Prison life is hard for everyone and outside emotional support does a lot to help an inmate survive in prison. That's why prison calls are very important to both the inmate and their families. Inmates are allowed to call family and friends from the outside, though regulations vary per facility. But the question is, how do you call an inmate back? More importantly, can you call an inmate back? Technically, you can't but some facilities may reconsider in emergency cases. Prison Call Rules Each facility is given autonomy on implementing its own inmate calling system. As a result, prison call rules vary for each facility. But some rules apply for most prisons. For one, inmates cannot receive calls. They can only make outgoing ones. This means you can't call an inmate back. You
How To Call An Inmate Back
Prison life is hard for everyone and outside emotional support does a lot to help an inmate survive in prison. That’s why prison calls are very important to both the inmate and their families. Inmates are allowed to call family and friends from the outside, though regulations vary per facility. But the question is, how do you call an inmate back? More importantly, can you call an inmate back? Technically, you can’t but some facilities may reconsider in emergency cases. Prison Call Rules Each facility is given autonomy on implementing its own inmate calling system. As a result, prison call rules vary for each facility. But some rules apply for most prisons. For one, inmates cannot receive calls. They can only make outgoing ones. This means you can’t call an inmate back. You can only wait for them to call you. This rule applies to federal, state and county prisons. In federal prisons, inmates only get 300 minutes of calls each month. This resets on a specific day and unused minutes are voided. Prisoners, however, can’t use all their minutes in one go. Each call is limited only up to 15 minutes. If they want to make another call, they’ll […]
What To Do If You Missed a Court Date For a Traffic Violation
Getting charged with a traffic violation can be really bothersome. Instead of doing something productive, you’ll have to appear before a traffic court judge and plead your case. But it can even be worse when you miss your court date. In general, the court only recognizes three valid reasons for missing a court date. One is if you’d been incarcerated before your scheduled trial. Another is when you’re called to military duty. The court also considers medical emergencies or hospitalization. Excuses like “it slipped my mind”, “I had to work” or “I was out of town” are definitely not acceptable. So what should you do when you miss your court date for a traffic violation? First, let’s look at what punishments you can expect after missing your court date. What Happens When You Miss Your Court Date? Punishments for missing court dates typically vary per state. In general, the most direct consequence is missing the opportunity to defend yourself. With no one to challenge the ticket, you’ll most likely be automatically found guilty of the traffic violation you’re charged with. In some states like North Carolina, the courts allow you up to 20 days to make up for your actions. […]
Best Books About Prison 2019
Prison literature is wide and varied. It can also range from bittersweet, poignant to downright disturbing. Stories about bravery, resilience, and redemption introduce us to what life in prison is really like. Here are some of the best books about prison for 2019: Solitary by: Albert Woodfox This autobiography of Albert Woodfox (one of Angola 3) tells a story of extraordinary fortitude in the face of violence and injustice. Woodfox was serving a 50-year sentence in Angola prison when he joined the Black Panther Party in his early twenties. When a white guard was killed in 1972, the warden put Woodfox and a fellow Black Panther member in solitary confinement. That no concrete evidence was presented against them did not deter the warden. Their subsequent trial was nothing but a sham and it would take decades before they are to attain true justice. His memoir is a devastating and insightful look at a justice system where skin color dictates your innocence. Truly an eye-opener for today’s generation. Life and Death in Rikers Island by: Homer Venters Venter was the former chief medical officer for New York City’s Jails. In this book, he exposes the health risks inmates face behind bars. […]
Important Facts About Mass Incarceration In The US
The US holds just 5% of the world’s population but it has the unfortunate reputation of having the most number of its citizens in prison. Yes, mass incarceration in the US is real and it should be a cause for great concern. As of 2018, around 2.2 million adults are locked up in US jails and prisons according to the Bureau of Jail Statistics. That’s about 25% of the country’s total population. For the past 50 years, the number of incarcerated has grown to a whopping 700% – the fastest in the world. Here are five other things you didn’t know about mass incarceration in the US. Money Decides Who Gets Out The thing with mass incarceration is it hits the poor harder than the rich. It is estimated that around 600,000 people (or 2/3 of the total inmate population) have not been convicted of a crime. They just can’t afford bail. So, the bottom line is money decides who gets out and who doesn’t. For those who have the financial capacity to post bail, getting out of jail is a piece of cake. Otherwise, they get stuck inside or forced to avail of a high-interest bail bond. Blame It […]
