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

Two month sentence inmates are called "short-timers". The inmates they will do time with are not interested in fighting unless they feel disrespected. Disrespect can come in many forms but if the inmate keeps to themselves and doesn't create conflict, if they keep their mouth shut, their opinions to themselves nothing will happen. As easy as it is to stay out of conflict and just as easy to get into conflict. If he is telling you it is not that bad, he will...

In most cases, you will need to do at least one of the two, and sometimes both depending on how the facility handles calls. At Hoke Correctional Institution in North Carolina, calls are handled through a contracted phone provider. That means: Option 1: You set up and fund the phone account (best option) Create an account with the prison’s phone provider Add money to your account Your husband calls you and the cost is deducted from your balance This allows you to pay for the calls directly...

A month without a call after setting up a phone account is frustrating, and there are several reasons it could be happening that have nothing to do with whether he is trying to reach you. The first thing to check is whether your number is on his approved call list. Setting up a funding account and getting a number added to the approved contact list are two separate steps. The money being there does not automatically mean your number is cleared...

When someone has served time in one state but is originally from another, the path home is not always a straight line. Interstate transfers and the timeline involved depend heavily on whether any detainers or pending charges exist along the way. A detainer is a formal hold placed by a jurisdiction that has an outstanding warrant, charge, or case pending against an inmate. Even something minor can trigger a detainer and once one is in place the releasing facility cannot simply...

It is possible, but very rare, especially if the funeral is in another state. For an inmate to attend a funeral, the facility would have to grant a furlough, which means temporary release under supervision. This is tightly controlled and only approved in limited situations. What affects approval: Custody level, minimum security inmates have a better chance Time remaining on the sentence Disciplinary record Nature of the offense Security risks and logistics Out of state travel makes approval even less likely because it requires more coordination, staffing, and cost. What...

The general rule across most facilities is straightforward. If you are 18 or older you can visit on your own as long as you are on the approved visitor list. If you are under 18 you must be accompanied by an adult to be allowed into the facility. That adult has to be an approved visitor as well. You cannot bring a minor to a prison or jail visit with someone who has not already been cleared through the visitation approval...

A parole revocation on a sentence this size is a serious situation and the realistic outlook depends heavily on what caused the violation, the supervising parole officer's recommendation, and ultimately what the parole board decides. The most optimistic outcomes, a nine-month flop or placement in a therapeutic program like a men's healing center, are typically reserved for people early in a long sentence who have demonstrated genuine progress and whose violation was relatively minor. A flop means being returned to custody...

It is completely understandable to be worried, especially since this is his first time and communication suddenly stopped. The most important thing to know is that gaps like this are very common in prison, especially early on. It does not automatically mean something is wrong. Common reasons you have not heard from him: Loss of phone privileges due to a minor rule violation Facility lockdown or unit restrictions Transfers within the prison or housing changes Limited phone access or broken phones Processing delays, especially if he is new What...

Absolutely. It does not replace any phone carrier that is in place at the county jail, it makes their calls cheaper by making the inmate's outbound call a local call. There is a big price difference between local and long distance pricing dialing out of a county jail. If your number is not local, email us the name of the jail and your phone number. We will run a diagnostic on the computer to see if there is enough of...

When someone has been approved for release but gets transferred to a prerelease facility to complete a required program first, the timeline depends entirely on the specific program they have been placed in and how that facility runs it. The FI-6 designation in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice system refers to a faith-based prerelease program. These programs are structured and have a defined length, typically running anywhere from six months to a year, depending on the specific curriculum and the...

Inmate jobs in jail and prison fall into two broad categories: facility maintenance work that keeps the institution running, and specialized positions that require more skill or trust. Facility maintenance is where most inmates start. Kitchen work, cleaning common areas and bathrooms, landscaping, laundry, and general upkeep are the jobs that everyone rotates through. They are not glamorous but they provide structure, get inmates out of their cells, and can count toward good behavior records. Specialized positions open up for inmates who...