My husband is going to be sentenced by April and I thought that a good topic to help everyone that will go through this is to compile a list of things we should do/know before he gets sent away... kind of like a to do list or something like that. A guide to help us transition. So I am going to be writing my experiences and I'll try to create a list of things I wish I would have known in advance...

For example, I know I have to get a landline phone BEFORE he goes to downstate so I can give him the number and be able to have him put that number on his phone list. I also have to get that MCI thing done in advance (for inmate collect calls). I'll probably do that when he gets sentenced.

So if anyone has any other pointers please share! :)

Anything you wish you would have known before he left Rikers to be sent upstate?

If he has any personal property at Rikers have him mail it home or pick it up on a visit. You cannot keep anything from county jail (Rikers) at Downstate.

On the evening of the day he is transfered to Downstate, you should go online and search his name to get his DIN number, if it isn't available online yet call Downstate the next day (845) 831-6600.

Inmate mail should be addressed to:

Name, DIN #
Downstate C.F.
Box F
Fishkill, NY 12524

You might want to start putting together a package for him, you can send him food and tobacco at Downstate. You can mail it the day he gets there, make sure his DIN number is on the box.

I cannot think of anything else right now..

Thanks DaneeBoy! I really appreciate your info! :)

Hi,

Thanks for yur previous advice. I just wanted to give you a little info that may help you for when your man gets transferred. I know they tell you that he will be transferred two weeks after being sentenced but it took my boyfriend 7 months after sentencing to actually be moved so once he is sentenced there is a number you can call and they can tell you when he is on the state ready list which means he will be leaving within 10 days. You will just have to provide them with his NYSID# and or name. Here is the #:
CLASSIFICATION & MOVEMENT - MS. WHITE 15184576022
My boyfriend was transferred downstate 4 days ago. He wasn't able to call me the morning he left to let me know he was going but when he got to downstate he was given a 5 minute collect phone call within 24 hours and now cannot make another call for 30 days but can get a visit about 2 weeks from getting there. If your man gets transferred and you don't know where he's been transferred to you can call this upstate inmate locater. The number is 15184575000. They were very helpful when I called. In order to receive an MCI phone call from him you just have to make sure you have no blocks on yur phone and I'm pretty sure that in order to actually set up an MCI account for future calls you have to wait until he calls you once from his facility. The first call should go through to your phone as long as no blocks are on. Well I'm not sure if you knew this stuff already but I hope it can help someone.

Thank you so much, I didn't know any of this yet. I really appreciate it. :)

I don't know much yet but I'll try to put all the info together along with whatever experiences I learn and maybe we can ask to make it a sticky in the Rikers forum. :)

This info is going to help all of us when we have to go through this transition stage. Thanks again!