Release Questions — Ask the Inmate
The days and weeks leading up to a release date are filled with practical questions that the facility is often not equipped to answer clearly. What time will they be released? What do they leave with? What happens if the release date changes? What is the difference between a projected release date and an actual release date? This section covers everything families need to know about the release process including how release dates are calculated, what good time and earned time credits do to the projected date, what an inmate receives upon release, how transportation from the facility works, what the first 24 hours after release typically look like, and how to prepare as a family for the moment the door opens. The guidance here comes from people who have walked out those doors and from families who were waiting on the other side. See also our sections on Halfway House, Parole and Probation, and Re-entry and Rehabilitation.
Related InmateAid Services
The home detention transition process involves multiple agencies passing paperwork between them, and it is one of the more frustrating bureaucratic experiences families go through because the timeline is rarely as clean as anyone is told to expect. A dummy file is actually a good sign. When a facility tells you an inmate has a dummy file, it means the original file has been sent out to the receiving unit, in this case the home detention unit, and a
Read moreOnce the papers have been sent to the home detention unit, the timeline for scheduling a house inspection varies and there is no standard answer. It depends entirely on the caseload of the supervising officer assigned to your case. Some families get a call within a few days. Others wait two weeks or more. The best thing you can do is make sure they have a reliable phone number where you can be reached at any time and answer every
Read more