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

What you are describing is a well-documented federal crime, and your instincts to be concerned are correct. Tax fraud schemes run from inside prison have received significant national attention and federal prosecution. The pattern is consistent: an incarcerated person collects Social Security numbers from fellow inmates or outside contacts, files false tax returns claiming refunds those people never earned, and routes the money through prepaid cards, debit cards, or bank accounts controlled by outside accomplices. The request for blank checks, account...

If your inmate is doing her time in the federal system, the halfway house is pretty much standard release protocol. We have heard of inmates denying halfway house altogether and are able to finish their sentence "inside". As far as release completely, this is up the the language in the Judgement and Commitment document written by the judge who sentenced her. If there is a period of supervised release, then "running" would be foolish. The BOP will not keep an...

The letter and photo service from InmateAid is straightforward, it is mailed using the US Postal Service. You type up a letter and upload photos where applicable - proceed to the Pay Now page and complete the transaction. The letter order flows through our Admin area to the Processing Department. Letters are processed immediately upon entry unless it is after 6pm on Saturday, then the letters do not go through the process until Monday morning. You may check in your My Account area to see the status...

For a short sentence like 30 days, most facilities still apply good time credit, but the reduction is usually small. In general: Many systems require about 85% of the sentence to be served On a 30 day sentence, that typically means serving around 25 to 26 days So he might get out 4 to 5 days early, assuming no disciplinary issues For very short stays, some facilities may not apply credits the same way, but most do give at least a small reduction. Release time of day: Inmates are almost...

No, you cannot send an MP3 player directly to your son, whether it is new or used. Facilities have very strict rules about property, and personal electronics are not allowed to be mailed in from the outside. If you try to send one, it will almost always be rejected and returned. If MP3 players are allowed at his facility, they must be: Purchased through the prison’s approved vendor or commissary system Designed specifically for inmate use Pre approved and registered to that inmate Here is what...

The primary way to get a sentence reduction without having to cooperate with the government with substantial assistance in convicting someone else is the Residential Drug Addiction Program (RDAP). If the inmate is eligible, there is a nine month program what once completed will reduce the sentence up to twelve months along with a guarantee of six months of halfway house.  If you have more detailed questions about this, we have people here that have gone through the program and know more about it than anyone...

If your inmate calls are routing through a long distance number to you, the VERY best way is to get a line that is matched to the rate center of the prison. The prison phone companies normally charge much higher rates for long distance calls versus local calls. We can get a better rate through this matching process. Our fee is $19.95 which is covered by the savings in about 4-5 calls in most cases. Depending on the number of...

In federal cases, especially drug conspiracy charges, there is a strong likelihood of prison time, even for first time offenders. That does not mean the outcome is fixed, but the odds are different than in state court. Federal cases tend to have high conviction rates, and most are resolved through plea agreements rather than trials. The question is usually not whether there will be consequences, but how severe they will be. Here are the key factors that will affect your husband’s situation: Level...

The inmate pages are created and maintained by the members and users of the site. We do not monitor or verify this self-generated content. If you want to use the service on the website, you will need to set up a profile. If you need help, please send us the inmate's name,inmate ID, state and facility name and we will set it up for you. If you send a letter to the wrong facility through InmateAid, send us the changes...