I have accepted a plea agreement for a "white collar crime" and if God doesn't help me out with Probation I will most likely go to the minimum side of SHeridan. I don't have anyone to send me money so how can I get the little extras from the store...especially stamps and phone time so I can stay in contact with my 11 year-old son. My ex won't send me money, I know that for sure and I don't have any family.

I feel hopeless about not being part of my son's life and he is having a hard time with the possibility of me going away. He just wants to be with his dad. I haven't heard anything good about the pre-sentencing investigation and the chances of probation, home monitoring, anything but incarceration sound like a crap shoot.

What about smoking and cigarettes?

Thanks for your advice in advance.

my fiance just went to sheridan todday he was sentenced to 41 months smoking is not allowed in any federal prison as far as i know..but from what i hear and have read sheridan is not a bad place..sorry to hear about your situation..keep ur head up high..sorry its not much info..but its all i know at this time

Sheridan is pretty mellow. You will have a job but it won't pay much. I believe you get a few envelopes and stamps if you are indigent, so you will be able to write your son. Sometimes inmates will hire another one to do things for them - like do their laundry, etc., and you can get some commissary in trade for that. Unfortunately, just like in the outside world, the inmates who have money can use it to make more money but the indigent just have to struggle through. I believe they have a parenting program at Sheridan, so you could sign up for that. The parenting classes help facilitate inmates keeping in touch with their kids - like sending them tapes and such - so maybe that might help too. Do you belong to a church or community group? Maybe you could ask if they could help out with a little bit of money for envelopes and stamps. Good luck!

Sheridan is pretty mellow. You will have a job but it won't pay much. I believe you get a few envelopes and stamps if you are indigent, so you will be able to write your son. Sometimes inmates will hire another one to do things for them - like do their laundry, etc., and you can get some commissary in trade for that. Unfortunately, just like in the outside world, the inmates who have money can use it to make more money but the indigent just have to struggle through. I believe they have a parenting program at Sheridan, so you could sign up for that. The parenting classes help facilitate inmates keeping in touch with their kids - like sending them tapes and such - so maybe that might help too. Do you belong to a church or community group? Maybe you could ask if they could help out with a little bit of money for envelopes and stamps. Good luck!Zelda, I'm tracking anything that has 'Sheridan' in the title and keep seeing your name. Thank you for being so involved here!

My husband reports to FCP Sheridan next week and not being with his sons (and wife!) is going to be very hard on him. It's going to be hard on us, too. What does the parenting class offer regarding tapes? Are these video tapes? Can we send him clips of the boys in action at their various sporting events? That would be soooo helpful for all of our morale!

Thank you for any information you can offer.

No - I don't think you'll be able to send him home videos. I'm not positive about what the Camp's parenting class provides - I only know some about the one at Sheridan FCI but I believe the Camp has one also. Just know that he's going to be in a place that's not too bad, has nice scenery and, if you can visit, it will be relaxed. Are you driving him there??

Are you driving him there??I can't. The situation has run us into incredible debt. I have to stay and work to support our kids.

We have friends who will make the drive from Seattle. We're going to ask our boys if they want to go, so they can see the camp from the outside and realize that their father isn't going to Sing Sing or some hellhole like they see in the movies. The choice will be theirs.

My husband says that, from what he's read in the BOP literature, he'll have days of desk work (he's college educated), sports and library while the boys and I are back here trying to make do. This disturbs him more than anything, I think; he's such an involved husband and father.

We're trying to come up with ways for him to stay involved. One idea is that he'll compose a form for the boys to complete after a school project or sporting event. They then mail that to him so he can have a lengthier description than he'd get on the phone. That would mean he could talk about more specific points on the form and make the conversation more efficient. As active as the boys are, it would also mean a lot more mail for him!

We're trying to think of anything that would lessen the 'hurt' for our boys. Suggestions are welcome.

Does anyone have a loved one or acquaintance currently in FCP Sheridan who could show my husband 'the ropes' when he reports next week?

If you have a digital camera, the boys can take photos and then you can just incorporate them into a letter. You don't necessarily have to have each photo printed on photo paper - just insert them into the letter document on the computer. Kind of like a "this was my world today" kind of thing every once in awhile. Even if they're just taking a walk. My husband always said that when he made something for me or our son, he thought of us the whole time he was making it. So if your sons are thinking of their dad while they take photos, that connection is there in spirit if not physically. Question and answer letters back and forth can be fun sometimes. Even stuff like, "If you could play a character in one movie, who would it be?" He and your sons may learn more about each other than they normally would! Let the kids take it at their own pace, though.

