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

County jails have widely varying policies on care packages, and the first step is always to call the facility directly and ask what their specific rules are. Some jails accept packages from family, others only allow packages from approved vendors, and some do not permit outside packages at all. There is no universal standard at the county level. For facilities that do allow outside packages, items are typically restricted to approved clothing, hygiene products, and similar basics. Food is usually not...

The honest answer is that a prior 17-year prison sentence weighs heavily against any outcome that does not include additional incarceration on new charges. Criminal history is one of the most significant factors judges and prosecutors consider at every stage of a case, from charging decisions through plea negotiations to sentencing. Someone with a 17-year stretch already on their record is viewed very differently from a first-time offender facing similar charges. The prior sentence signals to the court that incarceration was...

Whether parole is even a possibility on this sentence depends entirely on what the judge wrote in the Judgment and Commitment Order at the time of sentencing. That document is the controlling authority on parole eligibility. If the judge included a parole provision, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles has jurisdiction to consider release before the full sentence is served. If parole is not written into the order, it is not available regardless of conduct or programming. Two-year sentences resulting...

It is possible, but the answer depends on why you were gate-locked at the prison and whether that information has been shared with the county jail. Gate locking at a state or federal facility creates a record within that institution's system. County jails operate their own separate visitor approval processes and do not always have access to or share information with the state prison system. If the county jail runs its own independent background check and your denial at the prison...

This situation carries serious consequences on multiple levels and the assault of a corrections officer is what transforms a manageable problem into a potentially devastating one. Cell phone possession in a California state prison is already a significant infraction. Under federal law the Contraband Cell Phone Act carries up to five years of additional prison time, though in practice California state facilities typically handle phone possession through the institutional disciplinary system rather than new federal charges. The standard response is SHU...

Federal inmates do have access to a limited email system called CorrLinks, and it works differently from standard email in a few important ways. The key thing to understand is that your boyfriend has to initiate the connection, not you. He submits a request through the TRULINCS system at the facility, which sends you an invitation to your email address. Once you receive that invitation, you go to CorrLinks.com, create an account, and accept the connection. From that point you can...

Missing the final check-in when parole is essentially complete is one of the more frustrating situations that comes up, and the consequences are disproportionate to how close the person was to being fully done. A blue warrant is a parole violation warrant, and once it is issued, the person is considered an absconder regardless of how little supervision remains. The warrant does not expire and does not get dismissed simply because the original parole term was nearly finished. Until it is...

The physical contact rules in a prison visiting room apply equally to all approved visitors regardless of their relationship to the inmate. The standard policy at most correctional facilities permits one brief hug and kiss at the start of the visit and one at the end. That rule does not distinguish between a spouse, a family member, a friend, or any other approved visitor on the list. Correctional facilities are not in the business of policing the personal relationships or moral...

The Supervision with Immediate Enforcement (SWIFT) Court is a specialty court to address the needs of offenders to divert them from the full criminal justice process.This court was designed to reduce recidivism rates of drug participants. This was later applied to probation violators, especially those testing positive for illicit drugs. If the failed drug test is their only violation, it's possible the judge will extend their probation, add some additional sanctions (community service) or counseling. However, they have probably given up...

The most accurate description of daily prison life is the movie Groundhog Day. Every day is identical to the one before it. Same wake-up time, same meals, same faces, same walls, same routine repeated without variation for however long the sentence runs. The monotony is the hardest part for most people, more than the physical environment or even the separation from family. Time moves differently inside, and the sameness of it is something you have to actively fight against to...