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

You can access the number through your My Account area of the website after you have logged in. Click on "Discount Telephone" and go to the red button that says "Add Local Line". Then add your inmate's state, prison name, their name and ID number and the telephone number you want the new line to ring to.  Then select the Monthly (300 minutes) or Quarterly (1000 minutes) Plan and then go to the "Pay Now" page. Once you have completed the transaction,...

Inmates receive physical magazines, not digital or online versions. Most inmates do not have access to the internet, so everything comes through the mail just like regular subscriptions outside. How it works: You order a magazine subscription through an approved publisher or service The publisher mails each issue directly to the facility The mailroom inspects it for content and contraband The magazine is delivered to the inmate during mail call Important rules: Magazines must come directly from the publisher or approved vendor No used copies or personal subscriptions mailed from your...

In most facilities, there is no strict limit on how many books you can send, but there are a few important rules to follow. Sending multiple books: A 5 book series plus a dictionary is usually fine Some facilities may limit how many items an inmate can possess at one time, not how many you can send If they exceed that limit, the inmate may have to store, donate, or send items home Where the books come from matters: Books must be sent directly from Amazon or another...

The prisons do not provide the courses, they will have to be provided by someone on the outside. The prison education department proxies the testing for the universities that provide "distance learning". There are several available and they don't have to be located in Ohio. Louisiana State University (LSU) is one of the best and most widely used programs in the prisons. But, you pay for the course load "by the hour" and the books just like you would if he...

This is a more common situation than most people realize, and it is smart to ask the question before things go further. The hard truth is that there is no foolproof way to be completely certain. Inmates have a tremendous amount of time on their hands and many are skilled conversationalists. They can be warm, attentive, and emotionally engaging in ways that feel genuine. That does not mean every pen pal relationship is dishonest, but it does mean you need to...

Call the facility and ask to speak with the case manager, unit secretary, or chaplain. They can confirm the inmate is safe. For an elderly inmate with no phone privileges, a direct call is the fastest way to get a welfare check from the outside. When you call, explain that you are an immediate family member, that contact has been uncharacteristically absent this month, and that you are simply asking for a general welfare confirmation, not detailed case information. Most facilities...

County jails provide the essentials like 3 meals per day, soap, toothpaste and a tooth brush. There is the commissary which is a store inside the jail. You can add money to their inmate trust account that would allow them to shop for some "extras" to make their time a little easier; $50 per week would set them up nicely. Any more is a luxury. Do what you can afford.  Calling cards are not available everywhere but where they are,...

This situation has several challenges stacked on top of each other, and it helps to address them separately. Home confinement with a co-defendant. Being released to home confinement at the same address as someone you caught a charge with is almost certainly not going to be approved. Parole boards and supervision officers treat co-defendants as a supervision risk regardless of the personal relationship, and placing two people with the same criminal case under the same roof is something they actively avoid....

After you have set up an Inmate profile page, go to your My Account area of the site. Go to where your inmate's name is, there is a menu bar with choices of services. Click on "Letters" and scroll to the bottom. If you are going to write a letter, this is where to do it. When you are ready to select some pictures, click "Browse", it will take you to where your pictures are stored on your device (computer...

Halfway house placement is not something you or your partner typically choose directly. It is assigned as part of the release plan by the system handling his case. For federal inmates, the Bureau of Prisons and probation office coordinate placement in a Residential Reentry Center. For state cases, the parole board and supervising agency handle it. Either way, the decision is based on: Where he plans to live after release Availability of space in facilities His risk level and supervision needs His release plan, including...