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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: Inmate transfer

The rules are pretty narrow on this one. When transferring from a county jail facility into the Travis County SMART program, you are allowed to bring two categories of items with you. The first is anything you purchased through the commissary during your time at the jail. Clothing, hygiene products, snacks, and other commissary items you bought with your own money are yours to take. The second category covers personal mail, legal documents, and any personal writings. Letters

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Subject: Pending criminal charges

There is no honest answer to that without knowing a lot more about the specifics, and anyone who tells you otherwise is guessing. A 10-year-old simple assault warrant is a misdemeanor, which is on the lower end of the spectrum. That works in your favor. But the outcome of turning yourself in depends on several things that vary case by case: the jurisdiction, the judge, the original circumstances of the assault, whether the victim is still involved or has

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Subject: Halfway house

It happens, and it is probably more common than the staff would like to admit. Halfway houses are unique in the reentry landscape because they are one of the only supervised settings where men and women actually share common spaces. In prison or jail, that is simply not a reality. The facilities are either fully segregated or contact between male and female populations is so tightly controlled it is essentially impossible without serious risk, including paying off staff, which

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Subject: Inmateaid website questions

yes - a former inmate who is happy to be answering questions, not from a jail cell

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Subject: Commissary

It depends on your financial situation, but $300 is a solid starting point if you can manage it. When you first arrive, the facility issues necessities, but basic is the right word for it. The soap, shampoo, and toiletries they hand you are the bare minimum, and most inmates replace them with name-brand versions from the commissary as soon as they can. It is a small thing that makes a real difference in daily comfort. Beyond toiletries, there

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Subject: Survive prison

there are no words to describe that first time getting locked up in the holding cell, then the transfer to the county jail, then the transfer to the federal prison... unnerving is an understatement

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Subject: Bail & bond questions

Released without a cash bond... "on your recognizance" 

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Subject: Inmate phone calls

Yes, absolutely!

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Subject: Pending criminal charges

Contact the Clerk of the County Court where the charges were filed. This is where the attorneys go for the detailed information about their client's charges

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Subject: Inmate search

this forum is for former inmates to answer questions about their experiences firsthand. we don't find charges or bail amounts for individuals. you can try vinelink.com to assist in locating your inmate. the charges and bail can be found at the clerk of the court where the charges were originally filed

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