Ask The Inmate. Real answers from people who've been there.

This is one of the most personal decisions anyone can face and the fact that you are asking the question suggests you already sense something worth examining carefully. The timing matters. A proposal that comes after a significant sentence is handed down rather than before it raises a question worth sitting with honestly. People facing long stretches of time inside have very human reasons to want security, commitment, and a guaranteed connection to someone on the outside. That does not make...

This is one of the most thoughtful questions a person on the outside can ask and the fact that you are asking it before making mistakes puts you ahead of most people in this situation. The single most important thing you can do is be consistent. Consistency is everything inside. A letter that arrives regularly, a call that comes through on a predictable schedule, and a person on the outside who does what they say they are going to do becomes...

The Bureau of Prisons has been rolling out tablet access across federal facilities through a contract with GTL, and FCI Bennettsville is part of the federal system that has received tablets as part of that initiative. At most BOP facilities where tablets have been deployed, inmates can use them to access CorrLinks email, which is the federal system's electronic messaging platform. This is one of the primary functions of the tablets and allows inmates to send and receive messages without having...