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

He is dealing with two separate issues that will likely be handled together but carry independent weight. On the probation violation, the most common outcome is revocation and imposition of whatever time remained on the original sentence. When a judge grants probation, they are essentially deferring a sentence on the condition of compliance. Once that trust is broken, the default is to impose what was originally owed. How much that is depends entirely on the original charge and how far into...

There is no request process for family members to initiate early release, and facilities do not factor outside requests from loved ones into release decisions. That is simply not how it works at any level of the system. For a sentence this short, with release already coming in November, there is also no practical mechanism to pursue. Early release programs, compassionate release, and sentence reduction petitions are processes that apply to significantly longer sentences where meaningful time can be saved. For...

Housing assignments are not posted online for any California state facility. The only way to get that information is to call McFarland directly. When you do, they may tell you that the specific bed assignment is not something they share with outside callers, and that is actually fine for mailing purposes. To send mail to your wife, you do not need her housing unit or bed number. You only need her full legal name, her CDCR number, and the facility's mailing...

On a one-year sentence, the realistic expectation is somewhere around 10 months. Most jail and prison systems apply good conduct credits that reduce actual time served, typically resulting in inmates serving roughly 80 to 85 percent of the stated sentence when their record stays clean. On 12 months, that math puts release in the 10 to 10.5 month range under normal circumstances. That estimate assumes no disciplinary issues while he is inside and no other complicating factors in his history that...

Your dilemma was the reason InmateAid was created. There are no other websites that put all of this in one place to help make your relationship with an incarcerated loved one easier to manage. If you need to get their location, send us their name, DOB, state their in and any other information (like the jurisdiction: county, state or federal). You can send the [word search](https://www.inmateaid.com/shop/magazines), photos and letters, [postcards](https://www.inmateaid.com/postcards), [magazine subscriptions](https://www.inmateaid.com/shop/magazines) and books all from your smartphone or computer....

It is frustrating, but it does not constitute a legal violation and it does not entitle him to a reduced sentence. There is no requirement that prison staff proactively deliver release date information to an inmate following a parole board decision. The expectation in the system is that inmates take responsibility for tracking their own case status, and the way to do that is to go directly to the unit counselor or case manager and ask. If he had walked...

My boyfriend admitted to making a threat and is charged with felony criminal terrorist threat. He has a mental illness. How should he approach this case? This is a situation that genuinely requires a criminal defense attorney, not general advice from the outside. A felony terrorist threat charge with an admission to officers is serious, and the path forward depends entirely on the specifics of what was said, the circumstances around it, his mental health history, and the jurisdiction he is...

Parole holds triggered by new criminal charges are difficult to fight, especially domestic violence cases where law enforcement and courts tend to move cautiously regardless of how the charge originated. His parole officer made the determination to hold him, and the recommendation the PO gives to the judge or parole board carries significant weight. If the PO pushes for a lengthy penalty, reversing that outcome requires strong evidence and skilled advocacy. His defense attorney is the most important resource right now....

The most meaningful things you can do consistently are also the most practical ones. Letters and photos matter more than almost anything else. A letter gives him something to hold, reread, and think about during the stretches when nothing is happening. Photos of you specifically close a psychological distance that phone calls and money on the books cannot. The more you send, the more present you remain in his daily reality. Beyond that, keeping money on his books for commissary, making...

If you have information or evidence that contradicts what he was charged with, that is called exculpatory evidence, and getting it in front of the right people is the most direct path to helping him. The right people are his defense attorney first, then potentially the prosecutor or the judge if the attorney believes it is strong enough to warrant raising directly. Start with his attorney. Lay out exactly what you know, what you witnessed or did not witness, and what...

InmateAid works in EVERY facility but we are not a replacement for the phone service there, we provide numbers that make the cost of each call less than if you were to only use your current number (where applicable). Sometimes our member has a number that is already at the lowest price. If we cannot help save money, we do not issue the number. Please email (aid@inmateaid.com) us your number and we will give you an honest estimate of the...