An inmate’s story:

I have a friend that disappeared for two months. When he was finally able to call, he explained that he had his cell cleaned and lost his all privileges while waiting for a two-way investigation. He hadn’t done anything wrong , he didn’t get tickets but he was at the discretion of the prison staff. COVID was going through his pod and the officers that he needed to talk were not coming around to his pod. When he was finally able to find out what was going on, it was over a letter that a family member had sent him.  He refused the letter without the knowing contents. His family member was recently released and sent a letter saying that other inmates were looking for him(my friend). The other inmates in this letter are on a watch list. He denied that letter, refused it and said “I can not control what other people write to me”. After looking up his record, the officers were able to determine that he wasn’t doing things like he used to. The investigation was dropped at this time and he was able to get everything back.

 Phone calls:

When inmates call the phone calls are recorded. People tend forget this because they are so excited to communicate with their loved ones. Certain things on the phone will cause the phone to end or get the inmate into trouble. When an inmate gets into trouble they lose privileges (LOP). Sometimes those LOP’s can be for a month or two years. Loss of privileges can be no phone calls, no emails, visits and tickets.  Inmates that get tickets can go to solitary confinement (the hole) and lose yard time. This can happen even if the inmate isn’t the one saying the wrong things on the phone.

Letters:

Inmates that receive mail, the mail is read by Prison staff. A letter that someone writes can cause a two-way investigation. Before that investigation happens the inmate loses all property, all communication with loved ones and loses privileges. Those two-way investigation are at their discretion. It may take weeks or months for the prison investigation to happen. Even though the inmate did not write anything wrong, they are still the ones that pay for those letters. Inmates do not have control over what someone else writes but certain things in a letter will get them into trouble. A lot of the times prions will hold an inmate’s mail, even legal mail. Holding their mail goes against their rights and it’s really difficult to prove.

Video Visits:

Video visits are monitored. Proper clothing must be worn or you won’t get your visit and the prison staff will stop that visit instantly. Inmates have had LOP’s for a year for someone exposing their body parts. What the prison concerns to be inappropriate or dangerous conversation will get that visit stopped in a heartbeat. In person visits are not any different. The prison will take away visits for months to years for things that other people do or say.

 

Keep your communication:

There is a risk/safety factor depending on what is being said. The prison is concerned about gangs, retaliation, drug activity and etc. Censor what you say and do! It is not fair that inmates pay the consequences for other people’s action. Make your communication happy and drama free. Being in prison is difficult enough without losing all their privileges(LOP).

 

Have any thoughts let me know what they are.

Do you know what happens in your state?