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
Once someone is sentenced, the transfer from county jail to state prison does not happen on a fixed schedule. The timeline depends on several factors including the inmate's custody level classification, which determines which facility they will be sent to, and whether there are open beds available at the receiving institution.
In general, the transfer can happen anywhere from one to two weeks after sentencing on the faster end, to two or three months on the slower end. Some inmates wait...
Read moreSubject: Inmate transfer
When an inmate is transferred from a county jail to a state prison after sentencing, the destination is not disclosed in advance. Facilities do not notify families of where an inmate is being moved for security reasons, and there is no way to find out ahead of time where he will end up.
The most practical approach is to check the Arizona Department of Corrections inmate locator regularly. Once your fiance arrives at his designated facility and is processed into the...
Read moreSubject: Inmate transfer
Two days of silence after a transfer is completely normal and almost always has a straightforward explanation. Here is what is most likely happening.
He may still be in transit
Federal and state transfers rarely move directly from one facility to another in a straight line. Inmates in transit often pass through one or more county jails or federal transfer centers along the way before reaching their final destination. At each stop they have no established phone account, no approved call list,...
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