Subject: Release questions
Most prison state systems and the federal (BOP) facilities give the inmates their best possible release date which includes good time. That is 15% off the sentence calculation. You cannot get more than 15% without snitching on someone. The good time credit is applied at the beginning to have something to hold over the inmate in their compliance with the rules. All you can do is lose what they've already given you.
Subject: Relationship issues
Not going to happen. The inmate is entitled to full privacy - their visitation list, call list, commissary money whereabouts, and what was spent are fully protected.
Subject: Furloughs
The likelihood of this being approved is very low, and understanding why helps set realistic expectations before investing time in the request.
Furloughs are already rare in most state systems. When they are granted, they come with strict conditions including a verified address where the inmate can be reached and monitored at all times, typically a permanent residence rather than a temporary one. A hotel or bed and breakfast in another state does not meet the stability and verifiability requirements that...
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Once an inmate is settled into general population and has no restrictions on their privileges, phone access is available on a regular daily basis. Most state prisons provide phone access during designated hours, typically in the evenings and on weekends, though the specific schedule varies by facility and housing unit. There is no formal waiting period once someone is in general population, provided their call list is already established.
The practical timeline depends on one key factor: whether the call list...
Read moreSubject: Relationship issues
You already know. That is the honest answer, and sitting with it is harder than asking the question.
The pattern you are describing tells a clear story. Repeated parole violations, unexplained absences that last a full night, no contact until the next day, and a cycle of going in and coming back out. Each of those pieces on its own could have an innocent explanation. Together they form a picture that has one most likely cause, and you know what it...
Read moreSubject: Pending criminal charges
Federal cases are not as publicly accessible as state court cases, but the information is available if you know where to look.
The starting point is knowing which federal district the case is in. Federal charges are filed in one of 94 federal judicial districts across the country, organized by geography. If your person was arrested in Miami, the case is in the Southern District of Florida. If it was in Chicago, it is in the Northern District of Illinois. Knowing...
Read moreSubject: Relationship issues
If you are asking how to get an inmate to take a paternity test. We assume you're asking because they won't do it voluntarily - you will have to get a court order that compels the facility to release the results of the DNA test for that person, that is done on all inmates.
Subject: Prison discipline
Lockdown means that the compound is essentially "locked-down" from normal operations. There are no visits, no phone privileges, no commissary. Just 24/7; locked in their cells. It becomes a stressful environment for the days, weeks or sometimes months of "punishment" until it is lifted. Inmates do still receive mail.
Subject: General prison questions-terminology
Life inside prison is like the movie "Groundhog Day". Every day is the exact same as the day before. Boredom dominates the menu. The only way to sanity is to get into a routine you can live with. You have a lot of time to think and getting into a routine takes you away from lamenting on your situation and more towards feeling as though you have a purpose and some hope for a better future.


