General Prison Questions-Terminology — Ask the Inmate
The criminal justice system has its own language and navigating it without a guide is disorienting for families encountering it for the first time. This section covers the terminology that appears in court documents, facility communications, and case records, from the difference between jail and prison to what terms like disposition, detainer, adjudication, and supervised release actually mean in plain language. It also covers general questions about how prisons and jails operate, what a typical day looks like inside, how different security levels function, and what the practical differences are between federal, state, county, and private facilities. The answers here are written for people who have no prior experience with the system and need clear accurate explanations without legal jargon. If you encountered a term you did not understand this is the right place to start. See also our sections on Law Questions and Legal Terms, and Sentencing Questions.
this depends on where they are incarcerated. send us the name of the institution and we will try and get you the information. many facilities offer the essentials, and if they do not allow outside personal affects sent in, there is the commissary which has the extras like personal body products and clothing.
Read moreyes, they are transported by the institution
Read moreYes, but you will need to call the facility and speak with someone about how to transfer it to your son. They might have a specific way of doing things. None of the facilities do things alike.
Read moreYou can go to the Clerk of the Court (of the county where he is charged) and see the actual filing for yourself.
Read moreShould not be too long. It could be a week or more.
Read moreMaury Correctional Institution is a close and medium security prison for adult males located near Hookerton, North Carolina in Greene County. Maury Correctional Institution opened in April, 2006 becoming the fourth of six 1000-bed facilities to be opened before 2008. A 504-bed medium-custody unit was completed after opening. The prison employs correctional officers, food service programs, medical/mental health, maintenance and administrative staff. The facility is operated under the unit management system and is separated into four separate units.
Read moreYou can see if their case manager or counselor will give them permission - it would require a deputy or sheriff to come to the facility and take down the information. Depending on the circumstances, these are the correct people to determine whether it's going to be allowable.
Read moreNo. An inmate's records, whether disciplinary write-ups, medical files, or general institutional paperwork, are protected by the same privacy standards that apply to any person's records outside of prison. They are not public information and are not available to family members, regardless of the relationship. The only person who can authorize access to those records is the inmate himself. If your fiancé wants you to have information from his file, he can request copies of his own records through
Read moreNo. Inmates do not have access to the Internet. InmateAid is here for the loved ones who do have access to the Internet and would like to keep all of the possible services available in one place.
Read moreNo, all of the inmate's information is protected by the Privacy Act
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