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

Two separate questions here and both have practical answers worth knowing before you go in. Books from outside Your boyfriend cannot bring you a hardback book during a visit. In person visitors are not permitted to hand deliver books, mail, or any personal items directly to an inmate at most facilities. Books must be sent by mail directly from the publisher or an approved retailer. Amazon fulfilled directly by Amazon and publishers sending directly to the facility are the most commonly accepted...

In many facilities, inmates are not released on weekends, even if the scheduled release date falls on a Saturday or Sunday. Instead, the release is usually moved to the next business day, most often Monday. That said, policies are not identical everywhere. Some facilities do process weekend releases, but it is less common due to limited staffing and administrative schedules. In your situation, if his release date shows Sunday, May 19 at 8 AM, there is a strong possibility he will actually be released...

If you cannot find your inmate yet, it usually means one of two things: either they have not been entered into the system yet, or their profile has not been created on InmateAid. After someone is booked, it can take a few hours to a few days for their information and inmate number to appear in official databases, depending on the facility. If you still cannot locate them, you can: Try searching with different name variations Check the specific jail or state website directly Provide full name,...

Finding clemency help in Texas can be challenging, especially since many national programs do not handle state-specific cases like Texas. One organization you can look into is the Innocence Project of Texas. They focus on wrongful convictions, so they may not handle every clemency request, but they are a reputable starting point and can sometimes guide you in the right direction or refer you to appropriate resources. For clemency in Texas, it is important to understand that applications go through the Texas Board of...

What you are doing, writing every single day, sending supplies, being the sole source of support, is exactly right and it matters more than you know right now even if it does not feel that way. Before you write her off please consider what those first 18 days actually look like from her side of the wall. The first days are the hardest Unless you have experienced incarceration yourself it is genuinely difficult to understand what the early days feel like. The complete...

Yes, inmates at Butler County Prison in Pennsylvania can make international calls through the facility's contracted phone carrier. However the rates for international calls through prison phone carriers are significantly higher than domestic rates and can come as a shock to families expecting a manageable phone bill. The international rate problem Major prison phone carriers including Securus, GTL, and ICSolutions offer international calling plans, particularly to Latin American countries. The rates for these calls can reach $1.00 per minute or more depending...

Books sent from third-party sellers on Amazon are usually accepted, as long as they are new and shipped directly from the seller and clearly appear to come from a commercial source. In many cases, even when the seller is a third party like JVC Books, the packaging still shows Amazon branding or a commercial return address, which helps it meet prison mailroom requirements. Most facilities consider these sellers acceptable as “approved vendors,” but policies can vary slightly by location. Here is what to keep in mind: The...

Yes, inmates can effectively make long distance calls at much lower rates by using a service like InmateAid’s discount telephone system. At Creek County Jail, calls to you in Arizona would normally be billed as long distance. Those rates can range anywhere from about $0.23 to over $1.00 per minute depending on the provider, which adds up quickly. Here is how the discount service helps: You are assigned a local phone number that matches the area near the jail Your boyfriend calls that number as a local call...

You will only know that your inmate has received your letter when they tell you by telephone or by return letter. There is no verification process. Prisons consider mail a sacred item that represents a connection to the outside world. Prisons are sensitive to an inmate’s rehabilitation and as such feel strongly that correspondence is critical to that end. We have a strict policy, in the event that a letter gets returned to us, we effort to locate that inmate's...

Por ahora, el servicio de llamadas con descuento de InmateAid no está disponible para números en México. Esto significa que tu esposo no podrá usar este sistema para llamarte directamente a un número en Ciudad Obregón u otra parte de México. Así es como funciona el servicio cuando está disponible: Tú creas una cuenta en InmateAid Se te asigna un número local en Estados Unidos Tu esposo marca ese número como si fuera una llamada local La llamada se conecta contigo a menor costo Pero en tu...

Pursuing a degree in substance abuse counseling while incarcerated is not only possible but one of the most meaningful educational paths available to someone inside. It builds credentials for post-release employment in a field that actively seeks people with lived experience and it gives the time served a purpose that extends well beyond the sentence itself. Louisiana State University correspondence program One of the most established correspondence programs for incarcerated students pursuing substance abuse and counseling education is Louisiana State University. LSU...

Before you can send anything, you need to confirm exactly where your inmate is housed. Facilities transfer inmates more often than most families expect, and sending mail to the wrong address means it comes back or gets lost. InmateAid maintains a directory of every jail, prison, and detention center in the United States. You can search it to find the correct facility name and mailing address. Once you have the facility confirmed, you will also need your inmate's full legal name...

Absolutely. Nothing is stopping you from writing a letter by hand, addressing the envelope, buying a stamp, and dropping it in the mailbox the traditional way. That has always worked and always will. InmateAid exists to make the process easier, faster, and more affordable, not to be the only option. If handwriting letters is meaningful to you and your loved one that personal touch is worth keeping. That said here is why many families find the online system worth using even when...