The absence of a testifying victim is significant, but it is not an automatic dismissal and anyone who tells you otherwise is getting ahead of the facts. Here is what actually matters in this situation. Prosecutors have tools available that do not require victim cooperation. If law enforcement documented the scene, took photographs, collected medical records, recorded statements at the time of the incident, or gathered witness accounts from neighbors or bystanders, that evidence can be presented without
Read moreThe money you send an inmate should not put you or your family in financial difficulties trying to help with a few extras. If money is not an issue, then try to send $50-75 per meek, that would have them living like a boss in there.
Read moreIn most cases this is not a parole violation, but the answer is not identical for every situation and it is worth getting confirmation before assuming you are in the clear. Parole conditions in Texas are set by the Board of Pardons and Paroles and vary from case to case. Standard conditions typically restrict parolees from associating with people who have criminal records or are under criminal justice supervision, but family relationships are often treated differently than associations with
Read moreThe tablets cost about $140, in some places (NY State) the tablets are actually free to use. Where they get you is there is a steep cost to access the content. Emails are $0.30 - $0.50 each, a simple game like solitaire (free on your phone) is $7.99, song downloads and movie rentals and purchases range from $2 to $25. These rates are at the cheaper end of the market. Just this summer, Florida inmates lost about $11.3 million in music
Read moreThe short answer is that there is very little you can do from the outside to change this, and understanding why helps make sense of what feels like an overreaction. Once a flag exists in someone's record indicating a prior suicide risk statement, even something said offhandedly during a stressful arrest years ago, it follows them through the system. Every time they enter a new facility, intake staff reviews that history and makes a precautionary placement decision based on
Read moreNo. There is no pathway to release or furlough for an inmate who has been inside less than a week, and the birth of a child does not qualify as a furlough-eligible event in any correctional system regardless of how long someone has been incarcerated. Furloughs require an established institutional record built over a significant period of time. An inmate who arrived less than a week ago has no track record, has barely completed intake processing, and has not
Read moreA family member or friend can absolutely pick someone up on their release date. There is no requirement to use the bus or train ticket that the facility provides. The ticket is an option, not a mandate, and it exists specifically for people who have nobody coming to get them or no other way to get home. When an inmate is released, the facility typically provides gate money, a small amount of cash, and a bus or train ticket
Read moreSorry to report that there is always going be a cost of some kind. Even if you visit, the cost of travel and the money you might spend on the vending machines cost money. The calls cost money, the emails cost money, a handwritten letter costs at least a $0.55 cent stamp. It's a hard truth but someone is getting paid somewhere.
Read moreThe inmate's case manager and counselor recommend the amount of halfway house time. Usually, the longer the sentence, the longer the halfway house giving the released have ample time to re-enter the workplace and society in general. The qualifications are that the inmate is within 12 months of release. Normally six months is the longest time period for halfway house residency. Once there, the inmate is almost home. Continue following rules, get a job and start paying one-third of your
Read more