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

If you purchased the magazine subscriptions through InmateAid, this is straightforward. Just email InmateAid the new facility name and address and the team will contact the publisher directly to update the delivery address. Your inmate will not miss an issue in the process. If the subscriptions were purchased elsewhere, you will need to contact each publisher directly and provide the updated facility address along with your inmate's full name and ID number. Publishers typically allow address changes by phone or through...

No. Telmate is a prison telephone service provider whose contracts are won via government bidding process. Once they have a contract, they are the only provider for that facility. We would all love to have a business where people HAD to use it, but there was no competition for the service. Therefore, Telmate can pretty much set the prices wherever they want. InmateAid offers a service that is NOT a replacement for Telmate (and the other providers), but a solution for...

Most facilities have a provision specifically for situations like yours, commonly referred to as a special visit or extended visit for out-of-town family. The distance you are traveling qualifies you to request this. It is not automatic, but it is a recognized accommodation that facilities are generally willing to arrange when the request is made properly in advance. Do not just show up and hope for the best. Call the facility before you make the trip and ask to speak with...

The infirmary at Centinela is the prison's medical facility. When an inmate at a fire camp needs a level of medical care that the camp itself cannot provide, they are transported to the nearest state prison with the appropriate medical resources. Fire camps are minimum security settings with limited on-site medical staff, so anything beyond basic care gets referred out. The most straightforward explanation for what you are seeing is that your husband needed medical attention that required a proper infirmary....

In most cases, the letter will not be forwarded if you sent it to the wrong facility. What usually happens: The jail or prison sees the inmate is no longer there The mail is either: Returned to sender, or Sometimes not processed at all depending on the situation Facilities generally do not forward mail to another location. If you used InmateAid: You can provide the correct facility and inmate ID The letter can be resent at no charge What you should do now: Confirm his current location Resend the letter with: Full name Inmate ID number Correct facility address Bottom line: Mail is almost...