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

Honestly? Five days is nothing. That is not said to minimize what you are feeling right now because the anticipation is always worse than the reality. But perspective matters here. Here is the advice that will get you through it cleanly. Keep your mouth shut. Do not share your story, do not ask about anyone else's story, and do not volunteer any information about yourself or your life on the outside. Nothing good comes from talking too much in any correctional setting...

There are two ways to see your incarcerated loved one. In-person visitation and video visitation. Both require preparation and both are governed by the rules of the specific facility where your inmate is housed. In-person visitation In-person visits take place at the correctional facility itself. Before you can visit you must be on your inmate's approved visitor list. Your inmate submits your name to their case manager who initiates a background check and approval process. This can take anywhere from a few...

Setting up calls with your nephew starts with understanding how the prison phone system works and where InmateAid can help. First the basics. You cannot call your nephew directly. All calls must be initiated by the inmate from inside the facility. Your nephew needs to have money on his phone account to make any calls at all. If his account is empty, no calls can happen regardless of what service you use. InmateAid's Send Money service can help you put funds...

When your inmate wants to write back to you through InmateAid, the process starts on their end with a physical letter written by hand inside the facility. Here is how it works. When your inmate wants to write back to you through InmateAid, the process starts on their end with a physical letter written by hand inside the facility. Here is how it works. Your inmate writes a physical letter and sends it to InmateAid's processing address rather than directly to your home. Once...

Mail sent through InmateAid typically arrives at the facility within 2 to 3 business days via USPS. The postal service is remarkably reliable for facility mail and delays at that stage are uncommon. However arrival at the facility and delivery to your inmate are two different things. Once mail reaches the mailroom it is up to the mailroom officers to decide when it gets distributed to the housing units. That can add a day or two depending on the facility's schedule...

You cannot call your inmate directly. This is one of the most important things to understand about staying in contact with someone who is incarcerated. All calls must be initiated by the inmate from inside the facility. There is no number you can dial to reach them directly. The phone system in correctional facilities is outbound only for inmates. When your inmate can call depends on several factors. First they must have money on their phone account. Without funds available they cannot make...

Changing your InmateAid password works the same way as most websites. Log into your account and navigate to Account Settings. From there select Edit Account Details where you will find the option to update your password. Enter your current password, then your new password twice to confirm, and save your changes. If you have forgotten your current password and cannot log in, use the Forgot Password link on the login page. Enter the email address associated with your account and InmateAid will...

Keefe is one of the most widely used commissary and care package vendors across county jails and state correctional facilities in the United States. However the number of packages an inmate can receive per month is set by the individual facility, not by Keefe itself. Most facilities that work with Keefe allow inmates to receive up to two care packages per month. Some facilities limit it to one per month and a smaller number allow more depending on their specific policies. There...

Hola, gracias por contactarnos. Con gusto te ayudamos. Para enviar dinero a tu ser querido, el proceso depende del lugar donde está recluido. La mayoría de las instalaciones trabajan con servicios aprobados como JPay, Access Corrections o MoneyGram. El dinero se deposita directamente en la cuenta de comisaría del recluso, que puede usar para llamadas telefónicas, artículos de la tienda y otras necesidades básicas. En InmateAid puedes encontrar la información específica de la instalación donde está tu familiar, incluyendo qué método de...

Hi Theresa. Yes, InmateAid's discount phone service may be able to help you reduce the cost of calls from your stepson at the Lexington facility. Here is how it works. The rate you pay per minute depends on the relationship between your current phone number and the number your stepson calls from inside the facility. If your number is already local to the Lexington area you may already be paying the lower rate of around $0.06 per minute. If your number is considered...

The cost of calls from jail or prison depends on several factors including the facility, the phone carrier contracted by that facility, and the distance between the facility and the number being called. Most facilities use contracted phone carriers such as Securus, GTL, or ICSolutions. Rates vary by carrier and by facility but typically fall somewhere between $0.06 and $0.21 per minute for domestic calls. Historically, the biggest factor affecting your rate was distance. Local numbers cost less than long-distance numbers. That...

There are several ways to find out if someone is a registered sex offender and most of them are free and publicly accessible. The National Sex Offender Public Website at nsopw.gov is operated by the U.S. Department of Justice and allows you to search by name across all 50 states simultaneously. This is the most comprehensive free resource available. Every state also maintains its own sex offender registry. If you know which state the person lives in or has lived in, searching...

We understand how frightening and confusing the first hours after an arrest can be. Here is what you need to know right now. 23 hours is still very early in the process. He is likely still being processed and may not yet have access to a phone. This is normal and does not mean anything is wrong. Most facilities complete the intake process within 24 to 48 hours before allowing calls and visits. Once he is fully processed and assigned to a...

Harris County Central Jail is one of the largest detention facilities in the United States and has a medical unit on site that handles ongoing medical needs including mobility issues and physical disabilities. When your boyfriend was booked he should have gone through a medical intake screening. This is standard procedure at Harris County and is specifically designed to identify medical conditions and accommodations needed before an inmate is assigned to a housing unit. Mobility related needs are typically flagged at...

Yes. Earning a college degree while incarcerated is not only possible, it is one of the smartest things an inmate can do to prepare for life after release. The primary pathway is distance learning, also called correspondence education. Many accredited colleges and universities offer degree programs specifically designed for incarcerated students. Courses are completed through mailed materials, and in some facilities through approved tablets or computer terminals. Degrees earned this way are fully accredited and carry the same weight as any...