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

Whether it is a new charge or a violation of parole, the destination is the same. SCI Phoenix is a Pennsylvania Department of Corrections facility, and both situations can result in someone being sent there to potentially serve out the remainder of their original sentence. The mechanism is different but the landing spot can be identical. To find out which situation applies, there are a few ways to get that information before you talk to him directly. The Pennsylvania court docket system...

It is a genuinely reasonable question, and the logic behind the policy is more practical than moral even if the word pornography carries a certain weight. The primary reason is security and facility management rather than any particular stance on nudity itself. Explicit photos become a form of currency inside correctional facilities. They get traded, stolen, used as leverage, bartered for commissary items, and can become a source of conflict between inmates. A facility trying to maintain order cannot afford to...

The short answer is that it gets significantly worse each time, and a fifth offense on the same charge is about as far from a sympathetic position in front of a judge as you can get. Criminal history is one of the heaviest weights in sentencing calculations across every system. Judges and prosecutors are not starting from neutral when they see someone in front of them for the fifth time on the same type of charge. The prior record tells a...

The main difference is the federal budget is $7 billion/year, the inmates are well fed and well cared for with a lot of programming options. In general, the guards are paid better and trained better. The state system is as different as the 50 states they are in. Some are okay and others are miserable - like no air conditioning in the hot southern summer. We would say with 100% surety that the federal penitentiaries are better for the inmate than...

For a genuine first offense with no prior criminal history, the outlook is considerably better than most families fear when they first hear the word domestic charge. The specific facts of the incident drive everything. The severity of any injuries to the other party is the most significant factor. A domestic charge where no one was seriously hurt is treated very differently than one involving hospitalization or permanent injury. Property damage adds weight to the case. And if a protective or...

Interesting question. When I went into federal prison, I was also 46 and was looking at 8 years. I'd never been locked up before and I was very depressed. The first couple of months were the hardest. To me, prison is like the movie Groundhog Day, where every day you wake up and it's the same as the day before. You have to figure out how to get into a routine so that the days will pass. My wife visited me as often as...

Visitation is almost certainly available at Catahoula Correctional Center, but rights is a word worth unpacking because visitation in the correctional system is more accurately described as a privilege that has to be applied for and approved rather than an automatic entitlement. Both you and your husband have a role in the process. On his end, he can add approved visitors through the facility's system. On your end, you need to submit a visitation application to the facility and pass a...

Yes, and it is more structured than most people on the outside realize. The process starts at intake. When an inmate first arrives at a facility, they go through a comprehensive screening that covers medical history, mental health, and substance abuse. That assessment is not just paperwork. It informs the classification and placement decisions that follow. An inmate identified as having significant substance abuse or mental health needs can be designated to a facility that has the specific programs to address...

Generally no. Probation and incarceration are two legally distinct forms of supervision, and time spent on probation does not count as time served toward a custodial sentence. The distinction is fundamental. Time served refers specifically to time physically incarcerated, whether in a jail, prison, or in some cases a residential treatment facility that functions as a custodial placement. Probation is a community-based supervision program that allows a person to remain free, albeit under conditions and oversight. Because the person is not...

Lassen County Jail has a contract with Securus. You have to use them for all calls, we are not replacing them. BUT, they have two sets of prices and depending on your current number, the calls will be $18.78 per 15-minutes OR $3.15 per 15-minute call. If you are paying the crazy-high rate, we can certainly help you. Once you get the number from us, enter it when you put money on your Securus account (or if your inmate can but phone...

Cyberstalking is not a charge that typically triggers the kind of inmate retribution that certain other offenses do. The categories that get someone targeted inside, particularly sex crimes against children, are specific and well-known. A cyberstalking conviction without any child victim element does not fall into those categories and is unlikely to make you a target on that basis alone. That said, the single most important piece of advice for any federal inmate, regardless of their charge, is this: do not...