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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

You are doing all of the right things to stay connected. If you start writing letters, there is lag time in the beginning but after the first one gets there, then there'll be a stream of consistent letters for him just about every day - if you keep writing everyday.  InmateAid's letter service is as fast as there is and VERY reliable. The photo feature is the most popular. Setting up a phone account can get expensive if you are

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Subject: Commissary

TDCJ are required to do 85% of their sentence. The only possibility for parole is determined by the sentencing judge in the Judgement and Commitment Order. Ask your inmate's counselor f there is a provision for a parole hearing, usually commencing at the one-third mark in the sentence.

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Subject: Send inmate mail

Mail is considered sacred in a prison, detention center or jail.  InmateAid's service is not email; it is with the US Postal Service. Inmates do not have Internet access. We estimate that it takes 2-3 business days to make it to the jail. Once there, the staff opens and reads each piece of mail and inspects it for contraband. Any delay that occurs at the facility is out of our control. We make no guarantees as to how long it

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Subject: Visitation

Whether you can physically touch your family member during a visit depends almost entirely on the security level of the facility they are in. Contact visitation means you are in the same room with no barrier between you. A brief hug at the start and end of the visit is typically permitted, and you sit across a table or in chairs facing each other. This is the standard setup at most minimum and low security facilities, federal camps, and

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Subject: Send inmate mail

InmateAid's service is not email; it is with the US Postal Service. Inmates do not have Internet access. We estimate that it takes 2-3 business days to make it to the jail. Once there, the staff opens and reads each piece of mail and inspects it for contraband. Once they decide the mail is fit to be handed out at mail call, your inmate will receive it. Any delay that occurs at the facility is out of our control. We

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Subject: Send inmate mail

Yes, ALL mail is opened and read for content and the pictures are scrutinized before it is handed to the inmate at mail call.

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Subject: Sentence reduction

Inmates receive good time at the beginning of the sentence. As the time is served, the inmate can only lose the good time they are given by receiving incidence reports. Normally, good time is 15% of the sentence.

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Subject: Inmate phone calls

InmateAid's discount phone service works by providing a local phone number that reduces the per-minute cost of calls from long distance to local rates. The savings come from the difference between those two rate tiers. At Rikers Island, which is located in New York City, calls are already being billed at local rates because the facility is in the same rate center as most New York City phone numbers. There is no long-distance rate to reduce, which means an

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Subject: After prison challenges & services

No, your husband will not be able to see photos posted on his profile. Inmates do not have access to the internet, so anything uploaded to an online profile cannot be viewed by them inside the facility. The only reliable way for him to see photos is: Sending them through the mail Using a service like InmateAid to print and deliver the photos Once printed and mailed, he will receive them as physical pictures

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Subject: Commissary

If you need help with the magazine subscription service, please call 866-966-7100 we will give you additional discounts when you call in - that are NOT available when you do the transaction online

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