I've done ALOT of time. Mostly for guns, drugs and counterfiet, anyways, the way to survive in jail, is to just fucking act right, follow the range rules, and don't try to be a hard ass, just play your cards, read and talk with the boys, everyone hates being in there, so no one needs extra stress from some punk trying to be hard, especialy when you just had a bad day in court, that'll just make you wanna rag doll the little bitch. Deffinatly get on a work crew, takes your mind off shit and not just being bored in the same range day after day, and plus you make $ for canteen. Kitchen is the best to get, alot of shit comes through the kitchen and laundry, I always get the laundry cause (well.....too many assults, and weapon charges) so my classifacation won't allow them to let me work in the kitchen, if you don't have them, then you can go, plus you can get extra food, and if you got a good crew, you can make a brew.
Anyway, just act right, because it really is a community, you LIVE with these ppl, and sometimes, you live with this ppl for years. So you prolly would rather make friends than enemys. You'd be surprised on what kind of cool ppl you can meet in the can.
Jail is nothing like what you see on tv. I heard it was rougher in the U.S. thoungh, I'm from Canada.
Anyway, that's my little bit on this subject,
happy growing