Need help regarding email to inmate, no reply

[Tracielouise85]

Hi I just called oak park heights mailroom from the UK, I sent an email to an inmate last Monday night, I havnt received a reply, so I call the mailroom and ask if they can help, he seemed quite rude and said he couldn't tell me anything, is this right? It's stressing me out that I can't find out if they got my email or not? Can please someone help?😭

[LsGarcia]

I don’t know if they can find out or not; I imagine there is probably a way for them to know quite easily. However they are under no obligation to tell you anything about an inmate that doesn’t have you listed as their next of kin or emergency contact. Although there really is no need for them to also be rude to you!

[ambermarshall11]

Maybe he got in trouble and lost his privileges maybe the kiosk is down you should call and ask to speak to a counselor maybe they can tell you something

[LsGarcia]

Can you try and send him a Videogram (if you have them there)? If it won’t let you send him one it means he is on lop’s. As where emails just go out still

[Tracielouise85]

I just checked his records it says current status holding what does holding mean? It no longer says incarcerated, I've honestly no idea what's going on or where he's even at��

[Tracielouise85]

Originally Posted by LsGarcia

Can you try and send him a Videogram (if you have them there)? If it won’t let you send him one it means he is on lop’s. As where emails just go out still

Means he is on what sorry? It says he doesnt have a media account yet his name comes up on jpay?

[Tracielouise85]

Originally Posted by LsGarcia

I don’t know if they can find out or not; I imagine there is probably a way for them to know quite easily. However they are under no obligation to tell you anything about an inmate that doesn’t have you listed as their next of kin or emergency contact. Although there really is no need for them to also be rude to you!

I know he seemed like he couldn't be bothered answering my questions and just kept saying I'm sorry I cannot give any infomation out, so the call was a complete waste of time

[MizzyMuffling]

Well, they don't have to do anything much less answering your question(s). Imagine every single loved one of every single inmat of this facility would be calling asking them why their loved ones hasn't answered their email/letter/JPay...
It always helps to be extra friendly as well... so far I've only met one nice person when I called for special visits, calling prison to ask something always has the feeling of them thinking I'm trying to buy off their liver...

If it says "holding" could mean a lot of things. Maybe he's being re-classified, transferred, put into seg pending an investigation.

With prison you have to be extra patient. Extra extra extra patient.

[Tracielouise85]

Originally Posted by MizzyMuffling

Well, they don't have to do anything much less answering your question(s). Imagine every single loved one of every single inmat of this facility would be calling asking them why their loved ones hasn't answered their email/letter/JPay...
It always helps to be extra friendly as well... so far I've only met one nice person when I called for special visits, calling prison to ask something always has the feeling of them thinking I'm trying to buy off their liver...

If it says "holding" could mean a lot of things. Maybe he's being re-classified, transferred, put into seg pending an investigation.

With prison you have to be extra patient. Extra extra extra patient.

I feel I have been patient lol it's been a week, and I'm always hearing different things like emails get to them after 24 hours, or someone else saying it can take ages, I'm confused and not sure what to believe, I guess ill just keep waiting, oh yes I was very polite I always am on the phone but he just couldn't be arsed I could tell haha!

[LsGarcia]

Sorry, I didn’t consider that you might not use Jpay for emails!
Lop’s is loss of privileges.
If it says he’s in holding, like MizzyMuffling says, it could be one of many things. However it looks like he probably can’t reply to you (or hasn’t even got your email yet) rather than he just doesn’t want to.
Might be worth shooting him a letter via jmail? It’s quicker than sending a letter from the U.K.

[Tracielouise85]

Originally Posted by LsGarcia

Sorry, I didn’t consider that you might not use Jpay for emails!
Lop’s is loss of privileges.
If it says he’s in holding, like MizzyMuffling says, it could be one of many things. However it looks like he probably can’t reply to you (or hasn’t even got your email yet) rather than he just doesn’t want to.
Might be worth shooting him a letter via jmail? It’s quicker than sending a letter from the U.K.

