Most inmates will check their account from time to time, but unless you send a letter, there is no other way to communicate with them - the staff inside the prison "might" pass along a message but you should send a letter to be sure.

No, commissary is for the inmates inside the prison.

The short answer is "no", both are not being charged for the same call. You will need to listen carefully to the recording as the inmate MAY be calling "collect" (where you would accept the charges). But, mostly the recording is an warning of sorts letting the recipient know the call is coming from a prison or jail and asking if you want to "accept the call".  Sign up for the InmateAid Discount Telephone Service - when they call, it's

This is a genuinely difficult situation and one that more families face than most people realize. An incarcerated spouse receiving income, whether from a prison work assignment, outside sources, or other means, while the family struggles financially on the outside is a painful and complicated circumstance. The honest answer is that this requires legal guidance rather than inmate experience. Here is what is generally true and what avenues are worth exploring with a qualified attorney. Prison work income

Western Union first requires the sender to set up a User Account and then you will need their inmate number to route the cash to the appropriate trust account for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. The complete step-by-step directions are in the Send Inmate Money section of InmateAid

You may send books through the Amazon links located in the Send Books section. There is even a search function to look for the type of book or the author. Sending money is easy through Western Union - simply click on the Send Inmate Money page where there are complete step-by-step instructions. Once an inmate has money in their account they can buy stamps and writing utensils to write you back.

InmateAid prints and delivers the mail into the prison location corresponding to your inmate. The service is delivered to the inmate at mail call a day or two after you create it in the Write Letters/Send Photos service.

The amount of time your loved one will actually serve depends on several factors including which system they are in, the nature of their sentence, and how they conduct themselves while incarcerated. Federal sentences Federal inmates are required to serve at least 85% of their sentence. There is no parole in the federal system. Good time credits can reduce a sentence by up to 54 days per year of sentence imposed, which accounts for the 15% reduction. Additional

If you change your cell number to the local exchange (913) the calls will become local calls from the prison. Use Western Union and send money into the inmate's phone account and he will then be calling you at the lower rate.

Generally speaking, prisons consider mail sacred and will do whatever they can to deliver it to the person it's intended for. They will make ever effort to connect the name on the envelope to a recipient at their prison. The basic connection to someone on the outside is seen as a crucial element to rehabilitation and the goal of not having the inmate come back.