The phone service at all of the prisons in the Arkansas Department of Correction is set up through bid process. In this case, GTL has the contract for all inmate outbound calling and to tape record the calls - essentially a monopoly. Therefore, you have to use them to receive any calls. The choice is whether you pay GTL for a long distance call (to your number) or a local call (to a number that we get you). If you...

At McCreary Satellite Camp in Pine Knot, KY, the discount phone service option is unfortunately not available. This is one of those rare locations where local number solutions cannot be set up due to how the phone lines are configured in that area. Here is how the phone system works there: All federal inmates use the Bureau of Prisons phone system, which is a closed system. Your loved one has to add your number to their approved calling list, and calls can...

There is no notification system where someone tells the inmate a letter was sent online. From their side, it looks just like regular mail. When you send a letter through InmateAid, it is printed out and mailed through the U.S. Postal Service. Once it arrives at the jail, staff will open and inspect it, and then it is delivered during normal mail call. Your inmate will not know it was sent online unless you mention it in the letter. To them, it...

When your husband arrives at Colwell Detention Center, he will first go through an intake process called Admission and Orientation, often referred to as A and O. During this time, the facility evaluates him, assigns housing, and sets up his records. This intake period usually takes anywhere from a few days up to a couple of weeks, depending on the facility. In some cases, parts of orientation can extend longer, but basic processing is typically done within the first week or...

When an inmate is transferred without notice, it can feel like they disappeared, but there are a few common reasons and ways to track them down. Based on what you described, a transfer by air is often a sign that the inmate may be in federal custody or being moved under the U.S. Marshals Service. State inmates are usually transported by ground unless it is a long distance transfer, but flights are much more common with federal movement. Here are the most...

Some facilities do offer online commissary services where you can purchase food or small items like snack packages, but it depends entirely on the specific jail or prison your dad is in. Each facility contracts with different vendors, so there is no single system that works everywhere. If his facility supports it, you would typically order through that approved vendor’s website, and the items are delivered directly to your dad through commissary. That is the only way food items like cupcakes...

Yes, that is generally how it works, but it depends on the type of sentence and the system he is in. In many state systems, inmates are required to serve a percentage of their sentence, often around 85% for certain offenses. That means they do not serve the full sentence if they earn and keep their good time credits. For example: A 3 year sentence at 85% means serving about 2 years and 6 months A 16 month sentence at 85% means serving about...