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

Three days of silence after daily contact is understandably alarming, but in most cases there is a straightforward explanation that has nothing to do with your son's safety. The most common reason contact suddenly stops is a facility-wide phone restriction. When there is a rule violation on a unit or in the general population, staff will often pull phone privileges for everyone as a group consequence. It does not mean your son did anything wrong. It means the unit is locked...

There is no return receipt or delivery confirmation for mail sent through InmateAid. Once a letter clears the facility's mail room and reaches the inmate, the only way you will know it arrived is if they reach out to you directly. This is true of all prison mail, not just letters sent through our platform. Facilities do not notify senders when mail is delivered, and there is no tracking system that follows a letter past the point of mailing. What InmateAid does...

When an inmate is newly transferred to a prison, it is normal for them to spend time in intake, classification, or temporary housing before being placed in general population. There is no exact timeline because placement depends on several factors: Classification review based on criminal history and custody level Available bed space in the appropriate housing unit Safety considerations, including separation from other inmates Medical or administrative screening In many cases, this process takes a few days to a few weeks, but it can be longer if the facility is crowded...

It happens, but the reality is more nuanced than what television depicts. Prison rape is not a universal experience, and for most inmates it is not something they will encounter directly. The frequency and risk vary considerably depending on the type of facility, the custody level, the population, and the individual's own behavior inside. Maximum security state prisons carry more risk than low-security federal facilities. County jails, which house a more transient and sometimes more volatile population, can present different challenges...

There are a few with the name "Florence" in them.  Some are county, some are state and some are federal facilities.  Check the Prison Directory on the home page for details. To visit, you need approval from the facility.  You will fill out a form and submit it (some require a small fee to run a background check). Once approved, you are permitted to visit.  Make sure to read the rules about what you can bring and how to dress. ...

Once a letter is sent through InmateAid, delivery typically takes the same amount of time as standard US mail to that facility, usually a few business days depending on the location. There is no tracking confirmation sent to you when your inmate receives it. Mail delivered through the prison system works the same way a regular letter does once it leaves our hands, and facilities do not notify senders when mail is received. If your inmate says they have not received...

Unfortunately we cannot accommodate international calling for inmate usage. We are working diligently with our software engineers to come up with a service that will give the international member a solution. It is high on our priority list to complete and will happily place you on a growing list of people interested in this service. You can use InmateAid to write letters and send photos through our system at very reasonable rates. Your inmate can write you back through InmateAid,...

No. Your inmate list is completely private. Inmates you correspond with have no way of seeing who else you are writing to through InmateAid. Your account information is not shared with anyone inside a facility, and there is nothing in the letters themselves that would reveal other correspondences you have going. InmateAid protects both your privacy and the privacy of every inmate on your list. That means your personal information, your account activity, and the identities of others you communicate with...

Yes, it is possible, but it is not simple and it does not automatically change anything about the immigration case. An inmate with an immigration detainer can legally get married while in detention. The process requires approval from the facility administrator, and in ICE custody cases, the ICE Field Office Director may also need to sign off. Each facility handles the logistics differently, so the first step is submitting a formal request to administration and finding out exactly what is required...

Yes, you still need to set up and fund an account with the facility’s phone provider, even if you are using an InmateAid local number. The local number you received from InmateAid does not replace the jail or prison phone system. It simply gives your inmate a local number to call instead of a long distance one, which lowers the cost per call. Here is how it works: You get a local number from InmateAid You set up a separate account with the facility’s phone carrier using that number You...

Juvenile detention facilities operate under much stricter privacy rules than adult jails and prisons. In most states, the names and ID numbers of juveniles in the system are not available to the general public, even to people trying to send mail. This is by design and is not something InmateAid is able to work around. That said, there are still some practical options worth trying. Call the facility directly. If you are a family member or legal guardian, call YDC Marietta and...

It is very common to feel stuck and frustrated in the first few days after someone is arrested. Information can be limited early on, especially within the first 48 to 72 hours. Here are the main reasons you are not seeing much yet: Processing takes time after booking Court schedules matter, especially if the arrest happened near a weekend or holiday Arraignment has not happened yet, which is when charges and release conditions are formally addressed In many cases, someone arrested late in the week may...

At Stewart Detention Center, inmates are generally allowed to have glasses, but there are strict rules about how they are received. Glasses vs contact lenses: Glasses are usually the better option. They are easier to maintain and more commonly approved. Contact lenses can be more difficult because they require solution and proper hygiene, and some facilities limit or do not allow them for that reason. How to send them: You should not send them without checking first. The best approach is: Call the facility and ask about...

Yes. InmateAid can deliver letters and photos to any prison or jail in the United States from anywhere in the world including Iran. You do not need to be located in the United States to use the service. Everything is handled online from your phone or computer regardless of where you are sending from. Your inmate can also write back to you through InmateAid's return letter service. They write a physical letter and send it to InmateAid's processing address. Once received...