Life Inside a White Collar Prison
White-collar prison. If you’ve followed the whole debacles concerning famous names like Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort, then that term would make sense to you. It’s where white-collar criminals like them are usually sent to spend their sentences. Most people also know it as “Club Fed” and for a good reason. If we are to believe the rumors, a white-collar prison is where big-ticket criminals continue to live in luxury. It’s almost like they never went to prison at all. There are even claims that those white-collar criminals live out some sort of hedonistic fantasies inside it. But what really is a white-collar prison? In reality, there are no white collar prisons. At least, in the eyes of the law. The term was invented by people to refer to posh prison facilities where society’s who’s who are kept. But it certainly is not the country club time out everyone thinks. US prisons are classified based on the security level of the inmates inside them. There are four types of prison in the country: juvenile, minimum security, medium security, and high security. Some prisons, regardless of security classification, have better amenities than others. This makes them a magnet for convicted high […]
Top Things You Didn’t Know About Prison Consultants
Prison life is hard for everyone. It’s a world completely unlike the one we know outside. It operates on different rules and social hierarchy. For first timers, it can be totally overwhelming. That’s where prison consultants enter the picture. They prepare their clients on how to cope inside the prison. Their services can range from giving tips on how to avoid being caught in prison riots to making prison delicacies. In short, they make prison life easier for those who can afford to pay for their services. Yes, a prison consultant’s services is invaluable for a new inmate. But it comes with a steep price tag. Service fees could go as high as $550 an hour. No wonder most of their clients are white collar criminals, celebrities, high-level drug dealers and politicians. Here are other things you didn’t know about prison consultants: Most of Them Are Ex-Convicts Themselves There’s nobody better qualified to give you prison advice than someone who once did their time too. For this reason, many ex-convicts who have turned their life around are making money as prison consultants. Some previous jail officers have jumped in on the bandwagon too. But a lot of people think that […]
What Are White Collar Prisons Like
Club Fed. Rich man’s prison. Those are what most people think about when they hear the word “white collar prison”. Indeed, even in incarceration, wealth and influence still comes into play. Small town thieves with no connection whatsoever gets thrown in a regular jail. While high profile people can expect cushy accommodations. But is it really as luxurious as it is portrayed? Or is it all just a myth created to stir public outcry? Here’s what we found out about what is life actually like in white collar prisons: It’s Not As Cushy As You Think We often think of white collar prisons as this cushy hotel where the incarcerated rich and famous hold their soirees. Well folks, it might not be as cushy as you think. For one, they don’t get to hold soirees. Also, those reports about swimming pools and private golf clubs are a bit exaggerated. Though most white collar prisons have better facilities than regular ones, it’s still not five-star quality. Inmates still have to use communal bathrooms (albeit much cleaner). Some of them also have to sleep in overcrowded dorm rooms. They usually have to make do with dilapidated facilities and equipments too. Being Famous […]
6 Celebrities Who Spent Time in Prison Before They Were Famous
Time and time again, we hear about celebrities getting arrested for bad behavior. DUIs and drug charges are quite the norm in Hollywood. One proof that fame and fortune just doesn’t sit well with everybody. But for some celebrities, being wealthy and famous have got nothing to do with their jail stint. In fact, they probably never thought they’d one day be famous while slugging it out inside. Through luck and determination, they managed to turn their lives around. Now, they are some of the biggest names in the industry walking on red carpets around the world. Let’s look back at what these celebs did that landed them behind bars before they even set foot in Hollywood: Mark Wahlberg Now a successful actor, songwriter and businessman, Wahlberg had a troublesome teenage years. At 17, he was arrested for assaulting two Vietnamese men in his hometown in Boston. Wahlberg reportedly beat up the first Vietnamese man with a large wooden stick till he fell unconscious. On the same day, he punched another Vietnamese man in the eye which almost made him blind. He was also heard to have called them “Vietnam fucking shits” and other unsolicited racist remarks. He pleaded guilty […]
What is The Best Inmate Call App?
