Usually, new inmates must go through orientation. That happens within a week. Inmates that communicate well with their counselors and case managers can sometimes convince them to get family members approved faster than normal. It depends on the inmate's persistence.

Life inside prison is like the movie "Groundhog Day". Every day is the exact same as the day before. Boredom dominates the menu. The only way to sanity is to get into a routine you can live with. You have a lot of time to think and getting into a routine takes you away from lamenting on your situation and more towards feeling as though you have a purpose and some hope for a better future.

Inmates must go through a short orientation program before the privileges are activated. They can, however, receive letters or postcards from InmateAid and they can write back.

No, to either. This is absolutely forbidden.

Usually, about one week. The BOP sets the new inmate Admissions and Orientation on Wednesday. If the inmate gets there on a Tuesday it's only a one day wait. 

You can try calling and see if a staff member will do it for you. It is against the rules in most places, but sometimes if you're nice they will make an exception. The alternative is to write them a letter or postcard to let them know what's up.

Not normally. You can call the facility and speak to a counselor or case manager and ask nicely if they will relay a message. The rules are usually against this, but if you ask nicely, they might pass along your urgent message.

You are speaking to someone that did 66 months. A one-year sentence is considered not too rigid or hard on the inmate. Time will fly by once they get into a routine. He will be able to read magazines and books to his heart's desire as he has plenty of idle time. Prison rape, although evident in some places, one-year sentence inmates are normally not in the type of facility where this is more likely to happen. Short-timers are

Yes, when inmates are getting transferred, they are told to "pack out". This entails getting all of your property in one box and "packed" for shipping to the new locale. Most of what may be packed are letters, photos, reading material and some items bought at the commissary

First, you arrive at booking in handcuffs and are then are processed by a member of the sheriff or police staff. Processing includes fingerprinting and a mugshot. You are stripped bare and checked for concealed contraband. You are then showered and given a set of stand-issue prison clothes and some form of a bedroll and are then placed in a holding cell. The next move is a placement somewhere in the facility (depending on your crime and criminal history profile) and a semi-permanent bunk