How does Minerva help Maria Teresa through her fear of jail?

In the "little school" that Minerva holds every day, they rehearse three cardinal rules: "Never believe them. Never fear them. Never ask them anything." Maria Teresa struggles with panic and tries to plan a daily schedule to "ward off the panic that sometimes comes over me." She is especially upset that Minerva convinced her to refuse to be released with some of the other politicals out of principle.