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Ask a former inmate questions at no charge. The inmate answering has spent considerable time in the federal prison system, state and county jails, and in a prison that was run by the private prison entity CCA.

Ask your question or browse previous questions in response to comments or further questions of members of the InmateAid community.

Subject: Send books and magazines

Yes to both. InmateAid's magazine store carries a wide selection of titles across many categories, and Inked is available in the art section. You can order it directly through InmateAid at inmateaid.com/shop/magazines, and it will be shipped to your inmate at their facility. Magazine subscriptions are one of the most practical gifts you can send to someone doing time. Reading material breaks up the monotony and gives an inmate something to look forward to each month. Inked, in particular,

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Subject: Survive prison

you know it's up to the inmate themself... some respond the second they get your letter, others might procrastinate which could happen for a number of reasons... be patient, it ain't easy being locked up

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Subject: Visitation

Visitation is Friday night, Saturday and Sunday (8am - 3pm) and Monday nights. They restrict weekend days to one visit depending on your inmate's ID number... they do Sat/Sun like odd/even to keep the visitation traffic under control. Fri/Mon nights there are no restrictions. So, you can visit three days per week if you are able to get there that often. We recommend calling first, COVID is back in the news so there might be cancelations.

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Subject: Send books and magazines

Yes, magazines and some selfies of you!

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Subject: Family services

Most correctional facilities have a process for exactly this situation. Call or write the facility and explain that you have a legal document requiring the inmate's notarized signature. Ask to speak with the inmate's case manager or the facility's legal or administrative department. They can walk you through the procedure, which typically involves the inmate being brought to an administrative area where a notary public employed by or contracted with the facility witnesses and notarizes the signature. This service

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Subject: Send inmate mail

Absolutely. Regular mail through the US Postal Service works just fine and there is nothing wrong with doing it that way. A stamp, an envelope, paper, and a pen are all you need. InmateAid's letter service is an option, not a requirement. The reasons people use it come down to convenience and privacy. You can send a letter from your phone in minutes without gathering supplies, printing photos, or making a trip to a mailbox. The return address on

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Subject: Inmate search

Yes, send it. You do not need the tier or housing unit. The facility's mailroom knows exactly where every inmate is housed by their inmate ID number, and that is how mail gets routed internally. The housing unit information is helpful but not required on the envelope. All you need on the address is the inmate's full legal name, their inmate ID number, and the facility's mailing address. The mailroom does the rest. They sort incoming mail by inmate

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Subject: Relationship issues

Lucky guy, if true

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Subject: Inmate phone calls

Yes, the service follows your partner wherever they go. The forwarding number InmateAid provides routes calls to your phone regardless of which facility your partner is calling from. The one thing to be aware of is that different facilities use different phone carriers, and the carrier determines the rate structure. A number that produces the lowest rate at a county jail may not be the optimal number for the prison he moves to. When the transfer happens, let InmateAid

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Subject: Inmate phone calls

Yes, the inmate initiates the calls. If there is money on their books, they can call anyone.

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