A jail in a dream is symbolic of feeling emotionally bound or restrained in your life. There is a lack of freedom that you are experiencing. Do you feel trapped within a dysfunctional relationship? Maybe you feel unable to express your true self to those around you without feeling judged or rejected? Craig Hamilton-Parker explained in his book, “If you dream of someone else in prison, it may represent the element of your personality that you are unable to set free.” And more literally, you could feel that you have done something for which you feel that you deserve to be punished.
Most of our emotional prisons are caused by our own beliefs and judgments of ourselves. It’s important to be completely honest with yourself in order to free yourself from your emotional prison. Ask yourself, “In what ways do I feel that I deserve to be punished? What keeps me from doing the things that I truly want to do? What do I fear will happen if I do them? Why do I think that I can’t accomplish what it is that I truly want?” Finally, is there something that you need to forgive yourself for doing?