Blog - Prison Insight

How do You Email an Inmate?

It’s no secret that we live in a world dominated by electronic communication. From texts to emails to social media apps, constant communication via our phones, computers, and tablets is how many of us live our lives these days. But, when you are in prison, you have no internet access, and until recently, electronic devices […]

Can You Get Haircuts In Prison?

I love to get my hair done. There’s just something about going to the salon and dropping $200 to get a cut and color, plus some kind of product that I absolutely need so I can duplicate the look at home. But all of that changed when I got to prison. Well, my love of […]

What Happens If You Get Cancer In Prison?

You never want to hear the word “cancer” when you are talking to a doctor, and you really don’t want to hear the word when you are talking to a doctor as a prison inmate. It’s bad enough to face the disease when you are a free person who can access good hospitals, doctors, and […]

Can You Get Life In Prison for Weed?

The cannabis laws in the United States have gone through some major changes in the last two decades. Depending on what state you live in, you can either grow and use cannabis both recreationally and medically without consequenceㅡas long as you follow the state guidelinesㅡor, you can find yourself behind bars for possession of a […]

Can You go to Prison if You Are Under 18?

There are a lot of things you can’t do in the United States if you are under 18. You can’t legally buy or consume tobacco or alcohol, you can’t enter into a legal contract, and you can’t vote, just to name a few. When you are a minor, the rules just aren’t the same for […]

Can You Have Phones In Prison?

In 2019, living without your cell phone seems impossible. Most of us can’t go an entire day without texting, checking social media, or asking Google an important question like: What movies are coming out during Marvel phase four? But, when you are in prison, life is all about taking away your freedom and cutting you […]

Can You go to Prison For Debt?

Debtors’ prisons don’t exist anymore, right? Congress passed a law against them nearly two centuries ago, and the Supreme Court has ruled multiple times that incarcerating people who are too poor to pay their debt was unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection clause. Technically, debtors’ prisons are against the law. But, in the past […]

Can You Claim Someone In Prison on Your Taxes?

When I was in prison, I was lucky enough to have family and friends who sent me money regularly. If you are sending money to an inmate, please know that you are loved and appreciated. Having someone put money on your books is a big deal. Inmates are responsible for buying their own hygiene items, […]

Can You Have A Cat In Prison?

I have to be honest. I’m in love with Dale, my 2-year-old cat. I adopted him just a couple of months after I was released from prison when he was just eight weeks old, and he is the first cat I have ever owned. My parents raised me to believe I was a dog person, […]

Can You Have Dreads In Prison?

When you go to prison, everything is taken away from you. From your personal property to your clothes, it’s all boxed up and stored, and you emerge from intake wearing state clothes and carrying a bag filled with a pillow, blanket, towel, and a few basic toiletries. There is no tolerance for personal style behind […]