Survive Prison Questions — Ask The Inmate

Federal prison camp is not like anything you'd see on television, it's not like "Orange is the New Black". There are no cells, it is an army barracks-like sleeping arrangement. Large dorm with rows of bunk beds separated by lockers. The basic inmate profile consists of low threat, shorter term inmates with non-violent pasts. All inmates must have a job whether it be in the kitchen, cleaning the dorms or bathrooms, working in commissary, the library, in education or landscaping...

The county jail system is the worst because there is nothing for the inmates to do. That lack of activity sometimes causes temperatures to boil as personality clashes manifest themselves in this environment. She will have an easier time in the prison environment because it is easier to get into a routine that consumes more of her day. The biggest issue for inmates is keeping their mouths shut and respecting the space and privacy of the other inmates. This is not like...

Patience is genuinely required when someone you love is inside. The timeline and rhythm of life in a correctional facility operate completely differently from the outside world and the gap between what you expect and what actually happens can be jarring, especially early in a sentence. On the phone access question, newly arrived inmates at a state prison typically go through an intake and orientation process before they get full access to facility services, including the phone. Getting assigned to a...

Six weeks feels like a long time when someone you love has essentially disappeared into a system and you are getting very little information about what is happening. Understanding what actually goes on during that period makes the wait more bearable, even if it does not make it shorter. The diagnostic or reception phase exists because the prison system needs a complete picture of every incoming inmate before deciding where to house them permanently and what programs they need. That process...

Mostly, prison is not like what you see on television. It is boring and the best way for an inmate to do their time is to stay busy with some sort of routine. Inmates that have goals and want to come out better than they went in will survive the experience. There are fights but the consequences of having them is that it will make the time ahead more difficult on the inmates involved. There is TV, there is exercise, there is a library, recreation areas and plenty...

The diagnostic prison is to assemble information on the inmate for further classification, designation, treatment and programming. Your inmate may not be prison material but very few are when they go in.  There will be an adaptation period where he will need to keep to himself and observe the routine of others and find one that will best fit his personality and interests.  Prison is like a little town with everything that you would see in a community, just in...

The beginning of her bid will be the hardest, getting used to being told where to be and when. Once she gets used to her daily routine, it becomes a lot easier to deal with. All of the inmates are looking for the same thing, and trouble in a women's prison is not something that happens as much as you would see on television. If she is easy-going, she will make friends and get into her own groove. The good-time...

If you have not heard from your cousin in a long time, the first step is to confirm where he is currently housed. You can do that using the Bureau of Prisons inmate locator, which will show his facility if he is still in federal custody. Once you know the facility, your options to check on his wellbeing are limited but there are a few things you can do: Call the facility and ask for the unit team or case manager. They...

It is possible, but it requires consistent effort and a deliberate approach from day one. The most important thing your friend can do is control what information about himself he puts into circulation. Inside, information travels fast and people are always working to figure out who someone is, what they did, and who they are connected to. The less your friend volunteers about his past gang affiliation, his charges, and his history, the less material there is for anyone to use...

Classification decisions are made by the state or federal department of corrections based on a combination of factors, and the profile you are describing creates a complicated picture. A child pornography conviction places someone in one of the most scrutinized categories in the correctional system. Sex offenders, particularly those with offenses involving children, are often housed separately from the general population for their own safety. The general population does not treat these charges neutrally, and facilities are well aware of the...

This is the struggle that every inmate faces every day of incarceration. Inmate's toughest time is the first six months of being locked-up. The adjustment of being told what to do, when to do it and where to be at certain times are not easy to adjust to. One of the main reasons that InmateAid was created it to allow the people on the outside to help their loved ones on the inside. Getting into a suitable routine is the...

Smoking is banned in all federal correctional facilities and in the vast majority of state and county facilities across the country. The ban covers tobacco products entirely, including cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and related items. Tobacco is contraband in most prisons and inmates found with it face disciplinary consequences. This has been the standard for many years and is not likely to change. On gang activity at Boonville specifically, Crossroads Correctional Center in Cameron and the Boonville facilities in Missouri are state-operated...

If your family member was involved with a gang on the outside, the likelihood of that affiliation continuing inside is significant, particularly at higher security state facilities. Prison gang structures are largely extensions of street gang networks, and many of the major prison gangs have direct organizational ties to their street counterparts. Someone arriving with a known affiliation will almost certainly be recognized by people already inside who share that history. In practice this means the expectation of continued affiliation often...

Federal prison is not worse than state prison, but it is prison nonetheless. The child pornography charge is not going to make his bit any easier. They send most of these type inmates to a facility in Arizona known for this. They tend to be safer among like-charges inmates. RDAP is a fantastic program if your inmate has put his substance abuse in the record with the Pre-Sentence Report prior to sentencing. This is the ONLY way to qualify. Plus,...

For a first-time inmate and their family, knowing something about the facility before the experience begins can provide meaningful reassurance, and Jenkins Correctional is a reasonable placement in that context. Jenkins is managed by CoreCivic, the company formerly known as Corrections Corporation of America or CCA, which is one of the largest private prison operators in the United States. Private facilities operate under contract with state government, and that contractual relationship creates an accountability structure that tends to produce more consistent...