Just thought of a question?

Have a question?

Ask The Inmate

Ask a former inmate questions at no charge. The inmate answering has spent considerable time in the federal prison system, state and county jails, and in a prison that was run by the private prison entity CCA.

Ask your question or browse previous questions in response to comments or further questions of members of the InmateAid community.

Subject: Prison/jail scams

What you are describing is a well-documented federal crime, and your instincts to be concerned are correct. Tax fraud schemes run from inside prison have received significant national attention and federal prosecution. The pattern is consistent: an incarcerated person collects Social Security numbers from fellow inmates or outside contacts, files false tax returns claiming refunds those people never earned, and routes the money through prepaid cards, debit cards, or bank accounts controlled by outside accomplices. The request for blank

Read more
Subject: Inmate phone calls

You will need to get that number to him either by mail, in-person or on the telephone. the jail personnel will not forward the message.

Read more
Subject: Halfway house

If your inmate is doing her time in the federal system, the halfway house is pretty much standard release protocol. We have heard of inmates denying halfway house altogether and are able to finish their sentence "inside". As far as release completely, this is up the the language in the Judgement and Commitment document written by the judge who sentenced her. If there is a period of supervised release, then "running" would be foolish. The BOP will not keep an

Read more
Subject: Send inmate mail

The letter and photo service from InmateAid is straightforward, it is mailed using the US Postal Service. You type up a letter and upload photos where applicable - proceed to the Pay Now page and complete the transaction. The letter order flows through our Admin area to the Processing Department. Letters are processed immediately upon entry unless it is after 6pm on Saturday, then the letters do not go through the process until Monday morning. You may check in your

Read more
Subject: General prison questions-terminology

For a short sentence like 30 days, most facilities still apply good time credit, but the reduction is usually small. In general: Many systems require about 85% of the sentence to be served On a 30 day sentence, that typically means serving around 25 to 26 days So he might get out 4 to 5 days early, assuming no disciplinary issues For very short stays, some facilities may not apply credits the same way, but most do give

Read more
Subject: Commissary

No, you cannot send an MP3 player directly to your son, whether it is new or used. Facilities have very strict rules about property, and personal electronics are not allowed to be mailed in from the outside. If you try to send one, it will almost always be rejected and returned. If MP3 players are allowed at his facility, they must be: Purchased through the prison’s approved vendor or commissary system Designed specifically for inmate

Read more
Subject: General prison questions-terminology

The primary way to get a sentence reduction without having to cooperate with the government with substantial assistance in convicting someone else is the Residential Drug Addiction Program (RDAP). If the inmate is eligible, there is a nine month program what once completed will reduce the sentence up to twelve months along with a guarantee of six months of halfway house.  If you have more detailed questions about this, we have people here that have gone through the program and know more about it than

Read more
Subject: Inmate phone calls

If your inmate calls are routing through a long distance number to you, the VERY best way is to get a line that is matched to the rate center of the prison. The prison phone companies normally charge much higher rates for long distance calls versus local calls. We can get a better rate through this matching process. Our fee is $19.95 which is covered by the savings in about 4-5 calls in most cases. Depending on the number of

Read more
Subject: General prison questions-terminology

In federal cases, especially drug conspiracy charges, there is a strong likelihood of prison time, even for first time offenders. That does not mean the outcome is fixed, but the odds are different than in state court. Federal cases tend to have high conviction rates, and most are resolved through plea agreements rather than trials. The question is usually not whether there will be consequences, but how severe they will be. Here are the key factors that will

Read more
Subject: Send inmate mail

“Ask the Inmate” is not a direct communication link to a particular inmate, it is a question and answer forum between you and a former inmate who knows how things work on the inside. To communicate, you can write letters or send photos - you will have to go to your My Account area and click on the Inmate Page and then click "Letters". You will be able to communicate to them through there.

Read more
Search Arrest Records