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

Yes. The InmateAid discount number cannot work independently of the prison's phone system. Every correctional facility operates under an exclusive contract with a phone provider, and all calls placed from inside must go through that provider's system. In this case that provider is GTL, also known as Global Tel Link. Here is exactly what needs to happen for the discount line to work: Open an account with GTL if you do not already have one. When setting up that account, use the...

Whether a call from a prison is billed as local or long distance has nothing to do with where you physically live. It is determined by whether your phone number falls within the same rate center as the facility. A rate center is a geographic designation used by phone carriers to calculate call pricing, and it does not always align with city or state boundaries. If you already have a Philadelphia area code number and your husband's facility is in the...

In the Nevada Department of Corrections system, shoes and clothing cannot be sent directly from individuals or standard retailers like Amazon. Outside packages from unapproved sources will be refused at the mail room. Everything has to go through an approved vendor. Use an approved package vendor. NDOC authorizes specific vendors for their Clothing Package Program. The three primary options are: Access Securepak through the Keefe Group, which is the official vendor for sending pre-approved gift packages to Nevada inmates. You can search...

Traveling from England to visit someone at Auburn Correctional Facility is a significant commitment, and getting the details sorted before you board a plane is essential. Do not show up without confirming everything in advance. Do not wait until arrival to apply. New York State requires visitors to be pre-approved before any visit can take place. You cannot fill out an application on arrival and expect to visit the same day. The approval process involves a background check and can take...

Letter delivery time: When you send a letter through InmateAid, it is typically printed and mailed quickly. Most letters arrive at the facility within 1 to 3 business days. After that, the timeline depends on the facility: Mail is opened and inspected for contraband It is then delivered at mail call This can add a few extra days depending on staff workload and procedures So overall, most inmates receive letters within a few days to about a week. Phone call limits: There is no single rule for all facilities. Call time depends on...

Having a family member held by ICE is a stressful and often confusing situation, especially when you are not sure how basic things like phone calls work. Here is what you need to know. ICE detention facilities, including contract facilities like South Louisiana Correctional Center, use the same type of contracted phone systems found in most jails and prisons. Your brother can make outgoing calls, but he cannot receive incoming ones. All calls originate from his end. To receive his calls, you...

Not every facility can be serviced with a local discount phone line. Coverage depends on the phone carrier contracted to that specific jail or prison, and in some cases a local number simply cannot be obtained for that area. When InmateAid is unable to procure a local line for a facility after a customer has placed an order, we issue a full refund. You will not be charged for a service we cannot deliver. If you are setting up a new account...

If the facility you need is not listed on Western Union, it usually means they do not service that jail or prison. Western Union only works with certain systems, not all facilities. When that happens, you still have a few options: 1. Use the facility’s approved method Most jails and prisons have their own required way to send money, such as: Money orders by mail Other services like JPay or Access Corrections Kiosk deposits at the facility 2. Send a money order This is the most widely accepted fallback. You...

Three denials is a clear pattern, and the honest answer is that there is no reliable workaround. When someone is on probation, most facilities treat visitation applications with significant caution, and a non-family relationship like a boyfriend does not carry the same weight as a spouse or immediate family member when decision-makers are evaluating borderline cases. That is not a judgment, it is simply how the system weighs these things. A few options still worth trying: If your probation officer has not...

If your husband is reporting to a halfway house in Ludlow, Massachusetts, he is entering what the Federal Bureau of Prisons calls a Residential Reentry Center (RRC). These programs are designed to help inmates transition back into everyday life before full release. Here is what you can expect: What the environment is like: It is not prison, but it is still structured and supervised He will have rules, curfews, and required check-ins Staff monitor his progress and compliance Daily life and expectations: He will be expected to work or actively look for...

No. The InmateAid discount phone number is not a collect call system and should not be used as one. Accepting collect calls defeats the purpose of the service and will not produce the savings you signed up for. Here is how it actually works. InmateAid provides you with a local phone number that forwards to your existing phone. Your fiancee dials that number through the facility's phone system the same way he would dial any other approved number on his list....

Delivery timelines for online commissary orders vary depending on the service you used and the facility's commissary schedule. InmateAid is not affiliated with e-comm or most third-party commissary platforms, so we cannot speak to their specific processing times. For the most accurate answer about your order, contact the commissary service you purchased through directly. They will be able to tell you when the order was processed and when it is expected to be available to your inmate. A few general things worth...

No. Vernon C. Bain Center does not permit conjugal visits. The facility operates under the New York City Department of Corrections, and New York City jails do not have a conjugal visit program. New York State correctional facilities, meaning state prisons rather than city jails, historically had one of the longest-running conjugal visit programs in the country known as the Family Reunion Program. However, that program applies only to New York State prisons, not to New York City Department of Corrections...