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Ask a former inmate questions at no charge. The inmate answering has spent considerable time in the federal prison system, state and county jails, and in a prison that was run by the private prison entity CCA.

Ask your question or browse previous questions in response to comments or further questions of members of the InmateAid community.

Subject: General prison questions-terminology

InmateAid 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

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Subject: Send books and magazines

Use the Amazon link on our site. Select the books that you'd like to send - when checking out, make sure that the address of the inmate's facility is correct along with their ID number. All customer service questions about delivery must be direct through our partner Amazon.com

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Subject: Sentencing questions

The short answer is that a history of incarceration does not automatically mean someone will be held longer or receive a harsher sentence. What matters most is what the judge orders at sentencing. Once a judge commits an individual to a specific sentence and custody level, that is what they will serve. Under federal sentencing guidelines, most inmates serve approximately 85% of their imposed sentence, with the remaining time accounted for through good time credit, earned by maintaining good

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Subject: Release questions

There is no honest answer to how soon someone will be released without knowing the specifics of the case, and anyone who tells you otherwise is guessing. What we can do is walk through the variables that determine release timing, because understanding them puts you in a better position to assess the situation realistically. The first question is whether bail has been set. If a bail amount was established at the initial appearance, release is possible the moment that

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Subject: Education & vocational training

Criminal charges supersede high school attendance. Missing the sophomore year is a consequence of the choices that led to incarceration, not a decision the facility makes. GED courses are available inside, allowing inmates to stay on track to graduate if they choose to. Incarceration does not have to mean the end of educational progress. Most facilities offer GED courses and basic education programs specifically designed to keep younger inmates on a path toward a diploma equivalent. For a 15 or 16-year-old

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Subject: Sentence reduction

At 15 years old, his age opens the door to juvenile detention as an alternative to a standard jail placement, but it does not guarantee it. Where he is housed and how long he serves depends heavily on how he conducts himself from this point forward. If he maintains good behavior throughout his sentence, he stands a reasonable chance of earning time off through good time credit, potentially reducing an 18 to 36 month sentence meaningfully. Juvenile facilities generally

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Subject: Parole, probation & supervised release

This is a situation that deserves to be heard, and there is a real argument to be made, but it has to be made correctly to have any chance of influencing the outcome. Parole violation hearings are not full trials. The standard of proof is low, and the probation officer's account carries significant weight with the judge. That means the deck is already somewhat stacked against the defendant walking in. What can shift the outcome is a compelling, credible

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Subject: Inmate phone calls

Nos alegramos mucho que pudo localizar a su pareja. El servicio telefonico para esa prision esta disponible asi que no seria ningun inconveniente. Con respect al envoi de dinero nosotros cobramos $10 de costo + los $10 de Western Union + los costos de transaccion de la tarjeta de credito que es 4.8% del monto total.Por ejemplo:Si desea enviar $100 +$10 (InmateAid) + $10 (Western union) + $5.76 (costo de transaccion)Total de la factura: $125.76 Por favor visite nuestra pagina

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Subject: General prison questions-terminology

In 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

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Subject: General prison questions-terminology

Custody 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

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