:( I'm full of emotions ranging from gratitude to sorrow. June 2 is coming quickly. He called the facility to ask some general questions, like: What level will I be in? and, What can I bring? They weren't very friendly! Any info would be greatly appreciated about phone calls visitation, sending books & subscriptions, the library (if they have one), etc. I live only 20 min from the prison and am so grateful that he'll be so close. 27 months. Sounds like a long time one minute and then I read other posts and my perspective changes. My sponsor tells me that everything is exactly as it should be in God's world today. I used to see the truth in that statement so clearly. Today, I don't see it at all. Thank you Great Spirit for this support sustem.

Im reading a Book called The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. I strongly recomend it as I will be in the same shoes sometime in June. There are no mistakes in life and God has planned it all and all the expierences here on earth are preparing us for Life everlasting. Life on earth is 1) A Test, 2) A Trust and 3) A Temporary Assignment.

Sincerely
Dan

Dan: That is an awesome book. I'll be surrendering myself June 1 and that book has helped me put all of this in perspective.

10-4 Liddy
Im just on chapter 10 at this point....But it has already pointed out my faults in a glaring way. It has also given me the peace to know that even though I am doubting my self worth at this time in my life...this is a very self centered pity workshop...hope is all around for a new beginning. I have always been a devoute Catholic...but this is taking my relationship with God to a whole new level.

Dan

Dan~
I love Rick Warren, I am reading the book too!! My husband just received it for his 40th Birthday ... It's fabulous! What a true blessing to be sharing in such great Faith! I am on the 13th Chapter ... If you can -- there is a journal that goes along with it and it's wonderful! You mentioned how your doing a lot of introspection, and looking at your short comings, know that you have many talents and gifts and God wants you to use them for His Glory, and you do have a mission here - All of us do, and we're the clay and He's the potter ... We're all going to be beautiful pieces of artwork when He's done!! :) All the Best!! Keep your head up, your doing God's work! Many Blessings!

My God, My God is Awesome!! I too have the book and must say It is a book that everyone should read. Dream Giver is another anointed book. God has a plan for all our lives. He said he knew us before we where formed in our mothers belly. So that means way before we was conceived he knew us.. So Dan, know that the book did not just drop in you hands by accident. My brother is in the federal facility and it is not easy but God is Able!!! :thumbsup:

Be Bless

pah417, I know how you feel, my husband turned himself in on November 13,2002! He has another year to go then he will be home. I really was amazed that the time to me seemed like it went by pretty fast. But to ask him it drags :). Anyway I have only gone to see him once he is about 6 hours from me and the kids. And we don't have the extra money (and of course the gas prices don't help). When I called the prison they told me he can't bring anything just the clothes on his back and they mailed them back to me. You can mail him books as long as they are paper back. His roommate likes the Victorias Secret catalog so I mail that as well :). Be strong I know what you are going through. I didn't find this until recently I wish I had sooner everyone has been so nice. Hang in there, and if you ever need to talk I am here

I been finding out as much as I can here at PTO, I just received my sentencing date june 10th,2pm...level 20,catagory I, PSI recomends 33-41 mos. I'm prayin for a downward departure and self surrender. As a handicaped person(artficial leg)does anyone know if they would send me to a medical camp? And what about bathing...do they have benches to sit on for showers? I dont want some (bubba)to hold me up...worried with two weeks (sad).

To those of you who are heading for federal institutions;
June 4th I will have been out for 6 months after serving 132 months. My sentence was 151 months. I have been in FCI's and a USP. Never a camp because my charge was bank robbery. Bank robbers don't go to camp. First off, in some ways it won't be as bad as you expect but in other ways it will be bad in ways you never even imagined. The pettiness of the rules will aggravate you no end. Some of the guards are such miserable people it seems they feel that part of their job description is to make the prisoners life as hard as possible. Once you know which guards they are the best thing to do is avoid them as much as possible. There will be times when you cannot avoid them and they will make you very angry. Swallow your pride. You cannot beat them. It is their world and you will just be living in it. For a while. Talking back or fighting them will only get you hurt and maybe more time. Don't listen to all those "wannabe" gangsters who talk about what stand up convicts are supposed to be and all that. Do your own time. Don't let others drag you into confrontations. Some guys will ask you to sign a petition at one time or another. NEVER SIGN PETITIONS! It's a violation of rules and they can call it attempting to incite.
The prison you go to won't be like Shawshank Redemption or Attica. There is really very little prison rape in federal institutions these days. AIDS put a real damper on that. There may come a time when you have to stand up and fight. Depends on the circumstances. It's usually a personal decision. You have to decide if you feel that you will be compromising your own principles or your own self respect then fight. If you can walk away and still live with yourself, walk away. If you get caught fighting it doesn't matter who started it or who is winning. You go to the hole. Maybe lose some good time. As I said, my sentence was 151 months. I lost a total of 68 days good time and I served 132 months. You HAVE to learn to keep your temper in check. Losing it will bring you nothing but trouble.
You cannot receive any packages from the outside. Nothing. All books and magazines must come from the publisher or a bookstore (nothing used). All money orders (that's all they accept is money orders or government checks) must be sent to one address:

Federal Bureau of Prisons
Inmate Name
Inmate Number
Post Office Box 474701
Des Moines, Iowa 50947-0001

