Prison Discipline — Ask the Inmate
Every correctional facility operates under a disciplinary system that governs inmate behavior and imposes consequences for rule violations. Understanding how that system works is essential for anyone trying to navigate incarceration successfully, because a disciplinary record can affect housing assignments, program eligibility, good time credits, halfway house placement, and parole decisions. This section covers what types of disciplinary infractions exist and how they are classified, what the disciplinary hearing process looks like, what rights inmates have when facing a disciplinary charge, what sanctions can be imposed including loss of privileges, solitary confinement, and good time forfeiture, and how to appeal a disciplinary decision. The guidance here is written for inmates who want to understand the rules clearly enough to avoid violations and for families who want to help their loved one protect their record. See also our sections on Prison Violence, Survive Prison, and Sentence Reduction
SID is code for special internal investigation. The inmate is under investigation for an infraction of sorts. Normally, any inmate under investigation is relegated to the SHU (the hole, isolation) and cannot receive visits until there is a decision handed down.
Read moreyes, and yes... sorry to hear about it, the SHU sucks
Read moreThis is not the type of crime that retribution by inmates is imposed. However, we would strongly advise you to NOT share your paperwork. We would get together a decent explanation of what occurred and when you feel the need to share your story, probably with some inmate gets close to you (and it's inevitable that it will happen), you need to have a very condensed version. But if you can try not to talk about your case to anyone.
Read moreThe prisons operate without having to answer to anyone on the outside. When an inmate gets put in the hole for fighting, they are at the mercy of the DHO, the Disciplinary Hearing Officer. It is that person who acts as judge, jury and sentence renderer. Your inmate will make their testimony to the DHO and they will make their binding decision. Your inmate will have to tell you what happened.
Read moreYes, it is absolutely considered an escape. And as you could imagine, is going to create a tremendous hardship on them when they are captured.
Read moreDo you know why he is in the SHU? The reason behind being in solitary would probably answer why it's taking so long. When I was in the SHU, there was a guy there for 11 months awaiting a transfer. He was caught with a cellphone and had to do 18 months in the SHU before they would transfer him to a higher custody prison. Administrative makes me think that he might have asked to be taken out of the
Read moreThe SHU restrictions are very rigid. Inmates are permitted ONE 15-minute phone call per week. Their commissary list is reduced to a couple dozen items, only... more necessity items than and not a wide list of choices compared to the norm. The visits are limited depending on the reason for being sent there. Sometimes there are no visits, other times it'd be reduced to once a month.
Read moreCigarettes have been largely banned across all prison and jail types. Federal outlawed them over 10 years ago and the states and county jails have mostly followed suit. As we write this, we cannot find any that still allow them. BUT, that doesn't mean that the inmates have stopped smoking. Cigarettes are sold inside for $2.00 each, the penalty for getting caught is a few days in the SHU.
Read moreYou can call he facility and ask to speak to the counselor. They will tell you how our inmate is "behaving".
Read moreWe don't think our answer would be anything but a guess. The honor farm is the best level of custody for an inmate and something must have triggered a classification change and lose that sweet job set-up. There might have been an accusation against him that was proven false... which would explain him going back and forth between details. Or, he might have gone to court and needed a change of location to facilitate it... it could be so many things. But
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