:( :confused: I am a 23 year old mother of 2. My "husband" is in Wasco serving a 16 month term for the first time. His mother is terminally ill (cancer and ms). He, Ray, keeps saying I need to call his counselor, but I don't fully understand why!! We were planning on getting married in December, and he says we can still do so, but HOW? And, will it really help at all to give his counselor a Dr.'s note about his mom? I've already got her on it, but I don't want to get her's, his, and my own hopes up. Plus, does anyone know how to help a 4 year old lil' girl understand where her daddy is, and that he'll be home soon? I'm so lost in all of this, I just want to visit my love. Does it get any easier?

Hi Tyna!
Yes, I thnk its a good idea to talk to his counselor. He can answer all your questions. Have your husband send you a visitors form and return it.
My husband was there for 2 months.....if you need any information...JUST ASK!

:) Thank you. Now, he hasn't told meeh how to contact his counselor. Can you help me with that?

tyna - do you have the prison phone number? Here is the CDC link to Wasco.

http://www.cdc.state.ca.us/InstitutionsDiv/INSTDIV/facilities/fac_prison_WSP.asp

Then once you call the prison it helps if you know his counselor's name, so that you can ask for that person directly.

Definately submit a visiting application as soon as possible.

About your daughter- PM me, I've got some ideas and we could chat if you want.

Thank you!

Tyna :

Welcome to PTO.. Actually, just a thought about your plans on getting married in December? If I remember correctly, inmates in reception are not eligiable/allowed to marry. He must be classified and placed in general population before he can request a marriage packet. The marriage packet process takes anywhere from two to four months.

Call the records department to find out the name of his consuler, and then leave her/him your name and number. because you are his girl friend, she will be limited to what she can tell you, based on privacy laws.

As far as the Dr. notes for his Mom who is terminally ill, Is he looking for some form of hardship transfer ? I dont quite understand why you need to inform his counsuler straight away about this ?

With reference to your daughter, You can explain to her the difference between breaking rules, and following rules. When she breaks mommys rules or misbehaves, she has to sit in time out. When big people break the rules or misbehave, they have to sit in a big peoples time out, and sometimes their time outs are longer than hers.. So Daddy broke some rules and is on a Big People Time Out .. start there and see if that helps ??

Good Luck !

At wasco the couselors go by the inmates last two numbers. Call records and they'll ask for the inmate's last two numbers and give you his counselors names. The counselor will not tell you anything because there is no way to verify who you are, and since you are not an imedate family member, your not even related to the inmate (sorry that is the rule).

Due to $$$ constraints, CDC is not honoring hardship transfers. The good news is that due to $$$ constraints, inmates are being endorsed (tranferred from a R/c to mainline) as close to the R/C as possible.

Bottom line is that he will be transferred to the institution that fits his health/custody needs and has an available bed.

Marriage packages... see above postings/ No marriages in the R/C (wasco is an Reception center) The entire process takes on the low side a month, if the counselor is on top of things. You 'husband" has to get the package from the counselor fill it out and then send you your part.

My advice for what its worth, wait until he gets out to get married. Getting married at a joint is not really all that great. You will not be allowed friends and family and if the scheduling is not exactly right on family visiting, you don't get a wedding nite. 16 months is not all that long to wait.

WASCO #1-661-758-8400
The girl in the records dept was really nice. Thats what dept u want to tlk to abt his counsler