You cannot send any money to an inmate except to that address, otherwise it will be returned to you. This is IMPORTANT! On all money orders be sure to put the inmate's number or it will not be accepted. Don't get too much money on your prison account or they will start taking it towards any fines or restitution you have. Try to just get one money order a month and keep it as small as you can get by on.
They aren't interested in rehabilitating you or helping you make it on the outside. They are only interested in the dollars you will bring them. There are no college courses. Very few vocational courses that will be of any benefit to you. You will be given a job and probably start out at five dollars twenty five cents per month. That's right. Per MONTH. If you have a fine or restitution you are requred to pay a minumum of twenty five dollars every three months. Kinda hard to do on five and a quarter a month. If you don't pay the twenty five every three months they put you on "refusal status" which limits you to no more than twenty five dollars spending limit per month in the commissary.
Visits suck. They will make it as miserable as possible for visitors in the hope that they won't want to come back, thereby making their own jobs easier. There are telephones you can use every day but you are limited to 300 minutes per month. Each phone call is limited to 15 minutes.
You will hear lots of talk about "rats" from other inmates. Most of the ones talking the loudest are only trying to deflect attention from themselves. With the kinds of sentences the feds threaten people with these days I suspect that very few people don't give someone up for shorter sentences. I don't pass judgement on others. We all have to live with our own decisions. I have met guys who got their Mothers drug into a case simply because they made a phone call from her house. The feds said give us your dealer or we charge you Mom. What are you gonna do? Me? I'd save Mom.
Anyway, I hope some of this info will help some of you. Remember, it was YOUR decisions and YOUR actions that sent you to prison. Not your family's. Don't expect them to make their lives revolve around you. Do your own time. Don't make them do it with you. Don't whine on the phone to them or in letters. They love you and would do anything to make it better for you but there is nothing they can do. They will love you and miss you and hurt for you. Don't add to their hurt. It's time to grow up now and be an adult. Accept responsibility for your own mistakes. Get through it and get out here and live again. You can sink into bitterness during your sentence or you can use it as an opportunity to grow. I will continue to check this site every day so if there are any questions I can answer I'll do so.
Good luck to you.

You said because of bank robbery charge you couldn't go to a camp? What charges prevent you from going to camp? My husband is in Butner FCI Low?

Usually any crime that is termed "violent" will keep you from a camp. Most people are under the impression that a violent crime means that violence actually occurred. That's not the case. I handed a teller a note, had no weapon, she gave me a couple of thousand dollars, I walked out. Nobody even knew the bank was robbed until after I was gone. Any bank robbery is considered violent. The feds also take into account prior convictions. Prior burglary is considered a violent crime. Domestic violence. Also, any crime that involved guns in any way at all will usually keep you from a camp. I say usually because, in truth, the feds can, and do, anything they want to do. They can let a bank robber go to camp as a reward for maybe turning in some other people. Generally speaking, though, camps are pretty much reserved for first timers with no violence or weapons. Throughout the federal system all FDC's, FCI's and USP are overcrowded. Most camps are under capacity. An FCI Low is really not much different than an FCI Medium. Same amount of fences and security and rules. But, you can get to a camp from an FCI Low but it will probably be a camp far from home.

I really appreciate your honesty and truthfullness to the PTO Community. My husband has served 156 months for the same charge as yours. I am hopeful that he will be home very soon I received a phone call from the U.S. Probation Office to schedule a home visit for next month. Are home visits positive signs of him coming home?

Home visits are mandatory. They want to make sure he isn't lying about where he will be staying and that the place is not full of dope fiends, or whatever. Please don't think that I'm insinuating anything about you or your husband. That's just the way it is. There can't be any guns in the house and no shady looking people. They will want to see where he will be sleeping and spending most of his time. So, I guess, the answer is yes, it's a pretty positive sign that he will be home soon.

Thanks so much for your input. I wonder if he knows. I have not spoken to him since the early part of last week and I was called on yesterday regarding the visit. Again THANK YOU !!!!

I need to add something about the info I previously posted concerning sending money. I am not positive that the PO Box # will be the same for every institution or if the effective date will be June 1 for every institution. What I posted is information given to inmates in FCI Phoenix. It will include every institution as far as the part about sending it all to one place but if you send money to any federal institution and have not heard anything about this change I'd advise you to contact the intstitution you send money to and find out exactly what their own plan is. Believe me, the feds are great ones for changing the rules on you with no advance notice. I don't want to give anyone any bad information on this site because the feds do enough of that. Sorry if I caused anyone any undue worry or problem. Definitely find out about the money policy at your loved ones institution, though.

pah147 Just wondering if you are ok? We are all here if you need to talk. My brother is in OK and soon to be transfered to Elkton Ohio.

Let me add a belated welcome to PTO. I know you will find a lot of support, compassion and information here. :)

My father in law is in Elkton, Just self surrenderd May, we did not hear from him for about a week, they said they lost his money, then it reappeared. He is staying to himself.
Only thing he can bring is money and clothes on his back, which was mailed back. Everything has to be bought there, clocks, radios. when you go visit, there are no tables just chairs lined up together, no privacy everyone is side by side, also you can put money in a machine and it will give you credit to use, he will not be allowed to leave his chair you will have to get food or drinks for him, magazines and paperback books are ok to send nothing hard back.
I know it is past the time you took him, but if anyone else going maybe this will help.
Hope all went well when you took him.