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
Yes, this might help slow down the introduction of drugs into the prison system. But they are in a union and getting "strip searches" approved as a daily function of their job is VERY unlikely to happen. The inmates that keep them in business are equally to blame.
We would rather promote how an inmate can use their time of incarceration to lift themselves above what got them in there in the first place. Staying in the drug game is...
Read moreSubject: Prison discipline
Commissary limits in federal and contract facilities are not just about what you can buy in a single week. The numbers in parentheses on the commissary list indicate how many of each item an inmate may possess at any given time, not just how many they can purchase per order. An inmate can buy ten tuna packets one week and ten more the following week, but if the possession limit is five, having fifteen in their locker is a violation...
Read moreSubject: Prison discipline
You are right that large restitution amounts are rarely paid in full, but you should be receiving small payments if an order is in place and being enforced.
Here is how it works and what you need to do:
How restitution is usually collected:
A portion of the inmate’s prison wages and any money deposited into their account can be taken
The Department of Corrections applies this based on a court order
Payments are often very small, sometimes just a few dollars at a time
If you have not received anything, it...
Read moreSubject: Prison discipline
NO. Inmates know they are not allowed to possess them, yet many feel that the risk of getting caught is worth the ability to talk as often as they want without having the guards listen in. Inmates that get caught face new charges.
Subject: Prison discipline
It depends on the contraband and the penalty associated with incident report. If it is a serious charge, then it effect everything.
Subject: Prison discipline
The most likely explanation is a failed drug test at drug court. That is the most common reason someone is held on the spot when they report in. Drug courts have immediate detention authority when a participant tests positive or otherwise violates the conditions of the program, and sending someone directly to a residential recovery program rather than jail is actually the more constructive outcome in that situation. If they are routing him to the Men's Recovery Academy, that points...
Read moreSubject: Prison discipline
Yes and No. The use of the phone is a privilege and my be taken away for a number of reasons. Mail is considered to be sacred and they NEVER take away the inmate's ability to receive or send mail, even if they are subjected to the SHU for disciplinary reasons. Inmates may not correspond with other inmates unless they are related and have received permission from the warden. The only time mail is restricted is if the inmate...
Read moreSubject: Prison discipline
call the jail and report the harrassment
Subject: Prison discipline
When a fighting incident occurs at a California state facility, everyone suspected of involvement typically gets placed in the SHU while the investigation runs. That is standard protocol and does not by itself mean the outcome is predetermined against him. The Special Investigations Services unit gets involved and the incident gets reviewed, including any available camera footage. Contrary to what it might feel like from the outside, those cameras do get looked at. If footage exists, a committee will review...
Read moreSubject: Prison discipline
Short answer, no. There is no outside person or service that can get an inmate released from the SHU, also known as the hole. That decision is entirely controlled by the facility and its internal disciplinary process.
When an inmate is placed in the SHU, it is usually for one of three reasons:
Pending investigation
Disciplinary action after a rule violation
Administrative reasons, such as safety or separation
Even if the inmate says they did nothing wrong, the facility does not rely on outside opinions...
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