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

Nevada Southern Detention Center is a CCA facility which means it is privately run. I've been in a CCA prison in Tennessee which could not have been more strict. The CCA staff follows the rules to the letter. In my opinion, when the guards stick to the rules (on the strict side) there are a lot less problems. The inmates take the position that it's not worth going to the SHU because there are no second chances to avoid punishment....

Inmates do not have access to the Internet. There are some facilities that now have an email service that is closed from the Internett. However, the emails cost the inmate to read and write. Even though inmates do not have online access, and therefore no Facebook, but we know for certain that inmates get ahold of smartphones and can create and maintain FB accounts. Not smart, but they figure they are in prison anyway, why not break more rules. We...

Every single day counts, and that applies from the very first day of custody regardless of where that custody takes place. In Missouri, as in virtually every other state, time served in county jail while awaiting arraignment, trial, or sentencing is credited against whatever sentence the judge ultimately imposes. The clock starts the moment someone is booked and does not stop regardless of which facility is holding them. County jail, city jail, a holding facility, it all counts the same way...

Santa Cruz unit at Perryville operates as a medium security facility and still uses cells rather than the open dormitory setup you find at minimum security units like San Carlos. The distinction matters in terms of daily life. Medium security means one to two-person cells with controlled movement throughout the facility. Inmates do not move freely between areas without authorization, and the environment is more structured and restricted than what minimum security offers. San Carlos by contrast, is minimum security, which means...

Ten years is a long time and a lot can change in both directions, so confirming your status before showing up is the smart move. Visitation approvals do not necessarily expire on a fixed schedule, but a decade of inactivity creates enough uncertainty that walking in cold without checking first is a risk not worth taking. Facilities update their systems, policies change, and approved visitor lists get audited periodically. An approval from ten years ago may still be active in the...

The first few days at Ouachita River are an orientation period, and understanding what that looks like helps set realistic expectations on both ends. When an inmate arrives at a new facility after transferring from county jail, they go through intake processing before anything else. That means medical screening, classification review, property inventory, housing assignment, and an orientation to the facility's specific rules, schedules, and expectations. During that window, access to phones, commissary, and visitation is limited while staff get everyone...

West Tennessee Detention Center allows contact visits, and the setup is more personal than what you find at facilities that use glass partitions or video terminals. Visitation takes place in a room with tables and chairs, with a guard stationed on a platform overseeing the area. Vending machines are available so you can grab something to eat or drink during the visit. The atmosphere is supervised but not oppressive for a detention facility. Physical contact is permitted within limits. You can hug...

It depends on what sent him there and how seriously the facility views the infraction relative to his treatment eligibility. In many cases, a SHU placement does not automatically disqualify someone from a treatment program, particularly if the underlying incident was relatively minor and he has otherwise maintained a solid record. Treatment programs like RDAP in the federal system and similar substance abuse tracks in state facilities look at the full picture rather than a single incident in isolation. One trip...

Yes, mail continues in both directions even during a SHU placement. It is one of the few privileges that survives a trip to the hole largely intact. Prison administration treats mail as a protected form of communication and makes genuine effort to ensure inmates remain connected to their families and loved ones regardless of disciplinary status. When an inmate goes to the hole, phone access gets severely restricted, commissary gets limited, and movement stops entirely, but the mail keeps moving. Letters,...