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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.

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Subject: Survive prison

The beds are a blue paper-thin foam mattresses that are laid atop mental bed frames. They are not soft to sleep on as you feel the hard metal immediately upon laying down. There is nothing "soft" about time on the inside.

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Subject: Family services

They will have to do the time whether they have a legal guardian or any family members or not

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Subject: Inmate search

New Hampshire Hillsborough County Inmate Search

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Subject: Send inmate mail

Currently, there are no email programs at the Essex County NY Jail. They have video visitation through Securus and the phone system through OffenderConnect/GTL.

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Subject: Send books and magazines

Depending on the facility, it is usually the PO Box for inmates. You can go to the Prison Directory on InmateAid and search that facility page for the "Mailing Address". If one is not listed, use the main address. That is how we sync our mail system to send Letters & Photos, Postcards and Greeting Cards directly to the inmate.

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Subject: Commissary

Yes, in most county jails, the cash a person has on them at the time of booking gets processed and credited to their inmate account. It does not happen instantly, but the money does not disappear either. When someone is booked, all personal property, including cash, gets inventoried and held by the facility. The cash portion is typically transferred to the inmate's commissary or trust account within a day or two of booking, sometimes faster depending on how the

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Subject: Release questions

In short, it means there is a warrant from someone else for a totally different charge. A "detention hold" is legally binding direction to the current detention facility ONLY release you into their custody after you have served your time for the current sentence.

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Subject: Prison discipline

It is segregated housing within the facility. It is used for disciplinary or administrative segregation from the general population.

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Subject: Medical treatment

There are limited medical and dental recourses in the state prison system. Dental emergencies are largely remedied by pulling the tooth/teeth affected, not mending them. They never offer a cosmetic choice. If your inmate has dentures already, he can receive them but in no way will the state foot the bill for new dentures.

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Subject: Inmate search

TDCJ Inmate Search

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