My inmate is on a federal indictment for drugs. There is two people on the list of people being charged that aren't incarcerated. My inmate has no court date for anything and his lawyer said we're just "waiting" and I'm unsure what exactly we are waiting for??? How long will this confusion last and is there a chance he could be released before sentencing (if that time ever comes)?

The magistrate that oversaw the arraignment determines bail on a number of factors. Did the magistrate set a bail amount for your inmate? The other defendants either bonded out or were not considered for bail, which brings up another set of questions. If your inmate is not able to get out, this will seem like a long process and will likely drag on for several weeks or even months before there is a disposition. The federal prosecution tends to move very slowly.