Ask The Inmate. Real answers from people who've been there.

The rules are pretty narrow on this one. When transferring from a county jail facility into the Travis County SMART program, you are allowed to bring two categories of items with you. The first is anything you purchased through the commissary during your time at the jail. Clothing, hygiene products, snacks, and other commissary items you bought with your own money are yours to take. The second category covers personal mail, legal documents, and any personal writings. Letters you received, legal paperwork...

There is no honest answer to that without knowing a lot more about the specifics, and anyone who tells you otherwise is guessing. A 10-year-old simple assault warrant is a misdemeanor, which is on the lower end of the spectrum. That works in your favor. But the outcome of turning yourself in depends on several things that vary case by case: the jurisdiction, the judge, the original circumstances of the assault, whether the victim is still involved or has any interest...

It happens, and it is probably more common than the staff would like to admit. Halfway houses are unique in the reentry landscape because they are one of the only supervised settings where men and women actually share common spaces. In prison or jail, that is simply not a reality. The facilities are either fully segregated or contact between male and female populations is so tightly controlled it is essentially impossible without serious risk, including paying off staff, which does happen...

It depends on your financial situation, but $300 is a solid starting point if you can manage it. When you first arrive, the facility issues necessities, but basic is the right word for it. The soap, shampoo, and toiletries they hand you are the bare minimum, and most inmates replace them with name-brand versions from the commissary as soon as they can. It is a small thing that makes a real difference in daily comfort. Beyond toiletries, there are a few items...

The honest answer is that it depends heavily on the severity of the condition and how it manifests day to day. First, some context worth having. Mental illness in the prison population is extraordinarily common. A significant portion of people who end up incarcerated are dealing with some form of untreated or under-treated mental health issue. That is not an excuse for the choices that led them there, but it is a reality of the environment. You are rarely the only...