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

Aggravated riot is a serious felony charge and the potential sentence varies significantly depending on which state the charge is filed in, the specific circumstances of the incident, the individual's criminal history, and whether the case resolves through a plea or goes to trial. Federal vs State Aggravated riot charges are most commonly filed at the state level. Federal riot charges exist under 18 U.S.C. 2102 but are less common. The distinction matters because federal and state sentencing structures are completely different. State...

Sometimes yes, but it depends entirely on the facility and the phone provider they use. Years ago, getting a local number in the same area code as the prison often lowered the cost because calls were billed as local instead of long distance. That still works in some places, but the industry has changed a lot. Today, there are dozens of providers, and many no longer price calls strictly based on distance. In some systems: Local numbers can still reduce the per minute...

A property bond is a bond that posts the value of tangible property, such as real estate, in order to obtain a pre-trial release from jail. In some cases, the value of the property may need to be twice as high as the bail amount in order for a property bond to be accepted. A property bond is not allowed in every state. A property bond may be obtained from a bail agent. Depending on the law of the particular state,...

Appeals are costly and largely yield a negative outcome. A successful appeal needs a specialist and a decent case (one where many judicial errors were made) for them to have a slim chance of prevailing. Sex offender cases are especially tough. In our opinion, unless there is DNA evidence that exonerates the offender, they rarely come out the way you hope. Sometimes the appellate route is for your conscience. You feel like you need to spend every dollar you can to...

Call the camp counselor at the Jamestown facility directly and ask for a welfare or health update on your husband. That is the most direct path to getting information. You do not need a specific reason beyond being his family and wanting to confirm he is receiving care. Counselors deal with these calls and can at minimum confirm he is there and being attended to, even if they cannot share detailed medical information. The lack of contact over two weeks is...

No, there are no margins, only guidelines that the judges use to determine the length of the sentence. Federal Sentencing Guidelines Manual guides judges toward a sentence based on the facts that led to the conviction. The sentencing guidelines are advisory, not mandatory unlike mandatory minimums. Judges are allowed to go below or above someone’s guideline sentence depending on the circumstances of the case. Here’s an example of how a federal judge uses the guidelines to determine a sentence for a man...

A 44 to 65 month sentence is an indeterminate sentence, which means he has a minimum and a maximum. He does not start at 65 and count down. He starts serving his sentence from day one, and 44 months is the earliest point at which he can be considered for parole. The 65-month number is the absolute ceiling, the longest he would serve if parole is denied repeatedly. The goal is to get to that parole board hearing as early...

RDAP stands for Residential Drug Abuse Program which is found only in the federal Bureau of Prisons. Inmates that qualify for RDAP will get up to twelve months off of their sentence and a guaranteed six months of halfway house. RDAP is a fantastic nine-month program that has had a positive impact on inmate's personal development - addresses behavioral modifications more than strictly focused on drug addiction or dependency. There are defined guidelines as to who can and cannot get...

Unfortunately, the only way for a state inmate to gain a reduction in their current sentence is to provide significant assistance in the prosecution of another crime. Also known as snitching. But there are risks to go along with the rewards (sentence reduction). We are not advocating this but it is an avenue. If you think that there were some legal mistakes or injustices, appeals and writs rarely win. And, there are very few post-conviction attorneys that are worth the money...

The phone service in all of the jails, prisons and detention centers put their phone service out to government bid. The winning company shares revenue with the institution and essentially has a monopoly. InmateAid does not replace their service, we make theirs cheaper to use with a phone number that brings the lowest possible price. If you would like an honest estimate of the possible savings, please email us your telephone number and we will let you know the potential...