Christmas in prison can be a time of sadness and depression for some inmates. However, other inmates may strive to find enjoyment in the season, despite their circumstances. The first couple of years of incarceration can be particularly hard, as the inmate's memories of good Christmases past (even if those Christmases were not as "good" as the inmate remembers them) are still fresh in their minds. As the years pass, the inmate may withdraw from socialising as Christmas approaches, as a way to deal with the holiday season. Mail may not be responded to, and phone calls may become less often. This can be difficult for those in the freeworld to deal with.

Other inmates find different ways of getting through the festive season. In TDCJ, inmates have the ability to attend religious services (unless they are in AdSeg or on Death Row). This can make the inmate feel part of a community and collective celebration can really lift the inmate's spirits. Inmates with radios can take advantage of the secular broadcasts, and festive music that is often played at this time of year.

Some TDCJ units benefit from local community groups donating small Christmas care parcels to the inmates. These often consist of a couple of hygiene items and perhaps an orange or apple. These are often handed to the inmates in the week preceding Christmas, where the donations are permitted.

Depending on the unit, visitation around Christmas may be busier than usual. If you are planning to visit, keep this in mind and make sure you do nothing to slow down your processing time to get into the visit room. You may be asked to leave early so that more people can visit their loved ones. A little charitable consideration will go a long way.

If the inmate is eligible, and has some allowance left, you may be able to purchase some extra treats for them via the online eComm service. You may also want to send some extra funds using eComm, Jpay or your preferred method, or to add extra funds to the inmates telephone account. Keep in mind that inmates may not always have access to the telephones at the time you would like them to call.

In most TDCJ units, the Christmas lunch is served in the dining halls. Inmates are usually permitted to take their own bowls with them, to carry any extra or uneaten food back to their cells. Typical meals may include turkey roll, ham roll, mashed potato, beans of various kinds, biscuits, gravy, vegetables, cornbread, white sliced bread, cake or other dessert.

The evening meal is often delivered to the inmates in a bag, rather than having the inmates return to the dining hall. This allows the inmates to share their food with cellies, or to eat when they feel the need to.