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

This depends on where they are incarcerated. The federal system is by far the best for medical attention and the state system is adequate... but the rule of thumb is to "not get sick", unfortunately that is easier said than done but it is minimal attention at best. Most facilities will charge the inmate some sort of fee for medical attention that is taken from the inmate's commissary account. If they are indigent, then the state or feds will pick...

The "prison" conditions are the same for men and women. The problem is not the prison, it's the inmates that are there are there at the same time as your loved one. Sometimes, they run smoothly and others not so much. The main problem is boredom and how each inmate deals with it. If your inmate is able to compartmentalize their feelings and thoughts, their time will go smoothly. Never put themselves in a position where they can be isolated by...

No good! Cell phones in prison or jail is a new charge, a felony thanks to the Obama Administration. If they are in federal, the punishment is probably 6-12 months in the SHU (disciplinary segregation), no phone privileges, no visitation, no commissary and at the end of the SHU stay, they will be shipped to a higher security facility most likely hundreds of miles away from the nearest family member to add another hardship to the folks that care about...

A federal detainer is a legal hold placed on an inmate by federal authorities, typically the US Marshals Service, indicating that the federal government wants custody of that person once the current state or local matter is resolved or when they are ready to take them. The timeline for the actual pickup is one of the most unpredictable aspects of the federal system. In practice, federal detainer pickups can happen anywhere from a few weeks to several months after the detainer...

The most valuable thing I took out of prison was the absolute certainty that I never wanted to go back. That sounds simple, but it is more powerful than it might seem. When that conviction is real and not just something you say, it changes how you make decisions on the outside in ways that are hard to explain until you have lived it. The deeper lesson came from having enough time and enough quiet to look honestly at the patterns...

All TDCJ state prison facilities, where Wheeler (Texas) is affiliated ,use SecurusTech. The price for a call to any number in the state of Texas is about $4,00 (for 15 minutes). We can save $1.00 per call with one of our numbers (that would call-forward to yours).  If you want Wheeler (Georgia), they also use Securus. The price for a local call is $1.95, all other calls are $3.15. We can save you $1.20 per call with an Alamo Georgia phone number...

Feeling unsafe inside is a serious situation and there are legitimate paths to address it, though none of them are immediate or simple. A formal transfer request is the long-term option, but it comes with significant constraints. Most facilities require an inmate to have been housed there for a minimum of nine to eighteen months before a transfer request is even considered. Beyond the time requirement, transfers are driven by the system's needs rather than inmate preferences, and a request based...

If you are being held, the arraignment should come within a few days, maybe the next day. This has a lot to do with the charges and what level profile is this case. If there are many jurisdictions involved, they love to create a whole staged media scene patting themselves on the back. They read the charges before a magistrate that sets bail or not. In most cases, the prosecution makes a deal with the defense lawyer for a bail...

Arraignment timelines vary based on the charges and how busy the courts are, but in most jurisdictions, including New Mexico, the law requires an initial appearance before a judge within 48 hours of arrest. That initial appearance, sometimes called a first appearance or preliminary hearing, is where bail is addressed and the charges are formally presented. The full arraignment, where a defendant enters a plea, can follow quickly or be scheduled for a separate date depending on the case. For misdemeanor...