If your mailing came through InmateAid, the return address on everything he received is InmateAid's office in South Florida, not your address in Australia. He can write a letter back to that address, and InmateAid will receive it, scan it, and post it to your account so you can read it. The cost to retrieve a return letter is minimal. The process is the same whether you are in the next town or on the other side of the world. He...

First, a little context on what InmateAid actually is. InmateAid is a service that allows people on the outside to send letters, postcards, photos, and magazines to inmates, and allows inmates to write back through the site. It is not a social network, a dating platform, or a way for inmates to reach out to strangers. The inmate himself cannot initiate contact through InmateAid. Someone on the outside has to send something first. So the more useful question is not whether...

Phone access during quarantine is extremely limited. The quarantine period functions similarly to the SHU in terms of communication restrictions, meaning phone privileges are reduced to roughly one call per week rather than the standard schedule. Do not count on regular contact during those first two weeks. There is also the orientation piece to consider. Even after quarantine ends, most facilities require inmates to complete an Admissions and Orientation process before full phone privileges are activated. If those two things overlap,...

One hour of out-of-cell time per day is a recognized minimum standard for inmates in restricted housing, and the facility has an obligation to provide it. It is not a privilege that can simply be withheld without documented justification. From the inside, the most important step is for your friend to file a grievance through the facility's formal grievance process, in writing, documenting each day that rec time was denied with the date and what happened. That creates a paper trail....

Yes, inmates diagnosed with sleep apnea can and do use CPAP machines inside correctional facilities. It is a medically necessary device for a documented health condition, and facilities are required to accommodate legitimate medical needs. The process typically involves getting diagnosed or having an existing diagnosis recognized by the facility's health services, and then having the equipment approved and issued or retained through the medical department. On whether they get to take it home at release, that is where it gets...

Yes to both. InmateAid's magazine store carries a wide selection of titles across many categories, and Inked is available in the art section. You can order it directly through InmateAid at inmateaid.com/shop/magazines, and it will be shipped to your inmate at their facility. Magazine subscriptions are one of the most practical gifts you can send to someone doing time. Reading material breaks up the monotony and gives an inmate something to look forward to each month. Inked, in particular, tends to...