So you’re waiting for a loved one in jail to call you at home. Then you decided to take a shower at around the same time the phone rang. Poof. There goes your opportunity of talking to your loved one for that day. And the waiting game resumes. But did you know you can receive calls from jail on your mobile phone? Yes, you can talk to your incarcerated loved ones without being tied location wise. The best part is there are now jail calling apps which can improve your inmate calling experience. Out of all the jail calling apps out there, which is the best? We won’t recommend a specific app. Instead, we’ll give you information about what to look for in a jail calling app for you to make an informed decision. Read on to learn more. How Jail Calls Work Most federal, state and county jails have contracts with private jail call providers. This contracts grants them exclusive rights to provide jail calls within the prison facility. It includes providing telephone infrastructures and installing security systems for those calls. This arrangement does not only benefit the jail call providers but the facility as well. They get more […]
How Calling Inmates Can Change Their Lives
Seeing a loved one in handcuffs and carted off behind bars is very tragic. It’s even more so for the one facing incarceration. The threat of losing your freedom and everything that comes with it is enough to send someone into a deep abyss. Figuratively and, sometimes, literally. The American Psychological Association reports that around 10% to 25% of prisoners in 2014 suffer from serious mental illnesses. Some even endure major disorders such as schizophrenia. Alcohol and drug dependence is also very high among inmates. A lot of prison support groups are available for those who have to cope with a loved one or family member being incarcerated. Yet, not so much for those who are in jail. Inside the thick walls of penitentiary, inmates often rely on outside emotional support. Every month, each prisoner gets only a total of 300 minutes talk time. Divide that by thirty days and they only get an average of less than two hours each day to talk to friends and family. A single call can last no more than 15 minutes and they have to wait for another 45 minutes before their next call. It’s not much but it will have to do. […]
How Late Can Inmates Make Phone Calls?
Decades ago, the government uses prison time to punish those who have violated the law. Its main purpose is to curtail someone’s freedom and keep them away from their loved ones as a form of penance. In recent times, the focus of incarceration has shifted from punishment to rehabilitation. Jail time is not anymore seen as a form of punishment but rather as an opportunity to reform an erring person. With this belief, the US Justice system has allowed inmates to make phone calls to their families. It recognizes the importance of support from loved ones to rehabilitate someone. Also, cutting them off completely from the people they care about seems inhumane. It won’t be of any help if the ultimate goal is to reintroduce them to society. Overview of the prison phone system In general, prison facilities have phone amenities inmates can access. The terms to its accessibility, however, remains the sole discretion of its administrator. The Code of Federal Regulations designates the warden as an overseer of prison calls. It requires them to put in place measures to ensure that these phone calls are not abused. It’s also important to remember that you can’t call an inmate. They […]
5 Things You Didn’t Know About Inmate Calls
If you think you already know there is anything to know about inmate calls, you better think again. The prison calling system in the US is a web of complicated policies. Each state makes their own rules which accounts for most of the confusion. What may be applicable in Florida might be frowned upon in Washington. Yet there are also regulations that holds true for the whole country. Here are five things you probably didn’t know about our country’s inmate telephone system. You Can’t Call an Inmate You read it right. You cannot initiate a call with an inmate. Rather, it’s only them who can call you. This makes a lot of sense when you look at it from a security officer’s point of view. We all know that prisoners are kept in their prison cells away from the telephone booths. In some cases, the phone is in the warden’s office. Now, imagine if family members would just simply call prisoners whenever they please. Jail guards would have to escort the inmates from their cells to the phone booths from time to time. That is a security risk that most jail administrators are not prepared to take. Also, the facility […]
How To Make Inmate Video Calls
