The assumption that life means 25 to 30 years is a common one, and it is understandable why families hold onto it. In some cases and some states, parole eligibility does kick in after a defined minimum. But life without the possibility of parole is an entirely different sentence, and the two are not interchangeable. In Michigan, a life sentence can go either way. The critical document is the Judgment and Commitment Order issued by the sentencing judge. That order specifies...

These are two of the most important questions anyone connected to this situation can ask and they deserve honest answers rather than comfortable ones. On whether abusers can truly change, the research says yes, but with significant caveats that matter enormously in practice. Change is possible but it is not common, it is not automatic, and it is not produced by incarceration alone. Time behind a wall does not rehabilitate anyone. What produces genuine change in people with patterns of domestic...

All visits in the HCADC and work center are non‐contact; however, inmates may be allowed contact visits with the approval of the Warden. Each inmate is allowed five (5) visitors and a reasonable number of children under the age of 18 on their visitation list. A parent must accompany persons under the age of 18. All adult visitors must have a government issued picture ID in order to visit. All visits are limited to three (3) people per visit (including...

InmateAid's service is not email; it is with the US Postal Service. Inmates do not have Internet access. We estimate that it takes 2-3 business days to make it to the jail. Once there, the staff opens and reads each piece of mail and inspects it for contraband. Once they decide the mail is fit to be handed out at mail call, your inmate will receive it. Any delay that occurs at the facility is out of our control. We make no guarantees as to how...

Normally, there will be no restrictions placed on the length of visits during the facility's established visitation periods. However, certain situations that may affect the length of time for a visit. Here are a general list of situations:  • To have the offender in the visitation area during the mid-day count, visitors must arrive at the facility one (1) hour before the time that is designated by the Warden as the mid-day count. The mid-day count time shall be posted in...

At most county jails, physical contact during visitation is not permitted. Christian County Jail in Illinois operates non-contact visits, which means you and your loved one will be separated by a partition and communicating through phones in the visitation booth the entire time. A hug or kiss is not going to be possible in that setting. For anyone who has never visited a jail before, here is what to expect at Christian County. Visitation days are Wednesdays and Sundays from 12:30...

The most direct starting point is the inmate's profile in their state department of corrections offender search or the Bureau of Prisons inmate locator for federal inmates. Most of these public databases display the offense of conviction alongside current facility and sentence information. The level of detail varies by state but charges are typically included. Court records are another reliable source. Criminal cases are public record in most jurisdictions, and the charging documents, indictment, and judgment are all filed with the...

Six weeks feels like a long time when someone you love has essentially disappeared into a system and you are getting very little information about what is happening. Understanding what actually goes on during that period makes the wait more bearable, even if it does not make it shorter. The diagnostic or reception phase exists because the prison system needs a complete picture of every incoming inmate before deciding where to house them permanently and what programs they need. That process...

Yes. InmateAid works at CCA McRae, now known as CoreCivic McRae Correctional Institution in Georgia, and at every other prison, jail, and detention center in the United States. The service does not require any special arrangement with the facility. Here is why it works everywhere. InmateAid's letter and photo service operates through the US Postal Service, the same way any personal letter would. The letters and photos we print and mail on your behalf arrive at the facility's mail room as...