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Ask a former inmate questions at no charge. The inmate answering has spent considerable time in the federal prison system, state and county jails, and in a prison that was run by the private prison entity CCA.

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Subject: General prison questions-terminology

could you be more specific?

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Subject: Commissary

The Northern Reception and Classification Center (NRC) functions as the major adult male intake and processing unit for the entire state of Illinois. The NRC contains 1,800 beds in 24 housing units. Within the NRC is also the Stateville Minimum Security Unit. Inmates are admitted to the NRC in reception status. They remain in this status until they are transferred to a permanent institution. Privileges and movement are limited at the reception center. There is no set time frame for processing an inmate;

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Subject: Survive prison

Yes, you can, and you have some good reasoning behind wanting to do so. We encourage you to write using our Letter Service, it keeps your personal address anonymous. If he wants to write you back, he can do so to our address and we scan the mail and place it in your Account Dashboard under "Letters from Inmates".

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Subject: Release questions

If what you are saying is accurate, 25% off 48 months is 12 months leaving 36 months of time. BUT, there are some other factors that could make the sentence even less, like if the judge allows this convict to have parole. If eligible they could conceivably get more time off but spend it on the streets as a parolee.

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Subject: Work release

The most common reason is that the inmate did something to lose the privilege. Work release is not a right, it is an earned status granted to inmates who have demonstrated they can be trusted with limited freedom in the community. When that trust is broken, the program ends and the inmate goes back to a standard facility. The specific violations that trigger removal vary but typically include failing to report to work, coming back to the facility late,

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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.

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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.

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