In the federal system, “the hole” is called the Special Housing Unit (SHU), and the amount of time an inmate spends there after a fight can vary quite a bit. There is no true “average,” but here is a realistic range: Investigation phase: It is common for inmates to be placed in SHU for a week or two while staff review what happened. Your fiancé being there for 9 days so far fits within that normal window. After the hearing (if charged): If the Disciplinary Hearing Officer (DHO)...

Custody level assignment is not permanent, but it is not easily changed either. When an inmate enters the system, their initial placement is determined by a combination of factors including the nature of the offense, whether violence or weapons were involved, the length of the sentence, and their prior criminal history. A level 3 placement reflects a moderate to higher security classification that the system determined was appropriate at the start of the sentence. From that starting point, the path toward...

Getting information about what happened at a parole board hearing is not straightforward, and how much access you have depends largely on your relationship to the inmate. If you are a family member, the most direct route is to call the facility and ask to speak with your family member's counselor or case manager. They are the primary point of contact between the inmate and the outside world on matters like this, and they will generally share the outcome of a...

Two weeks into a seven year sentence at Safford Graham Unit is one of the most disorienting stretches of any incarceration, and not just for the inmate. For families on the outside waiting for mail to arrive and calls to come through, the silence of the early weeks can feel alarming even when nothing is actually wrong. What is almost certainly happening is that your son is working through Admissions and Orientation, commonly known as A and O. This is a...

It is natural to worry about a family member entering an unfamiliar facility, and the instinct to ask whether it is a good place comes from a real place of concern. The honest answer is that no prison is comfortable, but the reality of day-to-day life inside is usually far less dramatic than television and movies suggest. The inmate population at most facilities shares one overwhelming priority, getting out. That common goal creates a baseline level of cooperation that most people...

Immigration detention is one of the most difficult situations to predict with any confidence because the variables are numerous and the political climate surrounding enforcement shifts frequently. What we can do is walk through the factors that will most directly shape what happens next. The initial appearance before an immigration magistrate is the critical first event. At that hearing, a bond determination will be made. If bond is set, that is an encouraging sign. It means the court does not view...

With five counts of first degree burglary and five counts of second degree criminal property damage, the charge volume alone signals serious exposure. But the actual sentence that results from these charges depends on several variables that cannot be assessed without knowing the specifics of the case. Criminal history is the first and most significant factor. A defendant with no prior record faces a very different sentencing landscape than one with prior felony convictions. Repeat offenders can face mandatory minimums, habitual...

Most correctional facilities maintain a clear policy on what reading material is permitted inside. The three categories that are almost universally prohibited are magazines featuring nudity, firearms or weapons content, and anything associated with gang culture or activity. The reasoning is consistent across facilities; these materials are considered either a security risk or a threat to the order and rehabilitation environment the facility is trying to maintain. Beyond those restrictions, the range of approved publications is fairly broad. Sports, news, entertainment,...