For families

# The first two weeks

They reported, and then nothing. This is the part that frightens people most and it is almost always ordinary.

The silence

## Why you have not heard from them

Expect several days before you hear from them. They arrive with no phone account, no contact list, and no messaging access, and setting all of that up depends on staff who are not in a hurry. A week is normal. Longer is common.

Meanwhile

## What you can do while you wait

- Find them on the Bureau's inmate locator, which will confirm their facility and register number;
- write down that register number, because nothing works without it;
- send a letter, even though it will sit for a while — mail waiting for them when access opens up matters more than you would think;
- and [send a small amount of money](/for-families/guide/money) so it is there when their account activates.

Once you know the facility, [its page here](/resources/facilities) covers what that particular place is like.

One warning

## The call not to make

Do not call the institution during this period asking whether they are all right. You will not get an answer, and it is the one call that reliably annoys people you will need later.

Keep reading — part 3 of 12

### [Mail](/for-families/guide/mail)

Mail is the highest-volume source of frustration for families, entirely because the rules are rigid, unposted in places, and enforced without judgment.

**Need help with this? Just ask.**

These pages cover the general rules. Your situation has details they don't. Email me a question. **Answers are free** , and "you don't need to pay anyone for this" is my most common answer.

[josh@federalprisondude.com](mailto:josh@federalprisondude.com?subject=Family%20question)

I answer in the order received, usually within a couple of days. I have a day job. If your situation genuinely needs more than an email, I take a limited number of consults, so say so and we'll work it out.