Ask The Inmate. Real answers from people who've been there.

The honest answer is yes, and the people who come out of the experience having underestimated it are far more common than those who found it easier than expected. Jail is designed to be a consequence, and it functions that way in ways both obvious and subtle. The most obvious element is the loss of freedom. The ability to go where you want, when you want, eat what you choose, sleep when you are tired, and make basic decisions about your...

Every new arrival at a federal facility must complete an orientation period before any privileges are granted. This includes phone access, visitation, and in some cases, commissary. The orientation process at most BOP facilities, including Texarkana, typically takes about a week, sometimes a few days less and occasionally a bit longer, depending on intake volume and scheduling. During that window, your person is getting processed, classified, briefed on facility rules, and assigned to their housing unit and work detail. Phone lists,...

New charges filed against someone already incarcerated can come from two very different directions, and figuring out which one applies here determines where you look for information. The first possibility is an internal disciplinary matter handled within the facility by a Disciplinary Hearing Officer. This covers rule violations and incidents that occur inside the house of corrections itself. If that is the case, call the facility and ask to speak with his counselor. Explain that you received a call about new...

A no-bond designation means the system has flagged her as someone who should not be released before a judge reviews the case in person. It is not necessarily permanent, but it does mean she is going to stay in custody until at least the arraignment or first appearance hearing. At that hearing, a judge will review the circumstances and decide. Depending on the charge, her criminal history, and the arguments made by her attorney, the judge can do one of three...

The most likely issue is that your husband is dialing your original number instead of the new InmateAid number. That is the most common reason the service appears not to work after setup. InmateAid does not replace Securus, which is the carrier Starr County Jail uses. What InmateAid does is provide a different number for your husband to dial, one that routes calls through Securus at a lower rate than your regular in-state number generates. The call still goes through Securus...

Once someone has been sentenced, they generally do not go back to court to find out when they will be released. The release date is calculated from the sentence itself, minus applicable good time credits, and is determined administratively by the facility, not by a future court appearance. Court appearances after sentencing are reserved for specific legal proceedings such as appeals, resentencing hearings, probation or parole violation hearings, or new charges. Routine release processing happens entirely within the correctional system without...

Almost certainly neither quickly nor easily. When a judge issues a failure to appear warrant, it is because the person has already demonstrated they would not show up when required. That history makes the judge very unlikely to offer bail again or release someone on their own recognizance, because the entire purpose of bail is to secure future appearances, and that trust has already been broken. In most failure-to-appear situations, the judge remands the person to custody without bail. That means...