Subject: Send inmate money
This request comes up regularly and the explanation given is not always the real one. Understanding what is actually happening helps you make an informed decision before you send any money.
The commissary limit explanation is real in the sense that it exists as a practice. Some facilities cap how much an inmate can spend through commissary in a given week or month and inmates who want to access more than their limit allows will route money through another inmate's account...
Read moreSubject: Visitation
there is no way to gain access to an inmate's visitation list through normal channels. they take great measures to keep all inmate information private.
Subject: General prison questions-terminology
Reading is the great escape. Concentrating on things you can control, not worry about things you can't - it is where the focus must lie. Inmates need to get into a routine which will make their time go by smoothly. They need to make a goal list of things to accomplish with all of this time on their hands, to not just waste it playing cards and bullshitting. If they are inclined, anyone can come out better than when they...
Read moreSubject: Send inmate mail
Yes, federal inmates can receive letters sent through InmateAid and the inmate does not need an account of their own for it to work.
Here is how it actually functions. InmateAid is a service used by people on the outside, not by inmates directly. Inmates in federal prison do not have internet access and cannot log into any online platform. The inmate profiles on the site are created by members and users, not by the inmates themselves, and InmateAid does not...
Read moreSubject: Arrest record search
We have a link on all of the InmateAid prison facility pages, the Inmate Search page and in the header bar for Arrest Records. Please click the link and follow the prompts. This is the MOST recent and accurate information available to the public. There are no better methods.
Subject: Education & vocational training
It depends on the institution. Most offer or require inmates get their GED equivalent. Some have decent vocational training. But, one of the biggest deficiencies in the prison system generally is the lack of under-graduation education. We think that the inmates should be prepared by the institutions for release and re-entry into society with better preparation to enter the job market. This is something that is on the InmateAid agenda going forward.
Subject: Prison discipline
No. That is one of the most persistent myths about prison and it comes almost entirely from television and movies that need conflict to fill airtime.
The reality is that most days inside look nothing like what gets portrayed on screen. Inmates wake up, eat, go to work assignments or programming, exercise, watch television, read, and go to sleep. That routine repeats itself day after day and for the majority of people serving time it passes without physical confrontation.
Prison does have...
Read moreSubject: Pending criminal charges
Yes, and the answer is more absolute than most people expect. If a judge has issued a bench warrant for any reason, including an unpaid traffic ticket, that warrant is a legal hold that the releasing facility is obligated to honor regardless of the circumstances surrounding it. Medical condition, upcoming surgery, length of time served, none of those factors automatically override an active warrant.
When an inmate is released from one facility with an active hold from another jurisdiction, the releasing...
Read moreSubject: Pending criminal charges
You can check with the GDC inmate locator to see if they are listing anything about his appeal and/or added time to his sentence with an escape charge. You can also call the facility and ask to speak to a case manager or counselor and see if they will give you any information.
Subject: Bail & bond questions
Was he granted a bail hearing or is he held without a bond? Even with the "no prior history" on his record, the charges are very serious and the likelihood he receives straight probation is dubious. But, please understand that we are not lawyers and also do not have access to the complete record so we are giving a general response based on years of experience but in no way should you rely on our answer in making any decisions....
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