Pending means your phone line has been ordered and is in the queue waiting to be assigned. It is not active yet, but it is being processed. Under normal circumstances, you can expect to receive an email confirmation with your new number within one to two hours of placing your order. If there was a holiday the day before, processing may run a bit longer than usual due to backlogged orders. It will clear, just not on the standard
Read moreThere are no true unlimited calling plans in jails or prisons like you would see with regular cell phone service. Facilities like East Carroll Detention Center contract with one phone provider only (such as Securus Technologies), and that company controls all calling options. Because of that setup, there is no competition and no outside company can offer unlimited calling. What you may be hearing about are subscription-style plans, not unlimited calling. For example: Some Securus plans allow a set number of calls per month (like up
Read moreLegal mail is protected. Facilities cannot hold it, restrict it, or prevent it from going out. That protection exists under federal law and applies to correspondence with attorneys, courts, and government agencies. If your boyfriend is sending legal mail, it should be leaving the facility. That said, there are a few practical things worth checking if he feels like something is not moving. Legal mail typically has to be identified as such when it is handed in. In
Read moreYes, mail generally continues even during a lockdown in a federal prison camp. Lockdowns usually restrict movement, visitation, phone access, and commissary, but mail is considered an essential service. Inmates are still allowed to send and receive personal mail, although there can be delays. Here is what typically happens during a lockdown: Incoming and outgoing mail still moves, but more slowly Mailroom processing may be delayed due to limited staff movement Delivery to inmates may take longer than usual
Read moreThree days of silence after daily contact is understandably alarming, but in most cases there is a straightforward explanation that has nothing to do with your son's safety. The most common reason contact suddenly stops is a facility-wide phone restriction. When there is a rule violation on a unit or in the general population, staff will often pull phone privileges for everyone as a group consequence. It does not mean your son did anything wrong. It means the unit
Read moreThere is no return receipt or delivery confirmation for mail sent through InmateAid. Once a letter clears the facility's mail room and reaches the inmate, the only way you will know it arrived is if they reach out to you directly. This is true of all prison mail, not just letters sent through our platform. Facilities do not notify senders when mail is delivered, and there is no tracking system that follows a letter past the point of mailing.
Read moreAbsolutely. In fact, the best thing you can do for someone in segregation is to fill their days with plenty of stuff to read. Letters and photos keep them connected - but books, magazines and newspapers will bridge that gap of no outside contact.
Read moreWhen an inmate is newly transferred to a prison, it is normal for them to spend time in intake, classification, or temporary housing before being placed in general population. There is no exact timeline because placement depends on several factors: Classification review based on criminal history and custody level Available bed space in the appropriate housing unit Safety considerations, including separation from other inmates Medical or administrative screening In many cases, this process takes a few days to a few
Read moreIt happens, but the reality is more nuanced than what television depicts. Prison rape is not a universal experience, and for most inmates it is not something they will encounter directly. The frequency and risk vary considerably depending on the type of facility, the custody level, the population, and the individual's own behavior inside. Maximum security state prisons carry more risk than low-security federal facilities. County jails, which house a more transient and sometimes more volatile population, can present
Read moreThere are a few with the name "Florence" in them. Some are county, some are state and some are federal facilities. Check the Prison Directory on the home page for details. To visit, you need approval from the facility. You will fill out a form and submit it (some require a small fee to run a background check). Once approved, you are permitted to visit. Make sure to read the rules about what you can bring and how to dress.
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