Inmates who are serving less than a year will usually have their application for marriage denied with the presumption being that such a short wait will not harm the prisoner or prospective spouse. Each partner must be legally eligible and mentally competent to marry. Marriages may be blocked for security or disciplinary reasons; solitary confinement can block access to marriage. Most states do not allow marriage for inmates on death row; California is at least one exception to that rule. Some jurisdictions, such as the state...

Yes, you still have to go through GTL. The discount phone service does not replace the prison phone company, it works with it to lower the cost. Here is how to set it up correctly: 1. Set up your GTL account Go to the GTL system and create your account as you normally would. 2. Use the number provided to you When registering, use the local number you were given, not your personal phone number. That is the number your inmate will call. 3. How it works together Your...

You can access the number through your My Account area of the website after you have logged in. Click on "Discount Telephone" and go to the red button that says "Add Local Line". Then add your inmate's state, prison name, their name and ID number and the telephone number you want the new line to ring to.  Then select the Monthly (300 minutes) or Quarterly (1000 minutes) Plan and then go to the "Pay Now" page. Once you have completed the transaction,...

Inmates receive physical magazines, not digital or online versions. Most inmates do not have access to the internet, so everything comes through the mail just like regular subscriptions outside. How it works: You order a magazine subscription through an approved publisher or service The publisher mails each issue directly to the facility The mailroom inspects it for content and contraband The magazine is delivered to the inmate during mail call Important rules: Magazines must come directly from the publisher or approved vendor No used copies or personal subscriptions mailed from your...

In most facilities, there is no strict limit on how many books you can send, but there are a few important rules to follow. Sending multiple books: A 5 book series plus a dictionary is usually fine Some facilities may limit how many items an inmate can possess at one time, not how many you can send If they exceed that limit, the inmate may have to store, donate, or send items home Where the books come from matters: Books must be sent directly from Amazon or another...

The prisons do not provide the courses, they will have to be provided by someone on the outside. The prison education department proxies the testing for the universities that provide "distance learning". There are several available and they don't have to be located in Ohio. Louisiana State University (LSU) is one of the best and most widely used programs in the prisons. But, you pay for the course load "by the hour" and the books just like you would if he...

This is a more common situation than most people realize, and it is smart to ask the question before things go further. The hard truth is that there is no foolproof way to be completely certain. Inmates have a tremendous amount of time on their hands and many are skilled conversationalists. They can be warm, attentive, and emotionally engaging in ways that feel genuine. That does not mean every pen pal relationship is dishonest, but it does mean you need to...