What’s better than calling someone? Calling someone and seeing them at the same time. Thanks to technology, we can now talk to and see someone from miles away. Where before you will just hear their voice, now you can actually see their faces. It’s almost like talking to them in person. Jails have also caught on with this technological trend fortunately. More and more prison facilities are offering video call options for inmates. Some have even replaced visitations with video calls. This way, they are able to save up on manpower costs. Inmate visitations requires people to escort the prisoner to the visitation area. They are also responsible in making sure that no illegal transactions are happening. With video calls, that manpower could be put to better use elsewhere. Advantage of Video Calls Imagine you’re in Miami and a family member gets arrested up north in Seattle. It would be very inconvenient on your part to go up there and see them in person not to mention the cost of plane tickets. You can call them but nothing beats seeing them face to face. This makes video calls very practical. It gives family members the chance to see and talk […]
Beats Being on Death Row: The End of David Earl Miller’s Lifelong Battle
The Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, Tennessee recently made headlines for executing another death row inmate – its third this year. David Earl Miller holds the record for the longest-serving prisoner on Tennessee’s death row. He was executed on December 6, 2018, almost 37 years after he was arrested for the murder of Lee Standifer. He was 22, she was 23 and they were dating at the time of the incident. The murder was brutal. Miller was convicted and sentenced to death a year after his arrest. He also admitted responsibility for Standifer’s death. With Miller’s death, maybe you can say that justice is finally served. But, is it? Or is there more to this than what the records say? Who is Lee Standifer? Court documents revealed that Standifer was born with a “diffused brain damage” and “mildly retarded”. Family members, particularly her mother, remembers her as a positive and happy person. She was good with certain things like reading but other tasks remain a challenge for her. Despite her condition, she was able to finish high school in 1976. She soon found a job at a chicken packaging place and moved to her own place in downtown Knoxville. […]
10 Things You Didn’t Know About Life in Women’s Prison
For some of us, a life spent behind bars is nothing more than a scary thought. Yet, there are others who have lived through or are living that life. If prison can mean rock-bottom for most people, it can be even more so if you’re a women. Studies suggest that the US Criminal Justice System are dealing women with harsher punishments than their male counterparts. Let’s take the case of Tondalo Hall as an example. She and her child were physically and verbally abused by her boyfriend. When police got wind of the child’s plight, both of them were arrested. What makes it more interesting though is her boyfriend was sentenced to only two years. Meanwhile, Hall has to spend 30 years in prison for failing to protect her child from her abusive boyfriend. This is just one out of the thousands of cases where women got the shorter end of the stick. Even if several prison reforms have been instituted in the past years, the number of women in custody are growing faster than men. Here are other truths about life in women’s prison that will shock you. 1. It Can Be Boring If your idea of what’s life […]
Freedom to Love: How Inmates Married Their Pen Pals
Marrying the love of your life is everyone’s dream. But what if the love of your life is set to spend the next few years (or their entire lifetime) behind the cold bars of jail? Will you still marry them? This was the dilemma faced by the brave souls who have shown the world that love knows no bounds. They married inmates and proved that not a thousand mile distance, handcuffs, nor society’s disapproval can hinder love. Incarceration in the US Prison is often described as a cold and depressing place. A seemingly apt punishment for people who have broken our laws. A place where we banish people we don’t want to live among us. Yet, not all prisoners are guilty of the crimes they are imprisoned for. In fact, the US has the highest rate of incarceration in the world. It houses only 4.4% of the world’s population yet it’s prisoners account for around 22% of the world’s total number of inmates. As of May 2018, the country has 655 prisoners for every 100,000 residents. Canada, it’s neighbor, has more than five times lower incarceration rate. Prison Pen Pal System With these statistics, several initiatives have been made to […]
High Cost of Prison Calls May Worsen Mental Health of American Inmates
