Inmate Communication

Inmate Communication In Jail Or Prison

It is essential that you keep in contact with your friend or family member after they have gone through the County Jail Intake/Entry. They cannot come and see you, or even call you, without your help. Jail is a lonely place and your efforts will tell them they are loved and valued.

Three Ways To Communicate With A County Jail Or Prison Inmate

The first way to communicate is through telephone calls. Inmates can place collect calls or buy time on a calling card to place calls. These calls are expensive and inmates can run up very large phone bills trying to cure their loneliness in the Adams, Larimer or Broomfield County jail. Money will need to be placed on an inmate’s account in advance to pay for these calls. All phone calls are recorded and the recordings are given to the District Attorney to assist in the prosecution of the inmate. Never let an inmate discuss their case or witnesses or what happened on the phone. Many cases are lost by inmates speaking of offense details on the phone trying to show their innocence. Also, inmates should not call their victim or ask that messages be passed to their victim or witnesses. Restraining orders and protection orders are violated with such conduct.

The second way communication occurs is through the mail. Inmates can be sent letters by U.S. Mail or sometimes through email on-line. These letters will be opened and read by jail staff and sheriff deputies. Be careful what you write and don’t ask questions in letters about the case. The District Attorney will be given a copy of all correspondence if it seems to have an impact on the case. There are no privacy rights in jail mail, due to security concerns. Many times, an inmate can be sent nonsexual, nonviolent magazines or books from a retailer or publisher. They cannot receive books or magazines or any other items sent by you, due to security and Jail Contraband laws. Check with the jail or their web site before you spend money on books and magazines to learn the rules. Inmates will need money on their account to buy stamps. They are not usually allowed to send responses to emails, but only receive a printout of the email from the jail.

Personal Visits Is The Best To Communicate With Jail And Prison Inmate

Finally, communication can occur with an inmate through your personal visit to jail. It is rare in larger Colorado county jails like Denver, Douglas and Boulder County for in-person contact. Most larger jails like the Arapahoe County jail have set up video cameras mounted on a television monitor, and a phone receiver, so you can visit. In some cases, like at the Jefferson County jail, you can see the inmate through a glass panel and talk on a phone. Only in smaller county jails can you still have face to face contact. Prisons are nice because many of them allow in-person visits with no barriers between the visitor and the prison inmate. Visiting an inmate in jail or prison requires you to first look at the facility’s web site and learn how to schedule a visit. Also, remember there are limits on the number of visits and the number of people at each visit. You don’t want to have a family member fly in from another state for a visit only to learn that someone locally has used up all the inmate’s visits.

Call or visit your inmate family member, and be sure they don’t sit in jail unnecessarily. Our experienced criminal lawyers can have Bail/Bonds modified and sentences reduced. Call us at 303-731-0719 today. Together, we can protect your family’s future.