Blog - Prison Insight

Why Do Inmates Get Free Food?

By Natalie
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I recently celebrated the third anniversary of the day I walked out of prison. I spent four years at the Women’s Eastern Reception, Diagnostic, and Correctional Center in Vandalia, Missouri, for a first-time, non-violent, marijuana offense, and my time behind bars opened my eyes to the realities of the United States prison system. I have […]

How Does a Drug User Get Clean if They Are in Prison?

By Natalie
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Ever since the drug war began in the early 1970s, prisons have been filled with non-violent drug offenders who have problems with addiction. Many of these are people who are victim to themselves and their families. The sad fact is that prison doesn’t usually help people with addiction issues. Unless the inmate has a strong […]

Can You be Happy in Prison?

Today’s question is a difficult one to answer. I was so upset and beat down after I was put in prison, that happiness wasn’t even a thought. I’ve got to be honest – I didn’t think I deserved to be in there. The common joke is that everyone in prison will tell you they are […]

Why Would an Inmate be Moved to a Different Cell?

By Natalie
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When you are living in the free world, there can be numerous reasons why you would move to a new home. People move because they get a new job, or get a raise and can afford a larger home. Or, on the flipside, people can downsize due to job loss or retirement. Other people move […]

Guide to The Presentence Investigation (PSI) Report

By Natalie
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Today’s blog post will be a little bit different than what we usually do here at Prison Insight. Instead of answering a specific question about life as a prison inmate, we wanted to create a guide to the Presentence Investigation (PSI) Report. The Presentence Investigation Report is a document that gives you the chance to […]

What Are Holidays Like in Prison?

I’ve never been a big holiday person, so when I was sentenced to 15 years in prison for a first-time marijuana offense, I was surprised to find out just how much being incarcerated on a holiday affected me. I realized on the inside that when I was in the real world, holidays were pretty great. […]

Jail vs Prison – What’s The Difference?

By Natalie
/ 1 COMMENT

Ever since I was incarcerated for nearly four years for a marijuana charge, one of my biggest pet peeves is when people conflate the words “jail” and “prison.” Yes, they are both legal confinement facilities, but there is a big difference between a jail and a prison. I’m not sure why using the two words […]

Why Inmates Return To Prison

Once someone gets sucked into the judicial system and prison system, it can be extremely difficult to get out of it. We have a dangerously high recidivism rate in America, which is the percentage of inmates who return to prison after being released. When someone is released from prison, the rules we have set up […]

Why Would an Inmate be on Lockdown?

By Natalie
/ 1 COMMENT

As I write this blog post, people around the world are under shelter-in-place orders or on full lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials at jails and prisons all over the United States are trying to figure out what they can do to help stop the spread of the virus. Many have decided to release […]

Visiting an Inmate For The First Time – 10 Things to Know

Whenever you are preparing to visit a prison inmate for the first time, there are definitely things you need to know. If you don’t arrive at the prison fully prepared, it could result in the prison staff denying your visit. And, since most people have to travel to visit their incarcerated loved one, you definitely […]