No I have been using Jpay, his name comes up but he actually doesn't have an account and it says he needs to create one, so unsure if hes even gotten the emails as print outs or what, it's all so confusing and I'm new to all this, so if it says holding there's a possibility he just hasn't been given my emails?

[Tracielouise85]

Originally Posted by ambermarshall11

Maybe he got in trouble and lost his privileges maybe the kiosk is down you should call and ask to speak to a counselor maybe they can tell you something

I've honestly no idea, he doesn't even have a jpay account that's what it says anyway, but his name still comes up? So I'm assuming he gets given the emails printed out?

[LsGarcia]

I’ve just had a look and he does have Jpay kiosks there so I imagine he can reply to jpays normally via Jpay?
If he normally can and it says he’s in holding; is he due in court or anything like that?
Because he could have been sent to the County Jail for a hearing and once he is out of the hands of the Dept of Corrections, even for a few days, they won’t show up on Jpay for things like emails, Videograms etc

[Tracielouise85]

Originally Posted by LsGarcia

I’ve just had a look and he does have Jpay kiosks there so I imagine he can reply to jpays normally via Jpay?
If he normally can and it says he’s in holding; is he due in court or anything like that?
Because he could have been sent to the County Jail for a hearing and once he is out of the hands of the Dept of Corrections, even for a few days, they won’t show up on Jpay for things like emails, Videograms etc

Yes he is back in court end of June I believe, i know they have about 8 kiosks in Oak park heights, I still have no idea if he even got my emails or not, because he has been segregated since he arrived and now it says holding so he's clearly been moved about a lot

[sass4221]

If he's in seg, he won't be able to access the kiosk. Also, just because there is a certain number of kiosks there doesn't mean all of them work.

[Tracielouise85]

Originally Posted by sass4221

If he's in seg, he won't be able to access the kiosk. Also, just because there is a certain number of kiosks there doesn't mean all of them work.

Yes I had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to access the kiosks while segregated but I still wonder if they've at least given him my emails to read, just wanted him to know that I was there for him and that I cared, I was being nice.

[ambermarshall11]

Originally Posted by Tracielouise85

I've honestly no idea, he doesn't even have a jpay account that's what it says anyway, but his name still comes up? So I'm assuming he gets given the emails printed out?

Yeah if his name comes up you can email him and send him money if it ever says blocked that means that you can't send him money for some reason he can't get them i hope you hear from him soon mine comes home tommorow my stomach is in knots

[LsGarcia]

They usually show up on email still even if they’re in Seg though.
My guess is that he’s in the Jail but I could be wrong!

[Tracielouise85]

Originally Posted by ambermarshall11

Yeah if his name comes up you can email him and send him money if it ever says blocked that means that you can't send him money for some reason he can't get them i hope you hear from him soon mine comes home tommorow my stomach is in knots

I hope I hear back from him too so badly! Awwww congrats!!! Bet you can't wait!

[Tracielouise85]

Originally Posted by LsGarcia

They usually show up on email still even if they’re in Seg though.
My guess is that he’s in the Jail but I could be wrong!

Jail as in because he's due in court?

[LsGarcia]

Originally Posted by Tracielouise85

Jail as in because he's due in court?

Yeah, sometimes they get them in court, even just for 10 mins, if they have a court date coming up for hearing etc

[Tracielouise85]

Originally Posted by LsGarcia

Yeah, sometimes they get them in court, even just for 10 mins, if they have a court date coming up for hearing etc

I just did some research and it looks likely he's in a county jail as he has a trial coming up so I feel a bit better now that I know he's been there and hasn't been in oak park heights to get my emails, I'm assuming after his trial he will get sent there? So I will probably try writing to him again once he's back there.

[maytayah]

I am glad you have found your friend. Prison friendships can be very difficult nothing is in your control or his. I hope you are able to write again soon.

[Tracielouise85]

Originally Posted by maytayah

I am glad you have found your friend. Prison friendships can be very difficult nothing is in your control or his. I hope you are able to write again soon.

Thanks so much and thankyou for your help and advice.