Good Afternoon All!


I hope that everyone who could make it had fruitful visits this weekend, and to those who could not that you will see your precious loved ones soon.

I got to sentencing next week and will likely get some time in the range of 4 years give or take. My wife and I are trying to make a final decision on where her and my children should live, and I am just wondering if anybody with info on some of the places I will list would give me some forsight into these institutions.


In general what are camps like?


What are visits like? at camps?


How long does it typically take from the date of sentencing to the date of self surrender?



What types of reading materials can be mailed to you from your spouse?


How many people can visit you at one time?( I have a wife a 5 year old and another due in a couple weeks)


How hard is it to get a furlow? WHat are acceptable reasons? What are the requirements?



Does anyone have any info on the following camps: Bastrop Texas, Otisville Camp New York, Petersburg Camp Virginia, Allenwood Camp Pennsylvania, Cumberland Maryland, and another in West Virginia that I dont know the name of. All info is appreciated.

How much money should I take to prison with me? WHat types of items are located in the commisary? What type of medical treatment is available, I have severe asthma which requires me to have a steroid inhaler at all times, will this be aloud, or will that cause me to be sent to a prison that has some sort of special medical staff?
'

Sorry if some of my questions seem trite but I am not real sure what to expect? THanks for any and all replies to these questions in advance.



Sean

I sure hope everything goes well with you...My sweetie is in FCI Beckley in WV...there is a a camp with it...but he's in the main institution...Would you be talking about that one?

First of all, hello and good luck Sean. I hope your wife joins PTO as she will find much support here, which she will need. Please let me ask you to please understand that she will be going thru many emotions as will you. If the two of you understand that, you can work thru the many issues that you'll be dealing with. It's not an easy thing to deal with but if you both go into it knowing that it will help. I have 3 years under my belt so I speak with some experience. Let me say that if you have to do some time, be glad that it's a federal camp, from what I've learned, it's easier there. At least in my experience visiting at a camp is usually a pleasant experince. They are more liberal as to what is allowed, I wish I had some info as to the camps that you asked about but I don't. All I can tell you about are what I've learned in general. Usually you get about 6 weeks to get your affairs in order before you have to surrender however I have heard about people having to go right after sentencing. If you do get the chance to self surrender, please do it. If you can't get there on your own, there's no telling how long it can take. I've heard from many people it's better to get there on your own. Also if you're able take some postal money orders with you, I don't believe there is a limit as to how much you can take but it does have to be postal money orders. There are many things that you can get in the commisionary, extra clothing, food, vitamins and such. Order your extra warm clothes in the summer months, as when it gets cold you may have to wait longer to get them. I've heard as many as up to 10 people at a time can visit but there is a limit as to how many you can have on your vistors list. Try to mail them out as soon as you can.It usually takes a couple of weeks to get approved. I think you have to wait 3 weeks for your first visit. I pray that you're still home for the birth of your next child. as to reading material I'm able to send magazines ( but it really is better & cheaper to get subscriptions) as well as soft cover books. hard cover books have to be sent from the publisher or book store. I never could figure that one out. I don't know about anything medical, sorry. Hope that this has answered some of your questions. Please tell your wife to pm me if she needs any questions answered after you're gone or just need a listening ear. Kinda like I've been there, I'm still there and understand thing. Believe me 4 years does go quickly with the right mind frame. Good luck to you and your family, take care.

okay i'll try to answer some of your questions. How long it will take for you self surrender i have had inmates tell me it took them at least 3 months to 2years to recieve a date to be at certain location. as for camps pray for it because camps are the best compared to being insde the walls. visits we only allow 5 people for each inmate to enter the visiting room( this includes kids) she can't mail you books to read only letters as for books they need to be from the publisher. Furloughs are hard to get take one day at a time. i have more to but if your interested email personally.

Terry, you seem to know a lot about all this. My husband left 5 weeks ago to serve a 12 month 1 day sentence in a camp. He heard something about home confinement in cases of "family hardship," but I can't find anything else about it. We have 19 month old and 4 year old sons--my husband stayed home with them for the last 2 years. He also has significant health problems--atrial fibrillation, for which he is on the blood thinner coumadin--among other things. The prison MD just diagnosed him with congestive heart failure also. He did not get his medications the first 2 days there, and the dose was wrong on one for 2 weeks. Anyway, do you know anything about home confinement? Our attorney was useless.
Thank you very much.

Dear MMP, sorry to hear about all his health problems. I think when they add that one extra day, it makes it hard to get an alternative sentence. My best advice to you is to write to Fed cure. Perhaps they can help or at least tell you what options you have. I know they have several lawyers on their site I pray that they can help you. I hear you as to the attorney being no help, apparently alot of people have the same problem. Unless you have alot of $$ they really don't go to bat for you. It makes me so pissed off that they don't consider these things when sentencing someone. I pray that he is at least in a medical facility if not he sure should be. I hate to say it but it will really be up to him to be very demanding when it comes to his health problems. He has to be very strong about this, I've heard too many times when an inmate isn't, well let's just say it's scary. I'm grateful my hubby is very healthy and pray that he remains that way. My best wishes and prayers are sent your way. PS welcome to PTO hope to see you on here again. Feel free to pm me anytime, as this too is hard on you and you'll be going thru alot of emotions. I'll be more than glad to help any way I can.

How long before someone can get a furlough? My husband has a 10-month sentence. I know this does not seem long as most people on here have longer sentences. How hard is it to get a furlough?

First an inmate must get community custody (not until after 90 days of confinement) then it is possible to get after each 90 days for inmates with 18 mos or less left on their sentence.
The BOP can refuse anyone at any time...it is a privelige not a right.
Furloughs can be from 12 hours to 7 days long

What is community custody? Please forgive me if I ask silly questions. I am very new to the system. It will take a while to get use to the jargon.

It is actually permission from the BOP to be out in the community...He should talk to the counselor he will be assigned to within the prison. That is who he will apply for it with usually at the first team meeting which is held approx 30 days after his arrival at his prison

And there is no silly question with the BOP...sometimes really silly answers (as far as their rules are concerned)..lol

Thanks for the information. That is really helpful. I agree that there are silly answers with the BOP.