How long have they been in default? Don’t reveal too much or look for pity form creditors - they’re snakes and will leverage your ambitions against you.

Your best bet, don’t think I’m crazy, call the collections agency, tell them you recently plead guilty to a crime and are expecting jail time - that you’d like to settle your debts before them and negotiate form there. Offer them $1k to settle the debt (they probably bought it for $500) and negotiate from there. Go up to $2k max but fight them. They’ll say the best they can do is $15k, you go up to $1050 and do the dance, giving up $20-50 bucks at a time.

You’ll settle this for way way less than $20k, especially if they think you’re about to go to jail and won’t be able to pay it back. Get this behind you, let your credit begin to heal.