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Resources

Things I wish I knew

An endless catalog of resources for defendants and their families that cover just about everything about federal prison.

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Exhibit A

Which side of this are you on?

The guides split by who you are, because the two situations have almost nothing in common. Everything below these two is for both of you.

For the one going in

Your name is on the docket. The checklists, the FAQ, and four guides covering before you go, while you're in, doing time at a low, and getting out.

For the one waiting

Somebody you love is going. The family checklists, the family FAQ, and a twelve-part guide to mail, visiting, money, and the release date.
Run the numbers
Exhibit B

The calculators.

The math nobody does for you at sentencing, done in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.

Time calculator

How long your loved one will actually serve. Good conduct time, FSA credits, and jail credit. It is the math nobody does at sentencing.

PATTERN score calculator

The risk score that decides whether FSA credits get applied at all. Score it yourself on the BOP's own form, with both the male and female instruments.
Know the system
Exhibit C

The places and the rules.

What a specific facility is like, who to ask about it, and what the Bureau's own rulebook actually says.

The facility guide

Stamp rates, store markups, housing style, photo rules, and how each place runs. Per facility, with honest unknowns.

Support groups, by facility

The Facebook groups run by spouses and moms. The best intel about any specific prison lives here.

Program statements worth reading

The BOP's own rulebook: raw text, official links, and translations into regular talk where it matters.

The glossary

Count, callout, shot, car. Every term tagged official or slang, so "R&D" and "commissary day" aren't a surprise.
Before you pay anyone
Exhibit D

The consumer warnings.

The two most common ways families get fleeced, plus the honest version of the whole industry, including my end of it. Read these even if you never email me.

Bogus

Paying non-lawyers for legal work

The truth about "case reviews," motion templates, and the people selling them.
Bogus

Paying to get to XYZ facility

Nobody can get you designated to a specific prison. Here's how designation actually works.

Prison consultants: myths and facts

What nobody can sell you, what the work actually is, and eight questions to ask before you pay anyone. Including me.

Not here?

These pages cover stuff in a broad sense. Your situation may have 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

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.

Pass it on

If this helped, it'll help someone else's family too.