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.
Not normally. You can call the facility and speak to a counselor or case manager and ask nicely if they will relay a message. The rules are usually against this, but if you ask nicely, they might pass along your urgent message.
Read moreYou are speaking to someone that did 66 months. A one-year sentence is considered not too rigid or hard on the inmate. Time will fly by once they get into a routine. He will be able to read magazines and books to his heart's desire as he has plenty of idle time. Prison rape, although evident in some places, one-year sentence inmates are normally not in the type of facility where this is more likely to happen. Short-timers are
Read moreYes, when inmates are getting transferred, they are told to "pack out". This entails getting all of your property in one box and "packed" for shipping to the new locale. Most of what may be packed are letters, photos, reading material and some items bought at the commissary
Read moreFirst, you arrive at booking in handcuffs and are then are processed by a member of the sheriff or police staff. Processing includes fingerprinting and a mugshot. You are stripped bare and checked for concealed contraband. You are then showered and given a set of stand-issue prison clothes and some form of a bedroll and are then placed in a holding cell. The next move is a placement somewhere in the facility (depending on your crime and criminal history profile) and a semi-permanent bunk
Read moreThere is an orientation period that could take a couple of days. It is after this time that the inmate will be able to make outgoing phone calls to people on his call list. He is not given a phone call when he gets there. That is something that happens at a county jail, this is a state facility. Once he is all set up, he will be able to call you often, even every day.
Read moreYou can contact the inmate via mail only, immediately. Once they get settled, they can set up their call list. This might take a 1-2 day or maybe a week to get accomplished. They cannot receive calls, only make outbound calls. And they can also set up their visiting list.
Read moreThe lights out protocol in a county jail marks the transition from the active portion of the day to overnight operations. At most county facilities this happens at around 9:30pm, though the specific time can vary by institution and sometimes by housing unit within the same facility. When lights out is called, inmates are expected to return to their cells or assigned sleeping areas. Movement through the facility is restricted, phone access is typically cut off or significantly limited,
Read moreYou would have to check with the staff at the jail. We are sure they keep the data.
Read moreAvenal State Prison (ASP) is the largest male-only prison in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) state prison system. The structures on ASP's 640 acres include 17 open dorm buildings, six 200-bed open dorm E-bed buildings, six converted gymnasiums, a 100-cell administrative segregation unit, and a 10-bed firehouse. It is a low-medium security or Level 2 prison with open dormitories with secure perimeter fences and armed coverage. Inmate programs include Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics anonymous, SAP, auto body, metal fabrication, plumbing and electrical, PIA furniture, warehouse and
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