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

First, we are deeply sorry you are facing this. No one should have to navigate a terminal diagnosis while also separated from the person they love most. On early release, the honest answer is that there are no formal parole provisions in the federal or most state systems that allow early release based on a family member's health. The compassionate release and medical hardship provisions that exist are tied to the inmate's own medical condition, not a loved one's. That is...

The InmateAid discount phone service replaces the high per-minute rate with a flat rate of $0.21 per minute. There is no separate connection fee under that structure. Your inmate still places the call through Securus using the InmateAid forwarding number, and the funds still come from his Securus account, but the rate he is charged is dramatically lower. Here is what the math looks like on a 15-minute call at your current rate: $1.85 connection plus $0.88 per minute for 15...

InmateAid does not touch your inmate's call card balance directly. The way it works is that InmateAid reduces what Securus charges for each call, so less money comes out of the account per call rather than InmateAid drawing from it separately. Here is the math on your specific situation. Right now you are paying $1.36 to connect plus $0.66 per minute. On a 15-minute call that works out to roughly $11.26 per call. With an InmateAid number, Securus charges $0.21 per...

The honest answer is that it depends on how strictly Crawford County Jail runs its background checks, and the only way to know for certain is to call them directly before you show up. When you arrive at a facility for visitation, most jails run your identification through the NCIC database, which is the national criminal information system. That check will surface your probation status regardless of which county it is in. Crawford County having stricter rules than your home county...

Yes, and the reasoning behind it is worth understanding clearly so the situation makes sense even if it does not feel fair. Probation was the court's act of generosity. Rather than sending your daughter directly to jail or prison to serve her sentence, the judge gave her the opportunity to complete that time in the community under supervision. That is the deal probation represents, serve your sentence without being incarcerated as long as you follow the conditions. When the conditions were not...

Every prison and jail has a commissary. It is the facility's internal store where inmates can purchase food, hygiene items, clothing basics, and other approved products using funds in their trust account. Think of it as a small convenience store with a limited and often overpriced selection, but one that makes a meaningful difference in daily quality of life. Keeping money on your person's books so they can shop the commissary is one of the most practical ways to support...

When probation is revoked, the door to early release closes in a way that most people do not anticipate going in. Here is why. Probation itself was the early release. When a judge sentences someone and then suspends that sentence in favor of probation, they are already granting the most significant form of leniency available, which is keeping the person out of custody entirely while the sentence runs. The probation was the deal. When that deal gets broken through a violation, the...

There is an important distinction in this question worth clarifying before anything goes out. If you are mailing a letter yourself from home, yes, you absolutely need a stamp on the envelope. You pay the postage on your end as the sender. The facility does not accept postage due mail and will not pay for incoming letters. A standard first class stamp handles a regular letter to any US address including FCC Coleman in Florida. What you cannot send into a federal...

Yes, a stamp is required. Every piece of mail going into a federal prison or any correctional facility must have postage affixed before it is sent. No facility accepts mail with postage due or pays for incoming mail on behalf of the sender. That is not how the postal system works for correctional facilities or for anyone else. A standard first-class stamp covers a regular letter going anywhere in the United States, including FCC Coleman in Sumterville, Florida. If you are...

The commissary lists vary from facility to facility. If you look at this COMMISSARY LIST from a BOP facility, you can see that the prices are not that out of line from a store you'd shop in on the outside. The average weekly amount should never exceed what you can afford. The inmates can survive without extras from the commissary, however, it is really great if you are able to add money and it will definitely help him be more comfortable. We recommend...

Not without permission, and getting that permission should be your first move before any contact happens. Standard conditions of parole and probation in virtually every jurisdiction include a provision restricting contact with other convicted felons or people under criminal justice supervision. The rationale is straightforward. People under supervision are expected to distance themselves from criminal associations as part of their reintegration, and the system treats contact with other supervised felons as a potential risk to that process regardless of the nature...