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

It's hard to give the advice that we want to give versus the advice you want to hear. Inmates that go in and out of jail are not going to be easy to live with. The incarceration process definitely changes a person but the ones that are going to succeed after release are the ones that have made the conscious decision to change their ways, habits and people they associate with. Justin is not in that category yet. If you...

The inmate profiles found on InmateAid are set up by the member/users of the site. InmateAid does not monitor, update or verify these profiles unless asked to do so. Inmates do not have access to the Internet and therefore are not going to be on the InmateAid website. This website is for YOU to use to remain in contact with them. If you need assistance getting his profile set-up, send us his name and we will create it for you. ...

The advice you've been given is incorrect. The rule is that they do not allow felons into visitation, but there are exceptions to this rule. You must petition the warden BEFORE filling out an application. You should call the warden's office and speak to the secretary. Ask in the most humber manner possible, to provide you with instructions on how to get permission from the warden to see your boyfriend. During this conversation, make sure to be forthright and honest...

Milestone credits are a program in the California state prison system (CDCR) for non-violent, second strike drug offenders. Prior to 2014, non-violent second strikers were given 20% credit for the time they served, but that number was increased to 33.3% last year. For example, under the previous system, an inmate sentenced to one year in prison would have been eligible for release after 304 days, however, under the new system the same inmate would now be eligible for release after serving...

The answer depends significantly on whether the sentence is state or federal, and which state is involved, because the landscape varies widely. Blanket early release programs for second strikers do not really exist as a standard feature of any system. What does exist are more targeted pathways that can result in earlier release for certain drug offenders. The most common are drug treatment completion programs, where finishing a qualifying program like RDAP in the federal system can earn up to a...

A transfer does not automatically mean something negative is happening. Inmates get moved for a variety of reasons, including routine classification adjustments, changes in bed space availability, programming assignments, or administrative decisions that have nothing to do with conduct or parole status. A transfer the same month as a parole hearing does not cancel the hearing or indicate the parole was denied. His parole eligibility should follow him to the new facility. The parole board reviews the case file, not just...

There is no read receipt for prison mail and no public system that tracks whether incoming mail was delivered to a specific inmate. Once a letter clears the mailroom and is not returned to sender, the assumption is that it reached him. If your letters have not come back to you, they most likely got through. Whether he has responded is a separate question from whether he received the mail. Inmates sometimes delay writing back for reasons that have nothing to...

Work release is a program available to selected inmates in the final months of their sentence. It allows them to leave the facility during the day to work at paid employment in the community, then return to custody at the end of each workday. It is not a full release. The inmate is still serving their sentence and must be back at the facility by a set time each evening. Transportation is usually arranged through the program itself. In most cases...

Absconding is treated seriously because it demonstrates that the person chose not to comply when they had the opportunity. Skipping out on a court date and probation appointments after being bonded out is not a technical violation. It is a deliberate choice, and judges view it that way. The most likely outcome is that the court revokes his probation or community corrections status and orders him to serve the balance of his original sentence in a secure facility. Whether that means...

Writing letters is sort of a lost art these days - it takes effort. If you were our girl, we would want to hear about everything you're doing. We would really want you to send us sexy pictures of yourself and even share sexy talk or sexy stories to keep our spirits high. We are not trying to be creepy, but he probably misses you and thinks about you all the time. Try relationship stuff where you can make him...

Tell him now. This is not a situation where protecting him from a painful truth actually helps him. He has two years ahead of him in which he is going to be making assumptions about what his life looks like when he gets out, where he will live, what he is coming home to. If those assumptions are based on a marriage that no longer exists, the collapse of that picture at release is going to hit much harder than...

Yes, there are documented cases of correctional staff engaging in sexual contact with inmates, and it happens at institutions across the country. Under federal law, specifically the Prison Rape Elimination Act, any sexual contact between staff and an inmate is illegal regardless of whether it appears consensual. An inmate cannot legally consent to sexual contact with a corrections officer because of the inherent power imbalance. The law treats it as a crime on the part of the staff member. When these...