A study conducted in 2010 reported that, in the US, there are more mentally ill people in jails than hospitals. Lack of proper contact with family members due to overpriced prison calls can further inflate this statistic. The study also found that the percentage of inmates and prisoners with serious mental illness had shoot up to 16% from 6.4% in 1983. They are mostly diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or major depression. This dilemma is compounded by the difficulties inmates and their families face to keep communication lines open. With no family or friends to talk to, most prisoners tend to feel heightened anxiety leading to hallucinations and other mental health problems. Effect of Isolation on Mental Health Social isolation can have devastating effects on an individual’s mental well-being. It is much more so for people living behind bars. While free individuals can reach out to friends and family members anytime they want, prisoners are legally required to be isolated from society. Several case studies reported that lack of human contact for prisoners in solitary confinement can lead to a cognitive breakdown. This means that if an otherwise mentally healthy person spends time in jail, there is a high chance […]
Prisoners Are Given Keys To Their Cell In The Netherlands
In the Netherlands prisoners are given keys to their cells as crime rates fall, prisons close, and inmate populations dwindle. This is all part of a rehabilitation scheme that aims to treat prisoners better and with more humanity. In Dordrecht, Heerhugowaard, Zaandam, and Arnhem inmates have keys to their cells where they can come and go as they please so long as they are back by 9:30pm. Additionally, they have a digital computer that lets them order things like groceries and make appointments with other prisoners and staff. Prison guards are no too keen on the move as they complain that there is too little supervision for the inmates. They also claim that the move fails to vindicate the victims of the crimes these inmates have committed. They are afraid that prisoners are using their newfound freedom to run criminal enterprises outside of prison. These complaints have found a home at the Dutch Department of Justice. It is not hard to imagine that criminal businesses are being run with the freedom these prisoners are afforded. Long periods of the day are spent in places other than their cell meaning criminal meetings and drug trades could be taking place regularly. The […]
NYC Inmate Starts Newest Exercise Craze Among Prison Inmates
In New York City there looms the hottest new exercise craze among those currently locked up. An ex-con/ex-soldier runs a boot camp style exercise camp for the overweight individuals looking to burn off a couple new pounds. Chris Marte is a business owner/inmate/personal trainer thanks to his combination of current dilemmas. An inmate of New Yorks prison system he began training people to become the best that they can be several years ago. Since then he’s helped inmates lose thousands of pounds in total. He used to be a cocaine dealer, overweight himself, and close to death before a drastic change, getting locked up, made him turn his life around. ConBody is the name of his new company and thanks to the prison’s entrepreneur program his work is now legal and official. Doctors used to tell him that he could die of his health issues if something wasn’t done. He weighed 230lbs and his cholesterol levels were high enough to scare anyone. So he began exercising by running in the prison yard each day. Before he knew it he had lost 70lbs and people were calling him Forest Gump. Other inmates took notice and wanted in on his exercise regime. […]
Life Inside A North Korean Prison
Life inside a North Korean prison is far from ordinary and verges on barbarian. A former guard describes what life is like for the inmates of North Korea with grueling detail. They face beatings, starvation, rape, and summary executions for dissenting from the government or trying to escape. Lim Hye-jin has seen people set on fire, beheaded, and mass shootings in a group punishment after foiled escape attempts. There is no easy way to deal with the dissenters of the North Korean government as they sit on par with some of the most disturbing prison systems of all time. The prison guard Lim was herself imprisoned before she escaped after she was caught illegally training. She now lives in South Korea safe and home free. She escaped 15 years ago but the images of the treatment and punishments still make her uneasy. She claims she was manipulated to not feel any sympathy for the prisoners as they had committed great crimes against the government. She now says that they were in fact just normal people and she feels terrible and very guilty. In one extreme case a pair of brothers successfully bid for their freedom temporarily. Seven members of their […]
Prison Families Pay More For Insurance After Convictions Of Family Members
