Subject: Prison food
Not great. The meal plans are prepared by a registered dietician with foods that meet the daily minimum requirements for calories, carbohydrates, proteins and nutrients. But, they use limited spices and condiments for taste, so the meals end up being somewhat bland.
Subject: Relationship issues
At the risk of being too promotional for the merits of InmateAid, simply click on the Letters and Photos section write that inmate letting them know exactly how you feel. And keeping with the spirit of what we do, you can keep your location anonymous using our service, too.
Subject: Sentencing questions
Court costs assessed as part of a judgment and commitment are your son's financial obligation, not yours. You are not legally required to do anything with that letter, and no one can compel you to pay his court costs on his behalf.
As for your son, the debt is real but the collection reality is practical. While he is incarcerated and not earning income, there is no mechanism to force payment. Court costs become something he will need to address after...
Read moreSubject: Family services
There are agencies that offer support in varying degrees of effectiveness. What "help" were you seeking specifically, maybe we can point you in the right direction?
Subject: General prison questions-terminology
Contact the Clerk of the Court in the county where he was sentenced. Court fines, fees, and costs are public record tied to the case, and the clerk's office can give you a current balance. In many jurisdictions, you can also look this up online through the court's case management portal by searching his name or case number.
On whether you can pay it for him: in most cases, there is no legal restriction on a third party paying an inmate's...
Read moreSubject: Survive prison
Inmates can and do get most anything smuggled in. Drugs and liquor are available inside and outside, therefore you have to stop worrying because if you cannot get him to stay sober on the outside, he will be spending a lot more time inside. The user has to want to quit, your "wanting it for them" is just complicating your life.
Subject: Release questions
Usually, they start out in a halfway house to get acclimated to the street again. Once there, the staff works to get them employed and housed for release from the halfway and have a successful reentry
Subject: Re-entry & rehabilitation
Attendance at substance abuse programs is generally not mandatory, but it is strongly encouraged and in some cases tied to parole eligibility or sentence reduction benefits in ways that make participation effectively necessary for anyone who wants to get out at the earliest opportunity.
Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings are available at virtually every correctional facility in the country. They are volunteer-driven programs where outside members come into the facility to run meetings, which means they operate at a remarkably...
Read moreSubject: Marriage in prison
Our advice would be to hold off until he gets out. Create some memories with real wedding pics and not those of doing this while he has his prison uniform on. BUT, if you are hell-bent on proceeding, then you should call the chaplain and see if they will do the ceremony.
Subject: Family services
Wow, that is amazing that you are wanting to do this. First, find out where he is and then send him a letter. Get the communication going between you. Once you feel that he is open to a meeting, you can apply for visitation approval and then go see him.
