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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.

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Subject: General prison questions-terminology

Every situation is unique. We have a large number of members using 1000 minutes a month or more. State and county inmates can usually call as much as they want. Federal inmates get 300 minutes per month and 400 minutes for the months of November & December. The problem is the high cost of the calls. If your inmate is calling you long distance, look into getting a local number from InmateAid Discount Telephone Service and reduce the price by

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Subject: Inmate phone calls

No. The InmateAid discount phone number is not a collect call system and should not be used as one. Accepting collect calls defeats the purpose of the service and will not produce the savings you signed up for. Here is how it actually works. InmateAid provides you with a local phone number that forwards to your existing phone. Your fiancee dials that number through the facility's phone system the same way he would dial any other approved number on

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Subject: Commissary

Delivery timelines for online commissary orders vary depending on the service you used and the facility's commissary schedule. InmateAid is not affiliated with e-comm or most third-party commissary platforms, so we cannot speak to their specific processing times. For the most accurate answer about your order, contact the commissary service you purchased through directly. They will be able to tell you when the order was processed and when it is expected to be available to your inmate. A

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Subject: General prison questions-terminology

Yes, federal inmates are reviewed regularly through what is called a Unit Team meeting (often just called “team”). At facilities run by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, these reviews typically happen about every 6 months. During this meeting, the inmate sits down with: Their case manager Counselor Unit team staff They review: Behavior and disciplinary record Work performance and program participation Overall adjustment to the facility Does this lead to a transfer to a lower

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Subject: General prison questions-terminology

In most cases there is no limit to the amount of photos an inmate may receive. In the cases where there are limits, we post the number allowed on their Prison Facility page.

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Subject: General prison questions-terminology

In the federal system, holiday phone minutes are handled as a temporary increase to the monthly allowance, not as separate deposits on specific dates. If your husband’s cycle resets on the 28th of each month, here is how it works: His normal allotment is 300 minutes per cycle During the November and December holiday period, that allotment increases to 400 minutes total per cycle The extra 100 minutes are included automatically in each monthly cycle that falls within that timeframe So

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Subject: Inmate phone calls

Yes, you still need to do business with the prison phone company - their role is to monitor all of the calls and they have a monopoly arrangement to do so. Instead of registering your old "long distance number" and paying $15-18 per call, you register the new "Local number" and Global Tel can only charge the local line fee - approximately $1.75 per call.

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Subject: Visitation

No. Vernon C. Bain Center does not permit conjugal visits. The facility operates under the New York City Department of Corrections, and New York City jails do not have a conjugal visit program. New York State correctional facilities, meaning state prisons rather than city jails, historically had one of the longest-running conjugal visit programs in the country known as the Family Reunion Program. However, that program applies only to New York State prisons, not to New York City Department

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Subject: Marriage in prison

If marriage is something you both want, doing it before he reports is the simpler and more reliable path. Not all prisons and jails permit inmates to marry while incarcerated, and those that do have processes that can be slow, bureaucratic, and subject to the warden's discretion. Getting married before he goes in removes all of that uncertainty. Being a legal spouse also comes with meaningful practical advantages once he is inside. Spouses typically have stronger visitation rights than

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Subject: Commissary

Packages to inmates at Emanuel Probation Detention Center in Twin City, Georgia must be ordered through approved channels. You cannot send a personal package from home. All items must be pre-approved food or property ordered through the Georgia Inmate Package program, which is administered by Union Supply. There are four ways to place an order: Online: Order through the Georgia Inmate Package website. Phone: Call toll-free at 1-855-247-0563. Mail: Send a completed order form to Union

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