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

Yes, and having a physical limitation does not excuse an inmate from the work assignment system entirely. Correctional facilities do a reasonable job of matching inmates to jobs that fit their physical capabilities rather than simply leaving people with health issues unassigned. For someone who cannot walk properly or has significant mobility limitations, the facility's medical and classification staff document those restrictions and use them to determine appropriate placement. There are plenty of jobs inside that do not require physical labor...

On a 6-month sentence, good time credit is unlikely to make a meaningful difference. Most facilities do have some form of good behavior policy, but the practical reality is that short sentences rarely see significant reductions through that route. The main exceptions would be if he is an absolutely clean record and the facility is dealing with serious overcrowding, which sometimes accelerates releases to free up bed space. Outside of that, plan on him serving most or nearly all of...

Yes, definitely in federal prison and many state prison systems allow for it. BOP Handbook states: Inmate marriages will be requested, approved, and conducted in accordance with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations. Eligibility to marry. An inmate’s request to marry shall be approved provided: (a) The inmate is legally eligible to marry; (b) The inmate is mentally competent; (c) The intended spouse has verified, ordinarily in writing, an intention to marry the inmate; and (d) The marriage poses no threat to institution security or...

This is a serious situation and you need to act on multiple fronts simultaneously. Do not wait to see if it resolves on its own. Document everything right now. Write down everything your son told you, the dates, what happened, who was involved if names are known, what injuries occurred, and when. Every conversation you have from this point forward should be documented with dates and the names of people you spoke with. This record becomes the foundation for any complaint,...

You cannot simply mail medical footwear or a brace to the facility and expect it to reach him. Federal prisons do not accept outside packages containing clothing or medical equipment sent directly from family members. That pathway is blocked regardless of the medical need behind it. What can actually help him is working through the prison's medical system. The BOP is required to provide medically necessary equipment to inmates in its custody. If your husband is experiencing genuine pain and difficulty...

Our service is not a replacement for NCIC; we make using them less expensive by getting you a number that is in a better rate category. The phone service at the Calcasieu Parish Correctional Center is set up through a bid process. NCIC has the only contract for all inmate outbound calling and to tape record the calls. Therefore, you have to use them to receive calls. The choice is whether you pay NCIC for a long-distance call or a...

The rumor about an extended lockdown is plausible. When a serious incident occurs at a USP, particularly one involving injury to staff, lockdowns can run for weeks or even several months while the institution conducts investigations, identifies participants, and restores order. A broken wrist on a corrections officer is exactly the kind of event that triggers a long one. So while no one can confirm the February timeline from the outside, it would not be surprising if it held. Here is...

It will only say "processed", since this is mail through the USPS there is no verification of delivery available. 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...

Most facilities require visitors under 18 to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian during the visit itself, regardless of whether the minor has been individually approved on the visitation list. Being on the approved list and being allowed through the door alone are two different things. So yes, in most cases your parent would need to be present with you during the visit, and they would need to be on the approved list as well, which means submitting...

When someone is returned to prison for violating parole, the situation is different from a fresh sentence and the good time picture changes significantly. A parole violation typically results in the inmate being required to serve the remainder of the original sentence, meaning the portion they were released early to serve in the community. That unserved time gets reinstated and they go back in to finish it. Because this is not a new sentence being imposed but rather a reinstatement of...