What to Expect when a Loved One is Incarcerated

In a perfect world, no one would ever have to know what it's like to step foot in a jail or prison. Most of us are law abiding citizens and do our best to stay away from the circumstances that might get us in trouble. But we can't run the lives of our friends and loved ones and we may someday find ourselves being affected by the actions of someone else.

Whether a person is justifiably arrested or is wrongly accused, the situations often remain the same. Every state will have different rules and regulations. For the purpose of this description, we will focus on the how things go in the state of Indiana.

Many times, family and friends find out about the incarnation of a relative after it's been done by a letter or phone call. The initial shock is often the worse part of the entire situation. One is left feeling helpless and needing direction on how to be supportive.

Described here are a few things that might help explain the way some of the more simple aspects of jail life are handled.

Commissary

Inmates in county jails and prisons have what is called commissary. Family and friends living on "the outside" are able to leave money at the jail to go towards an account that the inmate can use. Items such as candies, snack cakes, powdered soups and sodas can typically be ordered off of commissary. Other items include radios, clothing, shoes, soaps, and shampoos among many other things.

Most necessities are provided for use, but the use of commissary allows the inmate to pick and choose between different brands, flavors and sizes.

Telephone Privileges

Telephone privileges vary from county to county and among various situations. More often than not the telephone calls cost the receiver money as they are being called collect. Charges vary and even the ability to accept these calls vary among phone companies. Be sure to check with your phone company if you are not receiving calls from an inmate. Collect calls from a jail or prison are not the same as collect calls from other people.