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

Some facilities do offer online commissary services where you can purchase food or small items like snack packages, but it depends entirely on the specific jail or prison your dad is in. Each facility contracts with different vendors, so there is no single system that works everywhere. If his facility supports it, you would typically order through that approved vendor’s website, and the items are delivered directly to your dad through commissary. That is the only way food items like cupcakes...

Yes, that is generally how it works, but it depends on the type of sentence and the system he is in. In many state systems, inmates are required to serve a percentage of their sentence, often around 85% for certain offenses. That means they do not serve the full sentence if they earn and keep their good time credits. For example: A 3 year sentence at 85% means serving about 2 years and 6 months A 16 month sentence at 85% means serving about...

If your husband was transferred from another federal facility, his inmate trust account balance will follow him. The Bureau of Prisons keeps that account centralized, so the money moves with him automatically. He should have access to those funds once he is processed into FDC Miami, though it can take a few days during intake for everything to show up and become available. If he was coming from a county jail or a state facility, it is different. Those systems do...

Every single day counts. Time served at the county jail, time served at a reception center, and time served at any other facility all accumulate toward the release date without exception. Not one day of incarceration is thrown away or ignored in the calculation. Here is how the credits in your situation stack up. Your husband had one month in the county before sentencing, plus the 60 days of credit the judge formally granted at sentencing. Then three months at WASCOP...

We get you a local telephone number to use with the service at the prison. You cannot use this as a substitute for them, nor can you accept a collect call through our number. The easiest way is to have your inmate buy calling cards from the commissary and dial the local number we issued you - it will ring on your number without changing anything on your end. Calling cards are available at the commissary in denominations of $10,...

Two or more penal sentences that are served simultaneously: the total sentence period equals the duration of the longest sentence. Sentences that may all be served at the same time, with the longest period controlling, are concurrent sentences. Judges may sentence concurrently out of compassion, plea bargaining, or the fact that the several crimes are interrelated. When the sentences run one after the other, they are consecutive sentences. In contrast, consecutive sentences run one after another: the total sentence period is...

When someone gets time for a parole violation, where they serve that time depends on how the court and the parole authority structured the sentence. In most cases, a parole violation means the person is being returned to custody to serve time tied to the original sentence. That usually places them in state prison, not county jail, because they are still under the jurisdiction of the original case. The 160 days your husband received is the sanction for the violation. Whether he...

There is a nurse's station inside the prison that is visited 3-4 times a week by a local physician. Your inmate will get a complete physical when entering the facility and any medical attention that is required or medicine that they will need going forward gets handled there. Inmates that feel sick may request a doctor's visit, this is referred to as a "sick call". When the doctor arrives, the inmate will be called to the appointment, diagnosed and treated...

In most cases, inmates do not have access to regular email or the internet, so they cannot choose to send you a message electronically just because you provided your email or entered payment information online. If you include your home address when sending a letter, that is where the inmate will write back. Their response will come through standard postal mail, not email. They will use stamps and envelopes from their commissary account, or if they have no funds, the facility...

Within the same state system, visitation lists generally do transfer when an inmate is relocated. Missouri Department of Corrections facilities share inmate records, and an approved visitor at one facility should carry over to the new one without having to reapply from scratch, provided nothing has changed in your background or personal information since the original approval. That said, confirming your status before making the trip is always worth doing. The transfer process does not always happen instantly, and there can...

Sending a care package to an inmate involves a straightforward process, but it requires using approved vendors and adhering to the correctional facility's guidelines. Here’s a detailed guide on how to send a care package, what it typically includes, the costs, and the websites you can use: 1. Choose an Approved Vendor: Most correctional facilities only accept care packages from specific vendors. Here are some of the most reputable and widely used websites: Access Securepak: Access Securepak Union Supply Direct: Union Supply Direct iCare Gifts:...

His lawyer can only negotiate with the prosecution for a plea deal to avoid a trial. The recommendation by the prosecution is only that, it is not binding on the judge at sentencing. The judge can reject a plea deal and sentence to whatever they decide.  It sounds like there is a lot of history there that the judge must consider. The prosecutor nor his lawyer can make a promise that is adhered to by the judge. The other part...