Does anyone have a loved one or acquaintance currently in FCP Sheridan who could show my husband 'the ropes' when he reports next week?

my fiance surrendered just over a week ago to the sheridan camp. im not real sure that he could show your husband the ropes completly but it might be nice to stay close to the other "newbies" his name is shawn weber. at least he can go in with something. were still pretty new to the federal prison system but learning with the help of everyone here.

my fiance surrendered just over a week ago to the sheridan camp.Has he been able to communicate with you yet? What are his first impressions? Thank you for any information you can provide.

My husband was told by Pre-Trial Services that they believed FPC Sheridan now has e-mail access for their campers. Have you heard anything about that? They said that it was definitely at FDC Sea-Tac, and if they had it, then FPC Sheridan surely should have it.

Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.

Hello All,

I am new here to this site. My brother just self surrendered to Sheridan - he is supposed to be assigned to the camp, but the person at the front desk said he will be in the prison until a bed opens up in the camp. Do you know how long it will be before he gets to contact his family?

Thank you for this incredible site and for all the support you provide.

I just left Sheridan Camp in May 2007. I spent 33 months there. As far as prisons go (from what I hear, this was my one and only experience), Sheridan is no big deal. I am a white collar businessman who did not have a criminal lifestyle. I have a wife of 21 years and two teenage children who were 11 and 14 when I left for Sheridan in 2004. Here is my experience summary. I hope it helps those who are suffering the same pains we went through.


My family is stronger as a result of this experience - we were strong before it. I am a better man for all I've learned through it. At 44 yrs old, I feel I went in a child in many ways and came out a man. Men, when you arrive at Sheridan you have a critical choice to make: You either focus entirely on improving yourself or you meld into the childish games and activities that consume your time and allow you to leave the same misguided soul you went in as. Your choice. Here's what I mean. Sheridan is full of activities; running, walking the track; softball, soccer, football, handball, racquetball, ping pong, pool, basketball, etc. There are also classes day and night seven days a week and church services (for all faiths) at least once or more per week. There are TV's and novels galore. A lot to keep you busy to "pass the time". Most guys enter sheridan broken and searching for a way to change their lives. But, after a week or two, they ignore the brokenness and start just "having fun" - so to speak.

I recommend the computer courses, the college courses and even enrolling in bible correspondance courses to work on your internal changes. I know you are thinking, "that's me. I want to change and won't get distracted". But, that's what they all say. Yet, only about 10% of the men I watched come to Sheridan left a different man. The others left unchanged - to the chigrin of their wives and kids.

So, I will post more details of living at Sheridan in another post. But, for this post. Please men, whatever you do, if you value your family. If you truly want to change. Don't get caught up in hanging around the wrong crowd in Sheridan. There are some down to earth, genuinely good people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time or made the wrong choice. These are the few to find and associate with. There are a lot more who are trouble - they are the vocal ones appearing to have more fun. Stay clear. (And all the wives said Amen!)

P.S. The chapel is currently run by a guy named Steve Green. Ask for him if you are looking for assistance. He's a good guy and will be there until 2010 unless something changes. Tell him Kevin said hi.

As I mentioned in my last post, I just left 33 months at Sheridan. Arrive with as much cash as possible - up to $500 I think. You will need it immediately to get the essentials; sweats, thermals, etc. They do not supply warm clothes. I had to wait two weeks to get my visitor list approved and my phone turned on. It happens faster for some. I was about the slowest. Do not have visitors come until you confirm they are approved. Mail them a form immediately upon arrival - borrow a stamp if necessary. You get 300 minutes on the phone (@ .23 per minute unless you call local to Sheridan or have a spouse get a Sheridan cell phone - then the calls are $ .07 p/m). Having money to buy goods makes all the difference. If you have money, have up to $275 pm sent for commissary and $69 for phone. If you don't have money, get a higher paid job in Sheridan (mandatory). Most jobs pay $5 p/month. Some pay up to $100 or more. Some guys do 2 loads of laundry p/week for other guys and collect $10 p/m in commissary for that service. Other guys mop and wax floors or sell craft work (like custom greeting cards they design or leather work from the leather shop), etc.

Watch out for sports. The medical staff is as unprofessional and uncaring as they come. Treatment is almost non-existant. Don't get hurt! I tore my ACL in my left knee and it took 9 months to see the doctor - then I went home and never got it fixed.

For those with back issues, having money will get you massages and sometimes professional chiropractic treatment for the cost of a book of stamps (which sells for $6 on the black market). Double stuffed mattresses (which are 6.5 feet long and 26 inches wide) can be bought for the right price).

More later...

Hello Reti01 ,
I was just wondering if I knew you. I was at Sheridan Camp from 1995 to 2003. So it’s quite possible out of the 500 men I met you. You mention Steve Green, I also know Steve. I joined the illustrious group at terminal Island federal prison in 1990, Steve showed up one year later and that’s where we met and became friends. Then I came to Sheridan and he followed me there. Except I went to the camp and he went to the FCI. So if you are still reading these posts, drop me a line and let’s see if we remember each other.
Uncle Martin