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.
Lamento informarle que no podemos proporcionarle ninguna informacion sobre este recluso ya que no aparece en nuestro buscador. Podria darnos mas informacion como el numero de preso o en que prision se encontraba anteriormente? Muchas Gracias
Read moreFCI Danbury operates as a low security federal correctional institution, which means the daily experience is meaningfully different from medium or high security facilities. Inmates are not confined to their cells for the majority of the day. Instead the facility uses a system called controlled movement, where inmates are permitted to move between areas of the compound during designated time windows, typically announced by a tone or announcement, rather than being allowed to roam freely at all times. The
Read moreYes. In the California system, a CDC number is assigned to a person the first time they enter the Department of Corrections and stays with them permanently. Whether this is a parole violation, a new commitment, or a return on new charges, the same CDC number follows your husband throughout any future involvement with the California system. You can use that number to locate him in the CDCR inmate locator as soon as he is processed into Wasco Reception Center.
Read moreThe calculation depends on whether this is a state or federal case and what the applicable good time rules are, but here is a realistic breakdown based on what you have described. A six-month sentence with half time means the baseline expectation is serving approximately three months before release eligibility. The 17 days of work release credit you have already accumulated will come off that total, which reduces the remaining time to serve by those days from the point
Read moreJail is not a comfortable place, and for a young man who has lived a sheltered life, the adjustment can be genuinely dangerous if he approaches it the wrong way. The most important piece of advice is also the simplest: keep to himself. Inmates, particularly those with experience inside, are often skilled at drawing people out in conversation. They are patient, friendly on the surface, and practiced at gathering information about others. Everything your son shares about himself, his
Read moreA 24-hour hold is not a single defined status and can mean different things depending on the facility and the circumstances surrounding the individual inmate. Understanding the possibilities helps narrow down what is actually happening. The most common interpretation is an inter-jurisdictional hold. This means another county, state, or federal authority has placed a detainer on the inmate and is in the process of arranging transfer. The holding facility is essentially keeping the inmate in place while the other
Read moreInmateAid actually works! We've been around for a long time and have no complaints. Everything we do focuses on helping you, help your inmate. The services are not necessarily unique, they are just in one spot to keep you organized and make it much more convenient than trying to do so without us. If you use our phone service, we get you a local number to the prison that will ring on your current cellphone. You will NEVER miss a
Read moreIn the federal system, “the hole” is called the Special Housing Unit (SHU), and the amount of time an inmate spends there after a fight can vary quite a bit. There is no true “average,” but here is a realistic range: Investigation phase: It is common for inmates to be placed in SHU for a week or two while staff review what happened. Your fiancé being there for 9 days so far fits within that normal window. After the hearing
Read moreCustody level assignment is not permanent, but it is not easily changed either. When an inmate enters the system, their initial placement is determined by a combination of factors including the nature of the offense, whether violence or weapons were involved, the length of the sentence, and their prior criminal history. A level 3 placement reflects a moderate to higher security classification that the system determined was appropriate at the start of the sentence. From that starting point, the
Read moreAbsolutely, inmates awaiting sentencing may make telephone calls. InmateAid has a program to cut the cost of inmate calls by up to 90%, in some cases. Email or call 866-966-7100 for details.
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