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
Subject: Prison discipline
It is segregated housing within the facility. It is used for disciplinary or administrative segregation from the general population.
Subject: Prison discipline
When an inmate begins their sentence they are given "good time" or "gain time" of 15%. Therefore the inmate is set to do 85% of their sentence. If they get into situations where incident reports mount up, they could ultimately have their good time taken away. Discipline cannot add time to their sentence unless a new crime (assault, escape, attempted murder, murder) was committed and they were found guilty.
Subject: Prison discipline
Nevada Southern Detention Center is a CCA facility which means it is privately run. I've been in a CCA prison in Tennessee which could not have been more strict. The CCA staff follows the rules to the letter. In my opinion, when the guards stick to the rules (on the strict side) there are a lot less problems. The inmates take the position that it's not worth going to the SHU because there are no second chances to avoid punishment....
Read moreSubject: Prison discipline
Inmates do not have access to the Internet. There are some facilities that now have an email service that is closed from the Internett. However, the emails cost the inmate to read and write. Even though inmates do not have online access, and therefore no Facebook, but we know for certain that inmates get ahold of smartphones and can create and maintain FB accounts. Not smart, but they figure they are in prison anyway, why not break more rules. We...
Read moreSubject: Prison discipline
It depends on what sent him there and how seriously the facility views the infraction relative to his treatment eligibility.
In many cases, a SHU placement does not automatically disqualify someone from a treatment program, particularly if the underlying incident was relatively minor and he has otherwise maintained a solid record. Treatment programs like RDAP in the federal system and similar substance abuse tracks in state facilities look at the full picture rather than a single incident in isolation. One trip...
Read moreSubject: Prison discipline
Yes, mail continues in both directions even during a SHU placement. It is one of the few privileges that survives a trip to the hole largely intact.
Prison administration treats mail as a protected form of communication and makes genuine effort to ensure inmates remain connected to their families and loved ones regardless of disciplinary status. When an inmate goes to the hole, phone access gets severely restricted, commissary gets limited, and movement stops entirely, but the mail keeps moving. Letters,...
Read moreSubject: Prison discipline
Yes they do, unless they are serving sentences subject to disciplinary time imposed.
Subject: Prison discipline
Try not to panic. Being handcuffed and removed from a cell happens for a wide range of reasons, most of which are not as serious as they look in the moment.
The most common explanations are a routine cell search or shakedown, a transfer to a different housing unit within the facility, a medical situation that requires attention, or a move to segregation pending an investigation into something that may or may not involve your husband directly. Facilities also pull inmates...
Read moreSubject: Prison discipline
No, absolutely not. However, there are inmates that have illegally obtained smartphones and can get access for a brief time. Inmates caught with a cell phone are subject to harsh disciplinary actions including loss of all privileges (commissary, telephone, visitation and possibly freedom because they will certainly spend the next 6-12 months in segregation in the SHU). There is a chance the inmate will catch another charge which could add upto another FIVE YEARS to their sentence, plus they are...
Read moreSubject: Prison discipline
In your My Account area after logging in, the section "Letters to Inmates" will have a record of all your paid and pending letters, photos, postcards or greeting cards.
