Source	Description
Frazier v. Cupp (1969)	Supreme Court ruling allowing police deception
Innocence Project - Police Deception	29% of DNA exonerations involved false confessions
Reid Technique - Wikipedia	Standard interrogation method and its problems
Seattle University - Reid Technique & False Confessions	Academic analysis of interrogation-induced false confessions
NY State Bar - Deception in Interrogation	Legal analysis of permissible deception

Game Theory & Prisoner’s Dilemma

Source	Description
Prisoner’s Dilemma - Wikipedia	Overview of the game theory model
Stanford Encyclopedia - Prisoner’s Dilemma	Comprehensive philosophical analysis
Axelrod’s Tournament - Stanford	Tit-for-Tat strategy research
University of Michigan - Prisoner’s Dilemma	Robert Axelrod’s tournament results

Power Dynamics & Authority

Source	Description
Stanford Prison Experiment - Simply Psychology	Overview of original 1971 study
SPE Debunked - The Conversation	Critical analysis revealing methodological flaws
BBC Prison Study	2002 replication showing resistance through solidarity
Le Texier (2019) - Debunking SPE	Archival research exposing researcher manipulation

Resistance & Survival Psychology

Source	Description
SERE Training - Wikipedia	Overview of resistance training principles
Code of Conduct - Wikipedia	Principles for maintaining integrity under pressure
Remaining Silent During Interrogation - PMC	Research on silence as resistance strategy
Camping Survival - Psychological Endurance	Techniques for mental endurance in crisis
Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning	Foundational text on surviving captivity through purpose

Oversight Bodies

Agency	Contact	Purpose
DHS Office of Inspector General	1-800-323-8603	Fraud, abuse, misconduct
DHS Civil Rights & Civil Liberties	Online form	Civil rights violations
Immigration Detention Ombudsman	Online form	Detention conditions
ICE Office of Professional Responsibility	1-833-4ICEOPR	ICE employee misconduct

Surviving Detention

Surviving Detention

The Resistance Mindset

Core Principles

The Resistance Code

Trust Carefully

Individual Resistance Strategies

Before Interrogation

During Interrogation

After Interrogation

Group Resistance Strategies

Building Pre-Commitment

The Tit-for-Tat Approach

Information Sharing (Carefully)

Maintaining Solidarity Under Pressure

Signs of an Informant

Federal Officers CAN and WILL Lie

The Legal Basis for Police Deception

Promises Mean Nothing

The Reid Technique: How They Break You

Your Only Defense

The Prisoner’s Dilemma: Why Silence Always Wins

Understanding the Game

The Math

Why This Matters in Real Life

The Iterated Game: Reputation Matters

Power Dynamics: What Detention Teaches

Lessons from the Stanford Prison Experiment

What This Actually Means for You

The Power of Silence

Why Silence Is Your Greatest Weapon

What Silence Protects

How to Maintain Silence

Resisting Pressure Tactics

Refusing to Work

The “Voluntary” Work Program

If You Choose to Refuse

The Moral Calculation

Using the System Against Itself

File Grievances Relentlessly

Report to Oversight Bodies

Request Your Records

Know Your Rights in Detention

Psychological Survival

The Mental Battle

Creating Structure

Mental Exercises

Finding Meaning

Managing Isolation

Organizing in Captivity

Why Organize

Supporting Each Other

Information Sharing

Collective Action

If You Organize

Medical Care

Your Right to Care

Demanding Care

If Care Is Denied

Communication with Outside

Phone Calls

Visitation

Getting Word Out

Maintaining Your Dignity

You Are Not a Criminal

Your Honor Survives

The Long View

Quick Reference

Daily Reminders

If Questioned

Emergency Contacts

Resources

Legal Support

Detention Monitoring

Mental Health

Know Your Rights

References & Citations

Legal & Policy Sources

Labor & Conditions

Psychological Survival