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

This is one of the most frustrating situations in the criminal justice system, and it happens more than it should. Here is the hard reality of how plea agreements work. When a defendant pleads guilty, the deal is negotiated between the defense attorney and the prosecutor. But the judge is not a party to that negotiation and is not bound by it. The judge has final sentencing authority, and in most jurisdictions, they can accept, modify, or reject the recommended sentence...

It might be on your end or on the inmate's end. If you were on a call and said something that caught the ear of a CO and reported you. If you attempted to add another person to the call while it was going (third-party calls are a no-no), that might do it. Or, the inmate is on some disciplinary period for violations inside. Regardless, you can call or write the warden and ask what specific rule was broken to...

Being arrested on new charges while on parole in California puts someone in two separate but simultaneous legal problems, and both of them are serious. The first is the parole violation itself. Parole is a second chance granted by the same judge who sentenced him the first time. That judge signed off on parole as an option and is now watching it come back as a failure. When a parolee picks up new felony charges, the parole board can revoke parole...

Call the jail before you bring anything. That is the only advice that matters here, and it matters every single time, not just the first time. Trustee status gives an inmate more freedom of movement and sometimes more flexibility around approved items, but what is actually permitted varies significantly from facility to facility. Some jails allow outside food and drinks for trustees under specific conditions. Others prohibit it entirely regardless of status. The rules can also change without notice based on...

It is a legitimate defense, but an invitation does not automatically make the charge disappear. Here is how it actually plays out. Home invasion charges generally require the prosecution to prove unlawful entry, meaning the person entered without permission or exceeded the scope of whatever permission was given. If the accused was genuinely invited in, that cuts directly at one of the core elements of the charge. A defense attorney can and should build around that fact. But the invitation is only...

No. That door closes the second time around. When someone finals their number, meaning they serve out their sentence completely with no parole supervision remaining, and then reoffends, the system treats it differently than a parole violation but the outcome is arguably harsher in one specific way. There is no parole board consideration this time. He will be required to serve 85 percent of whatever sentence the judge hands down before any release is possible. The reasoning from the system's perspective is...

Yes, marriage is generally permitted in Georgia state prisons, including Rogers State Prison, but it is not as simple as filing a license and showing up. There is a process, and the facility has significant control over how and whether it happens. The starting point is the warden. Your fiancé needs to submit a formal request to the warden asking for permission to marry. That request will be reviewed and can be approved or denied based on some factors, including institutional...

That is one of the most personal questions anyone can ask, and it deserves a straight answer rather than a judgmental one. Second chances are real. People who have committed serious crimes have also gone on to live meaningful, changed lives. InmateAid was built on that belief, and helping formerly incarcerated people find employment and reintegrate is part of what the site does. So no, the conviction alone does not make someone permanently unworthy of love or connection. But eyes open matters...

Yes, and that step cannot be skipped regardless of which service you use. The application process is controlled by the facility, not by InmateAid. Every jail and prison requires anyone who wants to receive calls from an inmate to be on that inmate's approved call list. Getting on that list means submitting an application through the facility's phone carrier, whether that is Securus, GTL, IC Solutions, or whoever holds the contract at that particular jail. That carrier will verify your information...

The sentencing date itself is public information and the easiest thing to track down. Contact the Clerk of the Court in the county where the charges were filed. That office maintains the court calendar and can tell you when the sentencing hearing is scheduled. Most clerk offices can be reached by phone, and many counties now have online case search portals where you can look up the case by name or case number and see upcoming hearing dates without making...