Notice to new members intending to register - from January 9th 2012

TheUnknown · #1 04-19-2012, 08:33 AM

Hello everyone!

I'm a new member looking for as much information as possible. I'm currently charged with multiple felonies (white collar stuff) and therefore possibly multiple years in Prison. I have never been to Prison before and I'm pretty scared at this point in time. I have been doing a lot of research, however, all I can find is older posts and I'm looking for current information (so I signed up on here). I'm looking for as much information possible from either people who have recently been released or family members who have a loved one in the system. PLEASE let me know if you are able / willing to help me.

THANK YOU!!!

ilovecharles · #2 04-19-2012, 02:23 PM

we are all willing to help! Sorry to hear about the circumstances. are your charges state or federal?

My husband has been going in and out of the system for 17 years. he just did 4 years inside and has been home just under two years

TheUnknown · #3 04-19-2012, 05:13 PM

My charges are State. Last I was told by my Attorney, if the State is able to prove my case I am looking at 5 - 7 years. However, this is my first offense and I have absolutely no prior record. I have been happily married for almost 10 years and have two small kids (age 4 and 2). I just can't understand why the State thinks it would be better to lock me up and make me a burden on the State when they could deviate from the sentencing guidelines and (if convicted) give me house arrest with a tether and mandate I get a job to pay fine's/fee's/restitution. And our politicians wonder why Michigan is in such a horrible economic condition.

However, on the other hand. If I am convicted and get sentenced to prison. I would like to go in with as much information as possible. I would like to know what its like from beginning to end. From riding out from jail, through reception at Egeler, to which prisons are better than the others. Any and all info would be appreciated.

THANK YOU!

RAJustice · #4 04-19-2012, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheUnknown

My charges are State. Last I was told by my Attorney, if the State is able to prove my case I am looking at 5 - 7 years. However, this is my first offense and I have absolutely no prior record. I have been happily married for almost 10 years and have two small kids (age 4 and 2). I just can't understand why the State thinks it would be better to lock me up and make me a burden on the State when they could deviate from the sentencing guidelines and (if convicted) give me house arrest with a tether and mandate I get a job to pay fine's/fee's/restitution. And our politicians wonder why Michigan is in such a horrible economic condition.

However, on the other hand. If I am convicted and get sentenced to prison. I would like to go in with as much information as possible. I would like to know what its like from beginning to end. From riding out from jail, through reception at Egeler, to which prisons are better than the others. Any and all info would be appreciated.

THANK YOU!

Inmates are not burdens on the state. They are "job creators". Kind of like rich republicans. If you get to see the system up close you will learn that there are nearly as many DOC employees as there are inmates. There are all the vendors who supply food, toilet paper, hand cuffs ............. And all the hotels, restaurants, gas stations ect. that serve the family and friends who visit inmates....

You get the idea I'm sure.

TheUnknown · #5 04-19-2012, 07:42 PM

Very good point!!! I guess I will clean out my walk in closet and start sleeping in there to try an prepare :-(

ilovecharles · #6 04-19-2012, 09:40 PM

Depending on the charges...

You will go to county jail until you can transfer to prison. this typically takes 2-3 weeks. While in jail you will receive a pin number to call home. Most jails go through a prepaid phone service called Securus. you can google it and your wife can set up an account. Introduce your wife to this site as she may need the support.
Once you are transferred to RGC your life will SUCK. you will be given a pin number for the phone (a different one) i think...i know phone lists are no longer needed so it shouldn't take as long as before (typically 2-3 weeks) you will go through a battery of tests...education, emotional, physical, psycological. You will be given a security classification number 1 2 3 4 if your min. sentence is longer than 5 years you will most likely be classified a 3 or 4 while you adjust in prison. The higher the level means the less 'priviledges'. Fewer men in the cells and less 'yard time'.
you will be demasculated. you will be strip searched. you will have to bend over and expose everything...on demand. if you have visits you will be stripped after the visit even if its segregated...Egeler is disgusting. The food sucks. it is LOUD as hell.it is all bars. you will want to order shower shoes and ear plugs. You only get 1 hour outside...yard typically rotates. Depending on the crime you will stay there or transfer to the the thumb. Depending on the crime you will be given a list of classes to take.
In order to be granted a parole you will have to take responsibilities to your crimes. Once you are transferred from Egeler it 'gets easier' as in you adjust better. do NOT gamble EVER. do NOT GET INTO DEBTS with others. DO NOT BELIEVE rumors that are generated by EVERYONE. Stay clear of gangs. dont be quick to make friends. if you have people on the outside run MDOC numbers and make sure people arent lying to you. dont order too much store or you will be marked by thieves. Prison is a world of its own and it is very political from dirty inmates to dirty guards. Keep your wits about you.
If it is your first offense try to get a recommendation for SAI bootcamp after a year or so incarcerated.
My husband says the best facility he's ever been to is Coldwater level II. Jacksons facilities have the shittiest water in the system. Adrian is ok and so is Kinross. those are the ones i know about from our 4 years.

If your wife is staying with you let her know this is possible and there are lots of us out here to support you, your wife and your small children

The adjustment for her will be painful, confusing, lonely... and to say the least overwhelming. Take each day and cherish the moments...make memories to take with you. Prison is hard and lonely. I know this doesnt sound good but its the truth and no bullshit. if there's anything we can do let us know.

TheUnknown · #7 04-20-2012, 08:01 AM

We currently do not have a land line telephone. Should we get one or will my calls go through to my wife's cell phone if we set up an account online?

How often will I be able to call my family while at RGC? I have heard showers at RGC are 20+ men at a time, how often do they shower inmates? Is there a list of items I can with me from jail to RGC? Are there TV's in the cells at RGC or is reading / writing the only thing you can do in there? How long does it usually take to be classified and ride out from RGC?

