If you found yourself going to prison by reason of mistaken identity or some circumstance that was false, how would you cope?

I would do my time, get released, and go on a killing spree.

First of all the county judges’ decision is not final and the case can be brought up again in regional/higher court where I live, as stipulated by the law if the victim didn’t feel the decision was fair (and if they have money to hire a lawyer) so I will most likely won’t go to jail as easy as mentioned. With money and lawyer by my side I’ll have no fear of false accusation. There’s just no way I’ll stay in stinky prison cell when I’m not wrong.

Appeal, appeal, appeal….and if still convicted I’d certainly spend the time working on finding the person who really did it, and anyone else who benefited by my unjust imprisonment.
Their lives would be miserable.

I think that my reaction would be based on how/why I am there.

If it was truly mistaken identity, like @LuckyGuy says, I would appeal and fight within the system.

If it were a political thing – all anti-Trump supporters are throw into jail, or all Jews are rounded up, or something like that – I would be deep in the resistance and try and overthrow the jailers in any way I could.

I’d be a model inmate for years. Then one day,when they least suspect it, I will try and kill my way out… Probably die in the process.

Better than prison.

Get myself thrown into solitary confinement.

Good question. This is a fear I have. An irrational fear as I don’t do anything to break the law, but I think what if I accidentally killed someone with my car or was accused and found guilty of a crime I didn’t commit. Even now just thinking about this, my heart rate went up. I think I would probably try to kill myself before spending the rest of my life in prison. I’ve seen documentaries on women in prison. They scare the hell out of me!

I’d fight to the last minute to prove my innocence. Even from the inside. I’d work on a degree if I did have to serve time. I’d miss my kiddo but prisons here aren’t scary.

I’d appeal and try to publicize and expose the errors. Meanwhile I would try to adapt to the incarceration situation. Probably read and write a lot.

I wouldn’t cope. I would go insane. More so than usual.

LIke @elbanditoroso, IF it was truly a case of mistaken identity, I would fight, study, fight, study and fight. And while incarcerated, I would probably volunteer as a nondenominational chaplain. (Hey, even non-believers can use pastoral care…).

Badly.

Luckily since I’m a nice, non-threatening white boy I probably wouldn’t go to prison even if I did do it.

Or, make a really good girlfriend for somebody who did do it.

@MrGrimm888 I’d be a model inmate for years. Then one day,when they least suspect it, I will try and kill my way out… Probably die in the process.
Your way of coping would be to try to program and fly under the radar until one day you will snap maybe?

@chyna Good question. This is a fear I have. An irrational fear as I don’t do anything to break the law, but I think what if I accidentally killed someone with my car or was accused and found guilty of a crime I didn’t commit.
Some of those facts are what some answering this question seemed to not think about, I knew a guy who ended up going to prison because he got into a bar fight and used a pool cue on his attacker. Because he was much shorter and feared the man getting up, he whacked him two more times. According to the law, it was excessive violence or something like that. He felt his live was in danger but by law he went too far with the extra blows. Now similar situations can happen to anyone, so just because you are law abiding doesn’t mean you will or can’t get caught up in something. People can fight the charges but it doesn’t mean you will not end up in the slammer, but if you do, what you will do is what the question hinges on.

^Yup. Lure them into a false sense of security. Then go buck wild.