How to Not Die in Prison: A Survival Guide

by Taylor Sheridan, Tom Nelson

The debut book from Academy Award–nominated filmmaker Taylor Sheridan, creator of Landman and cocreator of Yellowstone—a no-bullsh*t, darkly funny survival guide to life inside a maximum-security prison, cowritten with prison-hardened ex-con Tom Nelson.

So, you f*cked up. Can't talk your way out of it, buy your way out of it, or beg your way out of it.

You are going to prison. You will be living under a set of rules made up by men who have demonstrated to society that they need a big ol' time out. There is no book of these rules. Nobody will tell them to you. But when you break one—boy, will you know it. For the newbie, the fish, the fresh meat—this book is your survival guide. How to mind your business without becoming a target. When to walk away. When to stand your ground.

This is how you don't die. Follow the advice in this book, and you just might make it out alive.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook

256 pages, Hardcover

Published June 23, 2026

About the author

Taylor Sheridan is an Academy Award-nominated screenwriter, Emmy-nominated producer, and the creator, writer, director, and executive producer of multiple record-breaking series including Yellowstone, Landman, Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King, 1883, 1923, Lioness, and The Madison. His acclaimed screenplays include Sicario, Hell or High Water, and Wind River, which he also directed, earning him Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival. Sheridan owns and operates two Texas ranches including the legendary Four Sixes (6666) Ranch and Bosque Ranch.

source: Amazon

Reviews

[Milly]

Picked this up out of curiosity. Read half of it in one day. Taylor Sheridan wrote about 10% of this and his (ex-convict) friend Tom Nelson wrote the rest. Both are extremely voice-y writers. Makes for quite an interesting read !

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.6 - Information I will (hopefully) never need :)

[Kerry Crabbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned where and how to hide things, how to make a shiv, how to do prison tattoos, and how to make some recipes.

[Kaz Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I have no plans of ever going to prison or committing serious crimes, I’ve always wondered what I would do if I found myself in prison. This book answered so many of those more specific questions and gave practical advice in a way that was very digestible and conversational. The level of detail also reinforces that which we all already know (but can always use a reminder of when someone cuts us off on the road), which is that the best strategy is to avoid prison at all costs, because it sounds even worse than I had previously imagined. Very interesting read! Thank you for sharing this niche knowledge with the world.

[Amy Simons · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a book tells you what it's about, that's what it's about. My thinking that it being written (in part) by Taylor Sheridan would mean it was anything other than a guidebook for how to prepare for and survive a prison sentence was, well, naive, because that's what this book was. If you're going to -- or anticipate going to - prison, this might be helpful for you. If not? Maybe skip it?

[Cody Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good book on prison system and do and don’t and great narrative authors and actually really funny and entertaining I really recommend this book for people with a interest in prisons and systems or if you work at a prison or if your about to go to prison lol news flash stay out of prison

[John Schorg · Rating 3 out of 5]

A how to guide for something you hope will never happen. There are times when you might think this is a parody... a prison version of "How to Survive a Horror Movie"... but this is a legitimate look at the experience of being behind bars. Easy to read, but that's about it.

[Leanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed listening to this audio and finished it within one day! It is cowritten by the actor who was in sons of anarchy and Yellowstone!

[Brett Thurbon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye opening advice

[Matthew Aujla]

Subordinate companion to Mayor of Kingstown.

[Idollia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually liked this. I learned how to make a syringe from a pipette 😂😂