Subject: Commissary
Commissary shopping days are different in every institution. Most are set days based upon their housing unit, inmate ID number or first initial of their last name. The cost of sneakers ranges from $50 - $100 depending on the brand and style. Usually there are 3-5 options to choose from.
Subject: Visitation
Most facilities have a provision specifically for situations like yours, commonly referred to as a special visit or extended visit for out-of-town family. The distance you are traveling qualifies you to request this. It is not automatic, but it is a recognized accommodation that facilities are generally willing to arrange when the request is made properly in advance.
Do not just show up and hope for the best. Call the facility before you make the trip and ask to speak with...
Read moreSubject: Medical treatment
The infirmary at Centinela is the prison's medical facility. When an inmate at a fire camp needs a level of medical care that the camp itself cannot provide, they are transported to the nearest state prison with the appropriate medical resources. Fire camps are minimum security settings with limited on-site medical staff, so anything beyond basic care gets referred out.
The most straightforward explanation for what you are seeing is that your husband needed medical attention that required a proper infirmary....
Read moreSubject: Inmate phone calls
Elmore County Jail in Idaho uses Telemate, their website is gettingout.com. Whomever is the contract provider has a monopoly on the prices. You have to use them to receive inmate calls. If you are long distance from the jail, we can make the calls cheaper by getting you a local number. Your inmate would dial locally but the calls forward to whatever type of phone you have - Telmate charges the lower rate for all the calls.
Subject: General prison questions-terminology
If you were in, then you already know the answer - "snitches get stitches"
Subject: Send inmate mail
In most cases, the letter will not be forwarded if you sent it to the wrong facility.
What usually happens:
The jail or prison sees the inmate is no longer there
The mail is either:
Returned to sender, or
Sometimes not processed at all depending on the situation
Facilities generally do not forward mail to another location.
If you used InmateAid:
You can provide the correct facility and inmate ID
The letter can be resent at no charge
What you should do now:
Confirm his current location
Resend the letter with:
Full name
Inmate ID number
Correct facility address
Bottom line:
Mail is almost...
Read moreSubject: General prison questions-terminology
No, not in the way you are probably picturing. You can send things that are "gifts" but in the form of what may be sent into a detention facility. [Sending a Letter](https://www.inmateaid.com/letters) with lots of photos is a great way to make an inmate's day. [Magazine subscriptions](https://www.inmateaid.com/shop/magazines) are the gift that keeps on giving, month after month all year long. Books, money and phone time are also great ways to show that you care.
Subject: Send inmate mail
You can send pretty much anything as long as there are no drugs, tattoos or gang depictions in the picture. If you are interested in "sexy pictures", they are acceptable as long as there are no private parts visible. Photos with you in lingerie or a bikini are perfectly fine, just try and keep it as tasteful as possible.
Subject: Marriage in prison
In many institutions will allow inmates to marry. There are some criteria, one being that they must have a sentence longer than one year. Call the facility chaplain for details.
What legal process applies is related to the rules of the place where the person is incarcerated, the terms of their sentence, practicalities, etc. The laws applicable to marriage however, are no different for someone who is in jail versus someone who is not.
The Supreme Court recognized marriage as a fundamental...
Read moreSubject: Inmate search
San Quentin State Prison: 415-454-1460 CDCR [Inmate Search](http://inmatelocator.cdcr.ca.gov/)
