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Ask a former inmate questions at no charge. The inmate answering has spent considerable time in the federal prison system, state and county jails, and in a prison that was run by the private prison entity CCA.

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Subject: Send inmate mail

Yes, inmates can send as many letters as they want through the regular postal system. There are no restrictions on how many outgoing letters an inmate can write, and the mail goes out through USPS just like any other letter. The cost falls entirely on the inmate's end, not yours. Postage stamps are available through the facility commissary and come out of the inmate's trust account when purchased. A standard first class stamp covers a regular letter anywhere in

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Subject: Inmate search

The reason he does not appear in any database is by design, and the law is explicit about it. Juvenile records and placements are confidential regardless of age. The critical factor is not how old someone is right now but how old they were when the offense occurred and when the case was adjudicated. If he was charged and processed through the juvenile system before turning 18, that case is sealed from public view even after he turns 19.

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Subject: Send books and magazines

Yes. Tattoo Magazine can be sent to inmates at Oregon State Correctional Institution. You can order it through Amazon and ship it directly to the facility, or you can send it through InmateAid as we work with the same publisher. A couple of things to keep in mind when ordering any magazine subscription for an inmate. The subscription must ship directly from the publisher or an approved retailer. Magazines sent from a personal address will be rejected at the

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Subject: After prison challenges & services

Federal law under 18 U.S.C. Section 924(c) imposes mandatory minimum sentences for using or possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime or crime of violence. The mandatory minimums are steep on their own: 5 years for possession, 7 years for brandishing, and 10 years for discharging the weapon. A second or subsequent conviction under 924(c) triggers a 25-year mandatory minimum on top of everything else. The stacking problem comes from how these sentences are applied. Under the law,

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Subject: Inmate phone calls

Yes, the service works across every facility listed on InmateAid, but every situation requires examination based on the carrier rates. The platform covers jails and prisons nationwide, from county detention centers to state facilities to federal institutions. What changes from facility to facility is not whether the service works but how much it saves you. The savings are what we are seeking. Every jail and prison contracts with a single phone carrier, and that carrier sets rates based on

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Subject: Sentence reduction

All inmates receive "good time credits" when they begin their sentence. Usually, that is 15% and that is the most it can be, it can only lessen by bad behavior. The one way for early release is if the inmate has information about another crime or criminal enterprise that would lead to the prosecution and conviction of another. THAT is also called snitching (not recommended) and it could carry repercussions on the yard, but the weak-minded always look for a short cut.

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Subject: Prison discipline

Ther prisons do not share any information about the reasons for anything that goes on inside the walls. Unless the issue leaks out from an inmate that shared it with their loved ones, no news gets out 

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Subject: Pending criminal charges

The timing depends on where the case is in the legal process, and there are several distinct phases that each affect where your person is physically housed. If the federal charge has just been filed and the case has not yet been adjudicated, your person will likely remain at their current facility until the federal court proceedings require their presence. At that point they will be transferred, typically to a county jail in the jurisdiction where the federal indictment

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Subject: Survive prison

Safety in prison is largely within your son's own control, and that is actually a more reassuring answer than it might sound at first. The inmates who have the most difficult time inside are generally the ones who create problems, get involved in other people's business, or carry attitudes that invite conflict. Someone who keeps to themselves, follows the rules without attitude, does their work assignment, and uses their social skills to navigate relationships will move through a sentence

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Subject: Pregnant inmates

This is a situation where time matters and the steps need to start now rather than after the birth. When an incarcerated woman gives birth, the baby does not stay with her in the facility beyond a very brief period, typically 24 to 72 hours in most state systems while the mother recovers from delivery. Oklahoma does not have a prison nursery program that allows infants to remain with incarcerated mothers long term, which means a placement plan for

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