I'm sure I will have more questions, but this is all I can think of for now. THANK YOU again to everyone for the information

ilovecharles · #8 04-20-2012, 10:32 AM

Phone Calls are available to cell phones now! So no reason to waste precious funds on a landline. Prison calls go through a company call PCS i believe and they are about 4 bucks for 15 minutes. (in county jail depending on where you are you can pay 11-30 dollars a call so its significantly cheaper in prison)

I believe inmates are offered a shower every day. When my husband was in RGC he called every other day and it took 2-3 weeks to get his pin number so it was a while. When we were in reception we did purchase his TV (ordered it at least) if you have restitution amounts things will be different. 50% over 50 dollars in your account would go towards your restitution.
You dont want to take too much with you to prison. Almost everything you receive in jail can travel with you but in prison you are limited to a certain amount of possessions so you do not want to limit yourself. I believe Egeler does not have TV's but I am not 100% sure. Most people spend between 4-6 weeks in reception. My husband was there for 6 months. (because of a job he took in the kitchen they didn't want to transfer him out)

TheUnknown · #9 04-21-2012, 08:12 AM

Thank You for the info on the phones. We were just about to sign up for a landline with Charter (or cable provider).

Your husband got a job at Egeler??? That's the first time I heard of job opportunities for inmates at RGC. Are the cells at RGC one or two person cells?

ilovecharles · #10 04-22-2012, 12:35 PM

My husband was in a two man cell. he went to egeler as a parole violator so some rules may have been different for him (because he has been in the system before.) but yes he was the head cook in the facility.

smantha5732 · #11 04-22-2012, 02:44 PM

My baby just left egeler Wednesday. He was a parole violator too. He was there from april 1 to april 18th. He was im a one person cell. He got a job ad a porter after a week. So he could call everyday from 6-630 Michigan time. They extradited him from Idaho back to Michigan he is now in tuscola re entry program for 70 days. Hopefully he'll be home soon but they do have tvs for 160 dollars. When u get there you will get one envelope to send a letter it will take 2 weeks to get anymore from store.

RAJustice · #12 04-22-2012, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheUnknown

Very good point!!! I guess I will clean out my walk in closet and start sleeping in there to try an prepare :-(

OK on a more serious note......

If you go to prison you will not be allowed to take anything with you. So write down the addresses, phone numbers, birthdays ect. that you will want with you on plain white paper so that your wife can mail it to you when get to Egler.

Also, read the policy on inmate funds and make a financial plan with your wife now. The food sucks. You will need to buy some from the store. The prison will not provide you with hygiene items like toothpaste or deoderant. You will need to buy that also. Inmates are only allowed to spend $100.00 every two weeks on store goods.

The prison will not provide you with enough clothing. The shoes are horrible and will ruin your feet. Inmates are allowed to purchase clothes and shoes from the catalogs provided by the prison. Family members are not allowed to send anything except.....

money and letters through jpay.com
letters, cards and pictures, puzzles and the like through regular mail
new books from an approved vendor like amazon or Barnes and Noble

Do not send your clothing out to the state laundry. You won't get it back. The washing machines and dryers in the housing units are usually broke. If they happen to be working you will need to bribe the unit laundry guy to get it done correctly so just buy some extra cheap shampoo from the prison store and wash your clothes by hand.

When you get your first store bag (I tell this to everyone) don't let it out of your sight. Someone will try to take it. If you let them don't ever ordering another one.

Here's hoping that you don't need this advise,
RA

PeteysMom · #13 04-25-2012, 12:04 AM

When my son was at Egeler, he said he spent up to 23 hours a day in the cell. That's because everyone is being classified into their security level so they don't want to mix the population. I sent him tons of books and magazines; his cell mate even thanked me for keeping him sane by having something to do!

You mentioned your charge are white collar - that makes me think you will likely be classifed Level I (lowest level) or maybe even the bootcamp stuff (I don't really know anything about that).

Here are a few random bits of MDOC wisdom:

- Most important: Don't talk too much, be stingy with personal information. Being mysterious and unpredictable is a good thing.

- As soon as you can get a TV, get one. My son said it kept him (at least mentally) in touch with the real world. He also says guys argue and fight a lot in the dayrooms, so it's a way to stay out of there.

- Do the weightlifting thing. It will make you stronger, help you to defend yourself if necessary, and it relieves mental stress. My son also said he spent hours just walking the yard.

- If you're interested in college courses, the Ohio University (not Ohio State) offers paper correspondence courses for the incarcerated and the prisons have test proctors.

- For a couple of years while he was in the U.P., my son didn't call very often, about once a month to check in. He told me he was in a routine and talking to us made him depressed and homesick. He said he just needed to "do his time" for a while; I told him it was fine and that since he was the one going through it, he needed to do what worked for him. You might discuss this possibility with your wife in case you find yourself in the same situation.

- Make a photo album and/or put a picture of yourself in your little one's rooms so they can see your face every day.

Wishing you the best it can be...

godislove52 · #14 05-29-2012, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheUnknown

Hello everyone!

I'm a new member looking for as much information as possible. I'm currently charged with multiple felonies (white collar stuff) and therefore possibly multiple years in Prison. I have never been to Prison before and I'm pretty scared at this point in time. I have been doing a lot of research, however, all I can find is older posts and I'm looking for current information (so I signed up on here). I'm looking for as much information possible from either people who have recently been released or family members who have a loved one in the system. PLEASE let me know if you are able / willing to help me.

THANK YOU!!!

welcome to pto.........this is a big place.