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Ask a former inmate questions at no charge. The inmate answering has spent considerable time in the federal prison system, state and county jails, and in a prison that was run by the private prison entity CCA.

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Subject: Commissary

Yes, Hardin County Detention Center in Savannah does have commissary available to inmates. The specific vendor the facility contracts with can change over time as these contracts go out to bid periodically, so the most current information on which company is running it is best confirmed by calling the facility directly. What stays consistent regardless of vendor is how the process works. You put money on your inmate's account through whatever deposit method the facility uses, typically an online

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Subject: Commissary

It depends on where they are incarcerated, all commissary lists are different, but similar in the range of available products. Inmates may buy stamps and writing supplies for mailing letters, they can buy snacks and candy or savory foods like tuna, mackerel, salmon, chicken, soups (add hot water), toiletries, grooming aids, dental and hygiene products, sweatshirts and sneakers and various sundries. I was in county, private and federal prison and by far the most important purchase are your headphones

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Subject: Inmate phone calls

You cannot call into the facility to speak with an inmate. The inmate must call you. Depending on where they are incarcerated, the call price can be VERY expensive. If you would like more specifics, please email us the location of your inmate and your telephone number and we will give you an honest estimate of the call price and potential savings using the InmateAid Discount Phone Service 

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Subject: Send books and magazines

Amazon works well for books but magazines are more complicated, and the distinction matters before you spend money on something that gets turned away at the mailroom. For books, Amazon is the gold standard. Most facilities require books to come directly from a recognized retailer and Amazon fills that requirement reliably. Order it, ship it directly to the facility with your inmate's name and ID number, and it almost always gets through. For magazines, Amazon can work but

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Subject: Inmate phone calls

No, inmates cannot receive calls. Inmates may only make outbound calls to phone numbers on their approved calling list. They must have money on their account to connect the call. Inmates may also call you "collect", although this is the most expensive way to receive calls. Click here to set up an account

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Subject: Pending criminal charges

InmateAid does not have access to court calendars, pretrial orders, or case-specific information, so that is not something that can be answered from here. But the information you are looking for is public record and accessible through the right channels. The Miami-Dade Clerk of the Court is your first call. The clerk's office maintains the court calendar and can tell you whether a hearing is scheduled, what the next court date is, and what the current status of the

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Subject: Send inmate mail

It's sent by regular mail posted from San Francisco. It normally takes 2-3 days to arrive at the facility mail room and the mail is handed out at mail call

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Subject: Inmate transfer

It depends on the type of transfer and which systems are involved, and the answer is different for each scenario. For federal to federal transfers, the approved call list is tied to the inmate's register number and travels with them through the Bureau of Prisons system. There is no formal waiting period, but there is typically a practical gap of a few days to a week while the inmate goes through intake at the new facility, gets assigned to

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Subject: Visitation

Here is a link to all of the rules, schedules and approval process for the Wasco State Prison

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Subject: Visitation

Yes, but you might have to go through a short approval process beforehand, however, they will not deny a spouse visitation regardless of the felony status.

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