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Ask The Inmate

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: All topics

“Ask the Inmate” is not a direct communication link to a particular inmate; it is a question and answer forum between you and a former inmate who knows how things work on the inside. To communicate, you can write letters, postcards or send photos - you will have to go to your My Account area and click on the Inmate Page and then click "Letters". You will be able to communicate with them through there.

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Subject: Visitation

The only person that can overturn a denial of visitation is the warden. You will have to petition their office by first calling the secretary. Explain your situation in a respectful and calm manner.  There might be a mistake or there might be smething they uncovered that will need some explanation.

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Subject: Parole, probation & supervised release

With a twenty-year ten-suspended sentence, your son is serving the active portion and will become eligible for parole consideration based on the rules of the state he is in. Most states require an inmate to serve a minimum percentage of the active sentence before their first parole hearing, typically somewhere between a third and half of the active time depending on the jurisdiction and the offense. At three plus years in, he may be approaching that window depending on how

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Subject: Inmate search

You can try vinelink.com for the inmate ID number. If the letters do not have the ID, the mail room staff by rule could reject the mail. It depends on whose working at the time, some are nice and let it go, others not so... and play it by the book

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Subject: Bail & bond questions

Once your accused has gone before the magistrate, a bail amount is set. This bail amount becomes part of the record and usually you will have bail bondsmen contact the closest of kin to try and make a deal to bond your inmate out. Depending upon the amount, it is customary for the bail bondsman get a 10% non-refundable fee (of the total amount of the bond). Once you agree on the terms, the bondsman will go to the jail

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Subject: Send inmate mail

We estimate a couple business days for normal mail to make it into the facility. Once it is there, they inspect all parcels and then hand them out to the inmates. There might be a short delay inside the mail room.

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Subject: General prison questions-terminology

“Ask the Inmate” is not a direct communication link to a particular inmate; it is a question and answer forum between you and a former inmate who knows how things work on the inside. To communicate, you can write letters, postcards or send photos - you will have to go to your My Account area and click on the Inmate Page and then click "Letters". You will be able to communicate with them through there.

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Subject: Bail & bond questions

It depends on the total bail set at the hearing

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Subject: Send inmate mail

Yes they can. Inmates do not have access to the Internet. They send you the letter through our service - we receive them, scan them and place them in your My Account area for retrieval. This service is beneficial for people who want their home address private.  

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Subject: Visitation

Getting approved at one facility does not automatically carry over to others unless they are in the same system (state or federal), then you would be approved across all locations.

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