The families of prisoners suffer not just in the sense that their family member has been convicted and locked up. They suffer not just in the sense that their loved one is going through a tough time but also in the sense that insurance companies are now treating them differently. Even after their loved ones are sent back home the financial penalties continue. Gordon Dewar is someone who speaks out about the excessive penalties insurance companies penalize inmate’s families with. He is the managing director of the Salvation Army General Insurance Corporation and says innocent families become guilty simply by association. These charges can take the form of a wife not being able to insure her home because of her husband’s criminal record or being charges much more than a family otherwise would. Even the children of a ex-convict will have to deal with penalties as they are assumed to carry higher risk from their home criminal connections. The families of sex offenders may have the hardest time getting home insurance however as they carry higher risk of vigilante attack. They are often denied home insurance altogether. Gordon says that innocent families have suffered enough and that they shouldn’t have […]
No Relief In Sight For High Cost Of Prison Phone Calls
After a federal court overturned a national limit on the price of the calls, activists turn to state and local governments. Five years ago, when her nephew was sentenced to a second stint in prison in Arizona, Blu Dux began a twice-a-week ritual of talking to him on the phone. To make it work, Dux had to set up a landline to accept collect calls and pay an average of $5 per call — the expense totals nearly $100 a month. “I’m trying to create a bond with him, and it gets broken any time we don’t have communication,” said Dux, who lives on Kauai. “I know it helps his sense of support — being anchored by having somebody on the outside who is concerned for his welfare.” In Hawaii, the cost of a 15-minute call from prison can now be as much as $9.10, including the fees. Read more
Private prison stocks up 100% since Trump’s win
Thanks to President Donald Trump, America’s private prisons appear to be entering a golden age. The stocks of the two biggest private prison operators — CoreCivic (formerly know as Corrections Corp. of America) and Geo Group — have doubled since election day. CoreCivic (CXW) is up 140% since Trump won in November; Geo Group (GEO) has risen 98%. For all the talk about how good Trump has been for big banks like Goldman Sachs, he’s been even better for private prison investors. Read more here:
Costly prison fees are putting inmates deep in debt
Jeremy Barrett remembers very little of the assault that would change his life. He was at the end of a three-year sentence in a Florida state prison when he was caught stealing potatoes from the prison kitchen. As punishment, he was sent to confinement with a cellmate who, according to court filings, was “severely mentally ill.” The man attacked Barrett in a violent rage, ultimately gouging out one of his eyes. “I went into shock,” Barrett said. When he got out of prison one month later, Barrett, 36, sued the Florida Department of Corrections for negligence. The department responded with a counterclaim or a “cost of incarceration lien” of $54,750 — the total cost of Barrett’s 1,095 day stay in the prison at $50 a day. “They charged me for me being in prison,” Barrett said. “Yeah I was surprised.” Read more here:
After almost a decade, FCC has yet to rule on high cost of prison phone calls
Almost a decade ago, a petition by the families of inmates tired of paying sky-high rates for prison telephone calls landed at the Federal Communications Commission. Martha Wright-Reed of the District, an 86-year-old former nurse who’s blind, and other petitioners didn’t think it was right for their incarcerated sons and daughters to pay so much more than everyone else to keep in touch. Phone companies that charge high rates say most of their revenue goes to governments in the form of commissions that help pay for their criminal justice systems. Read more here:
Prison Phone Calls: Trump May Cut The Lifeline
The cost of a phone call today is no more of a thought than the air we breathe. The cost of a phone call from prison, however, can take your breath away. For those who must pay such costs, which can easily average as much as a monthly luxury car payment, breathing just got a lot more labored. Phone calls between prisoners and their loved ones on the outside often represent the only contact inmates have with the world beyond prison walls. Recent studies and common sense have shown that maintaining these outside ties is a vital link to successful prisoner reentry, and thus key to reducing recidivism rates. But high prison phone rates have dramatically restricted the amount of meaningful contact that prisoners can have with those who care about them. Read the full story here