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

Yes, InmateAid's discount phone service applies to Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Columbia, South Carolina. The savings depend on your specific phone number and what rate the facility's carrier currently charges for it, which is why checking before you sign up is the right move. The way it works is straightforward. Every correctional facility has a single phone carrier holding the contract, and that carrier charges different rates depending on the number your inmate is dialing. InmateAid identifies the number...

The honest answer is that you often will not know in advance, and that is by design rather than by accident. Prison transfers are not announced ahead of time to inmates or their families. The facility does not want anyone on the outside knowing when a transfer is happening because advance knowledge creates opportunities for interference, escape attempts, or security complications during transport. Your husband will likely be woken up early one morning, told to gather his property, and moved out...

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 platform, a...

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 and radio....

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 a housing...