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

If your inmate is doing her time in the federal system, the halfway house is pretty much standard release protocol. We have heard of inmates denying halfway house altogether and are able to finish their sentence "inside". As far as release completely, this is up the the language in the Judgement and Commitment document written by the judge who sentenced her. If there is a period of supervised release, then "running" would be foolish. The BOP will not keep an...

No, you cannot send an MP3 player directly to your son, whether it is new or used. Facilities have very strict rules about property, and personal electronics are not allowed to be mailed in from the outside. If you try to send one, it will almost always be rejected and returned. If MP3 players are allowed at his facility, they must be: Purchased through the prison’s approved vendor or commissary system Designed specifically for inmate use Pre approved and registered to that inmate Here is what...

If your inmate calls are routing through a long distance number to you, the VERY best way is to get a line that is matched to the rate center of the prison. The prison phone companies normally charge much higher rates for long distance calls versus local calls. We can get a better rate through this matching process. Our fee is $19.95 which is covered by the savings in about 4-5 calls in most cases. Depending on the number of...

The service starts working very quickly, usually within about an hour after you sign up. Here is how it works step by step: 1. You sign up and complete payment Once your order is processed, a new local phone number is created for you that matches the area of the facility. 2. You receive your new number This is typically sent to you by email within about an hour. At that point, the number is active and ready to use. 3. You must give the number...

Facility Procedures and Expectations for Visitors of the Illinois DOCOn your first visit to a facility you will be required to complete a “Prospective Visitor’s Interview” form. If visitors are provide false information on the form, visitation privileges may be restricted or revoked. IDOC staff has the right to interview or request background information from potential visitors to determine whether the individual would pose a threat to the safety or security of the facility or any person or to the...

The phone service at the all of the jails and prisons are set up through bid process. Whoever has the contract for all inmate outbound calling and to tape record the calls has a monopoly contract. Therefore, you have to use them to receive calls. The choice is whether you pay them for a long distance call or a local call. The price is usually a pretty sizable difference Here is how it works... We get you a local line matching the rate center of town...

All inmates must go through the Admission and Orientation Program which is designed to help them understand their responsibilities and the rules of the institution. Each inmate will typically be interviewed by their Case Manager and Correctional Counselor within the first seven days after commitment to the institution. During their orientation, they will also participate in various lectures, examinations, tests, and interviews. This means that numerous staff members, at one time or another, will participate directly or indirectly in the inmate's...

No, the inmate will not automatically know to call you just because you signed up for the discount phone service. When you sign up, you will be given a new local number, but it is up to you to get that number to the inmate. Facilities do not pass along phone numbers or messages on your behalf. Here is what you need to do: Send the new number to the inmate in a letter Make sure they clearly understand that this is the number...