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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: Sentence reduction

Whether the felony can be reduced and what the actual sentence looks like depends heavily on two factors: whether this is a state or federal case, and what the specific drug quantity thresholds are in that jurisdiction. Eight grams of heroin is meaningful in terms of how the law treats it. Most states and the federal system have weight thresholds that trigger enhanced penalties for possession with intent to deliver. Whether eight grams crosses into a mandatory minimum sentencing

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Subject: Inmate services & supplies

We think they are over $100 each, we have seen them and they are really cool. Especially considering its an item in jail. They have several functions. The songs are $2.00 each, not exactly iTunes but if you can afford it, it is a fantastic distraction for someone doing time. 

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Subject: Send inmate mail

InmateAid is a proven solution for international members. Your inmate can reply through our address for $1.89 per letter, photos included. You receive an email notification when their response arrives in your account, cutting the typical 6-day international mail delay considerably. Using InmateAid as the hub for both outgoing and incoming correspondence keeps everything in one place, gives you a digital record of every letter, and significantly reduces the time between exchanges.

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Subject: Inmate services & supplies

CDs are not accepted at Nevada state prisons or virtually any correctional facility in the country. Physical media has been eliminated from approved property lists across most systems due to security concerns around the concealment of contraband. Voice-recorded CDs from home are also not permitted for the same reason, and additionally because facilities have no way to verify the content of a personally recorded disc without extensive review that most mail rooms are not equipped to conduct. The

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Subject: Prison food

The food is basic, and that is about the most generous way to put it. Every facility is required to meet minimum nutritional standards, typically around 2,000 calories per day, with meals planned by dieticians to ensure a basic balance of protein, carbohydrates, and other nutrients. Meeting the minimum standard and being appetizing are two very different things, and most correctional food achieves the former while falling well short of the latter. The quality varies significantly by facility

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Subject: Visitation

Every facility has their own version of rules. Most requie an application approval process. The inmate is notified of the approvals. Check with the actual facility before going to be 100% sure.

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Subject: Family services

You are actually communicating with "former inmates" who are trained to give accurate, forthright and first hand accounts of all things incarceration-related topics.

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Subject: General prison questions-terminology

There is no set schedule or guaranteed timeline for when a new inmate will meet with their counselor. It is one of the more frustrating realities of the system for families who expect the process to move on a predictable timetable. Counselors and case managers in correctional facilities carry large caseloads and prioritize their time based on institutional needs rather than any order that makes obvious sense from the outside. New arrivals, classification reviews, release planning, disciplinary matters, and

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Subject: Send inmate mail

In most cases, mail does not follow an inmate after a transfer. If a letter is sent to the old facility, it will usually be: Returned to sender, or Not delivered at all Forwarding is rare, especially in county and state systems. If you used InmateAid: You will be notified if the letter is returned If you provide the new facility information, the letter can be resent at no charge Best practice going forward:

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Subject: General prison questions-terminology

InmateAid does not issue refunds if an inmate is transferred before a letter is delivered. However, once you have the new location, InmateAid will resend the letter to the correct facility. Contact the support team with the updated address to arrange the resend.

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