An inmate transfer can happen with little or no warning and the period of silence that follows, when families do not know where their loved one is or how to reach them, is one of the most anxious experiences in the entire incarceration journey. This section covers why transfers happen, how the transfer process works in federal and state systems, what diesel therapy is and why it occurs, how long the transit period typically lasts, why an inmate may temporarily disappear from the BOP locator during a transfer, and what families can do to locate their loved one and restore communication as quickly as possible. The guidance here comes from real experience with the transfer process, including what it feels like from inside and how families on the outside can best support someone going through it. See also our sections on Inmate Search, Inmate Phone Calls, and Send Inmate Mail.
Subject: Inmate transfer
It could be immediate if the inmate is transferring within the same system like state or federal prison. If they are going from county to state or federal it could take up to 30 days before they are permitted visits or phone calls. That is on the long side, sometimes the delay is as little as seven days.
Subject: Inmate transfer
It depends on the inmate. All of the inmates have a program designed for them. Once they complete it to the satisfaction of the overseeing staff, they will work their sentence down at the next designation.
Subject: Inmate transfer
Yes, the Department of Corrections or the Bureau of Prisons determine where an convicted offender will serve their time. There is a point system that is based on the criminal history, violence in their past, length of sentence and likelihood of escape which arrives at a number which slots the inmate into security level. The location selected reflects the points, whether it is high/maximum, medium, low or minimum - and it is this designation and it cannot be challenged.
Inmates may...
Read moreSubject: Inmate transfer
Your inmate may go to their counselor and fill out a form that would deduct money from their commissary/trust account and designate whom the recipient is. The facility will then sent that person a facility check.
Subject: Inmate transfer
The state intake process is a bit lengthy as they go through several staff interviews that range from medical, psychological to educational assessment and work/job profiling. Once they are settled into a routine, the communication between you two will improve and be more often.
A three year sentence requires that 85% of be served. The 15% is considered good time and is given to all inmate upon arrival. An inmate can only lose good time by getting incident reports. If she...
Read moreSubject: Inmate transfer
It could be that it was overcrowded where they were and a bed opened somewhere else. It could have been for disciplinary reasons. Most times you never find out why, but you have to just role with it as you are the property of the state until your release date.
Subject: Inmate transfer
Their counselor will give them a receipt when money is deposited in their account.
Subject: Inmate transfer
This is the status level for what type of custody the inmate is classified most notably in the TDCJ system, but in other state systems as well. This designates where and what type of facility they will be housed.
The line class levels from highest to lowest level are as follows:
S1 - minimum custody, S2 - low custody, S3 - medium custody and S4 - maximum custody
There are only a few of S1 facilities in the TDCJ. Most...
Read moreSubject: Inmate transfer
Yes, you may bring cash to a federal facility for deposit into your inmate trust account. We would recommend money orders though as it would have your name (and ID number "xxxxx-xxx") on the check and it won't get "lost".
Subject: Inmate transfer
It could be a few hours or a few days. This depends on the size of the institution and how many inmates are there to be processed.
