Help for Inmates Before, During and After Prison

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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.

Ask your question or browse previous questions in response to comments or further questions of members of the InmateAid community.

Subject: Visitation

How long does it take to get approved for visitation?

It could take up to a week or so to gain approval. The facility normally does not notify you when you are approved. It is your inmate's responsibility to let you know. There are a couple of different types of visitation for inmates: Video visitation is becoming more common and in some instances can be done from the comfort of your own home. Video visitation works similar to the way you would use Facetime or Skype. Non-contact or telephone

Subject: Send inmate mail

Is there a minimum amount required to send post cards

$0.99

Subject: Inmate phone calls

Will the inmate know that he had money to make a phone call or do I have to call up there?

The inmate is notified that they have money in their trust account by their counselor or through the internal communication system (i.e.Trulincs in BOP)

Subject: Inmate search

Can you tell me what is meant by " D1A status? "

If you are referring to the CDCR vernacular, the term D1A is for inmates that are classified as Developmentally Disabled. There are three custody levels and here is how they rank - DD1 D1A DD2 DD3. Once an inmate is designated D1A, the basic support services are provided to them.

Subject: Relationship issues

why don't criminals realize the people they love have to pay in their absence?

It's called "super-optimism", where criminal thinking always expects to achieve success in any scheme they hatch They plan meticulously, gather resources, and when it is time to go hot, they proceed with a maddening sense of optimism that for a moment they feel invisible and untouchable. There are no negative thoughts, therefore, they are not thinking about the consequences. In the end, it is blind optimism where everyone else pays for the gamble that didn't pay off.

Subject: Prison discipline

Who Do I Call at the Prison to Check on My Inmate?

Two weeks without contact from someone who normally calls every few days is worth following up on, and calling the facility directly is exactly the right move. When you call, ask to be connected to one of the following people in this order of likelihood to be helpful: the unit secretary, the counselor assigned to his unit, his case manager, or the warden's office. The unit secretary and counselor are often the most accessible and the most willing to

Subject: Prison discipline

What rights do inmates have?

There are no limits to the length of a lockdown. The warden is the final decision-maker when the lockdown is lifted. The warden only answers to the head of the BOP. The BOP only answers to the DOJ and inmates do not have any "rights" except the right to privacy as it relates to their visitation list, phone list and commissary money spent.

Subject: Marriage in prison

How do i marry someone in usp mccreary pine knot Kentucky

You can petition the staff for a marriage waiver. The inmate must have an impeccable record while incarcerated and is not someone with a short sentence. Contact the case manager, counselor or warden to get the exact details and if your inmate is eligible for matrimony

Subject: After prison challenges & services

How do you find out if an inmate is in solitary confinement

You can call the facility and ask to speak to the counselor or case manager.

Subject: Prison discipline

What happens with person with 1st degree csc charge in Michigan

They are in serious trouble, probably a 20 year or more sentence and a lifetime of dealing with the sexual predator label.