Ask The Inmate. Real answers from people who've been there.

The problem is that this country has been taking a tough stance when it comes to illegal immigration. They are holding people for months and months. In this case, the "material witness" issue is not necessarily related to him being an illegal alien. There are rules that allow the prosecution to hold a witness they deem as material to their case if they are fearful that they are a flight risk and ruin their case. Since September 11, 2001, the...

Prison life is defined by the type of prison you do your time in. Maximum security prisons have the offenders with the longest sentences for the worst crimes. Those inmates have little to lose when it comes to imposing their will on other inmates in there. It can be brutal at times and there are some really violent episodes that occur. Generally, as the custody level lowers, so does the level of brutality but this is certainly not without exceptions....

The sentencing phase is based on a point system set up by the legislature that writes the laws. The higher the points, the longer the sentence. The judge has discretion to determine the sentence, there are a few factors with which to base their determination: criminal conduct history; was the offender the main actor in the crime; were there victims that were injured or killed; were there aggravating circumstances when an offender was particularly cruel to a victim -...

The simplest approach is to call the facility directly. Call the main number, which you can find through InmateAid's facility directory or the state department of corrections website, and ask the operator or whoever answers to connect you with the case manager or counselor assigned to your family member's housing unit. Have your family member's full legal name and inmate ID number ready when you call. Most facilities assign case managers by housing unit rather than by individual inmate, so the...

Yes, it is possible, and the way it typically works is that everyone involved in or connected to an incident gets written up regardless of how peripheral their role was. If another inmate came into your husband's cell to wait out a situation happening elsewhere, and officers found them there, both the person who entered and the person whose cell it was can end up with an infraction. Guilt by association is very real inside and officers do not always...

In California, most inmates are required to serve 85 percent of their imposed sentence before becoming eligible for release. On a 16 month sentence that works out to approximately 13 and a half months of actual time served. California moved to the 85 percent rule for most offenses as part of truth in sentencing reforms that eliminated the possibility of serving just half a sentence on many charges. The days of doing a third or half of your time and walking...

Inmates that have money on their inmate trust accounts can purchase stamps and envelopes at the weekly commissary. If they do not have money on their books, the prison will provide indigent inmates with all the materials necessary to send out mail to their loved ones. If your inmate writes to you directly, using your address, the cost of the mailing is a 49 cent stamp. Many of our members use the Inmate Response Mail service through InmateAid. Your inmate would...