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

There is no legal limitation on the length of time an inmate may remain in the SHU or the "hole". There are no laws that an inmate can rely on to govern how they are incarcerated. They are basically 'property of the department of corrections' - and have to do whatever the department decides, whenever they decide. Stays in the SHU can be months and months for infractions that are considered safety violations, like possession of a cellphone, a weapon,...

Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do from the outside but complain to the institution. This could have a double-edged result, though. Letting someone in the administration know of these details will certainly shake things up there for a while. They will do shake-downs trying to find the shank. But these things never stay quiet and he could end up having more problems from you saying something than if he just lets it go. It sounds like your son has...

Yes, it is possible, but the reality is more nuanced than a simple yes or no and several factors determine how seriously this gets pursued. District attorneys carry enormous caseloads and prosecuting inmates already serving time for a prison fight is not typically a priority unless the circumstances are exceptional. Most fights inside California state prisons are handled administratively through the disciplinary system rather than criminally through the courts. The standard consequence for a fight is loss of good time credits,...

Most likely yes, but the situation deserves more attention than simply showing up again on the next visitation day and hoping for the best. Being turned away for contraband is not a minor inconvenience. It is a serious event that goes on record at that facility. Whether it results in a permanent visitation ban, a temporary suspension, or just a single turned away visit depends on what was found, whether it appeared intentional, and how the facility chooses to handle it....

Most facilities require new arrivals to complete an Admissions and Orientation period before visitation is permitted. That process typically takes about two weeks, though there is no universal standard and some facilities move faster while others take longer. During that initial period, the facility is processing the inmate into their system, completing medical and classification evaluations, and establishing housing assignments. Visitation is generally not available until that intake process is complete and the inmate has submitted their approved visitor list. The most...

The dramatic version of prison farm labor that circulates online and gets portrayed on television does not reflect the day to day reality for most inmates assigned to agricultural or outdoor work details, though the broader conversation about prison labor and fair compensation is a legitimate one worth understanding. Farm duty and outdoor work assignments are generally considered among the better details available inside. Inmates assigned to these jobs are outside, physically active, doing something that feels purposeful, and breaking the...

Arriving one to two hours before your scheduled visit time is the safe approach at most correctional facilities, including Allegheny Valley County Prison. That window might seem excessive but the processing involved in getting cleared for a visit takes more time than most first-timers expect. You have to check in at the front, present your identification, get verified against the approved visitor list, pass through security screening, and wait for staff to be available to process you through. Each of those...

What is permitted in visitation photos varies by facility and in practice often comes down to which officer is working that day and how strictly they apply the rules. At most facilities, arms around each other, a brief kiss, and a parent kissing a child on the cheek are generally tolerated and considered acceptable within the spirit of the visit. These are the kinds of normal family moments that most staff recognize as reasonable and do not interfere with. The security level...

No. That is one of the most persistent myths about prison and it comes almost entirely from television and movies that need conflict to fill airtime. The reality is that most days inside look nothing like what gets portrayed on screen. Inmates wake up, eat, go to work assignments or programming, exercise, watch television, read, and go to sleep. That routine repeats itself day after day and for the majority of people serving time it passes without physical confrontation. Prison does have...

Both phone access and visitation get significantly restricted when someone is placed in segregation, but the specifics depend on why they are there. On the phone side, inmates in seg are typically limited to one 15-minute call per week. That is the standard across most federal and state facilities and it applies whether the placement is administrative or disciplinary in nature. However, if the reason for the segregation placement is a disciplinary infraction and a phone restriction was issued as part...

It's not fair, but prison is not there for fairness, it is there for the housing of inmates until their sentence is served under rules that we on the outside can't imagine.  Visitation is considered a privilege, not a right - and when they take it away it is usually for some sort of egregious act from a group of inmates. The rules that are imposed are not to punish the visitors, they are there to keep the order and control the acts...

Fights happen in prison the same way they happen anywhere people are confined together under stress with limited options and no ability to simply walk away. They are a reality of the environment but they are far from inevitable for someone who understands how to navigate the social dynamics inside. The frequency and severity of fighting depend heavily on the security level of the facility. Higher security prisons house people with longer sentences, more serious offenses, and in many cases histories...