Subject: Inmate services & supplies
Unfortunately, no, and Alderson followed the rules correctly when they returned it.
Federal prisons do not accept packages from outside vendors or individuals, regardless of whether the item is sealed, commercially produced, or clearly benign. The Bureau of Prisons has strict rules about what can come in from the outside, and a photo album shipped directly to the facility falls outside those rules no matter how thoughtful the intention behind it.
The workaround is simple and it actually works out well. Put...
Read moreSubject: Clemency - pardons
It is every inmate's right to ask for clemency. If you have a drug offense and are in the federal BOP, Obama was giving out clemency tickets by the hundreds. There have been zero for sex offenders. The states also offer a way to apply to their governor for clemency. These are long, long shots for success. Long sentenced drug criminals have had a lot of attention from the Obama Administration - he has pardoned or granted clemency to more...
Read moreSubject: Inmate search
VINELink.com is the fastest starting point for locating a lost inmate number. Search by name and state to retrieve current custody information including facility and inmate ID. The Iowa Department of Corrections offender search at doc.iowa.gov is also a reliable resource for Fort Dodge.
Subject: Release questions
If he is not in the state prison system or the federal BOP, there are no online postings for release dates. Even some states still do not have the release dates posted on their website. We would simply ask your inmate, because every inmate knows the exact day they are leaving.
Subject: Release questions
There are a few ways to track down a release date, but the situation you are describing raises a question worth sitting with first.
Most state and federal prison systems have an inmate locator on their department of corrections website that displays basic information including projected release dates. That is your fastest starting point. Search the DOC website for whatever state he is in, plug in his name or inmate number, and see what comes up. Many of those systems display...
Read moreSubject: Medical treatment
Yes, the medical records are the property of the inmate and are allowed a copy. Have him fill out a "cop out" request for them.
Subject: Marriage in prison
Yes, being incarcerated does not strip someone of the legal right to file for divorce. It complicates the process but it does not make it impossible.
The facility itself is not going to help him pursue a divorce. If he asks, the standard advice from jail staff will be to wait until he is released and handle it then. That is the path of least resistance for everyone involved except him.
If waiting is not an option, he needs to file a...
Read moreSubject: Send inmate mail
The inmate will have to be the one to let you know. As you are aware, a postcard is delivered by the USPS and during the holiday season, mail deliveries are later than normal. Please be patient, we deliver tens of thousands of postcards and letters a week, if the prison location is correct and you have their inmate ID number, they will definitely get it.
Subject: Family services
b Custody relates to the arrangements of a child custody determination. Depending on the state, there are varying parameters that are followed. This might be a visitation restriction or something related to the way joint custody will be handled between the two parents.
Subject: Relationship issues
You know your guy better than most, use your intuition. If he is a player on the streets he gonna try and be a player from inside, too. Most jail term relationships fall apart when they are released, not while they are in custody. But you already know who he is and that should help you with your decision.
