What Rights Does An Inmate Have After Being Sentenced?

Every inmate has rights when they are incarcerated, and there are a few things to consider when you are trying to help someone who is in prison. You may not understand exactly what an inmate is allowed to do, or you may have questions about how you can help. Take a look at your options so that you know how you can help a friend or loved one who is in prison.

Basic Rights For Prisoners

All inmates have the right to be free from sex crimes, to live in humane conditions, and to express any complaints about the conditions of the facility. All inmates have a right to live free from racial segregation, to asserts their rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and to receive the medical care they need. Inmates also have the right to receive appropriate mental health care, and they have a right to a hearing to be moved to a mental health facility when needed.

What Are Inmates Allowed To Do During The Day?

Inmates are allowed to accept visitors during normal visiting hours, and they can either meet in an open room with a guard or in a special meeting room that uses a two-way phone for communication. Every prison is designed differently, and these meeting rooms are used in different ways depending on the status of the inmate. Inmates are allowed to meet with their children in open rooms, and prisoners are allowed conjugal visits with their legal spouses.

How Do Prisoners Communicate Outside The Prison?

Prisoners are required to set up a special account with a company that allows phone calls to be monitored. These phone calls can be initiated by people outside the prison, or the inmate can initiate the call. The calls are charged by the minute, and inmates must have money in their accounts if they want to use these phone accounts.

When prison phone calls come to normal landlines or cell phones, the line is opened by someone who introduces the call and explains who is calling. This is why people who have friends or family in prison need to pick up every phone call they get. The number may not be a number that is from the area of the prison because the company that handles the calls is located somewhere else.

Inmates Can Purchase Items At The Commissary

Sending money to an inmate is a vital part of the incarceration process. Inmates do not carry cash like normal citizens. However, they have an account at the prison that allows them to buy certain items they might need while they are incarcerated.

When you are transferring money to inmates, you must find a company that allows you to send money to prisons. Every company is a bit different, and only certain transfer or banking companies are allowed to send money to prisons. You can check the parameters of money transfers on the company’s websites, and you can send money to the prison provided that you know their name and ID number. Plus, you must have all the contact information for the prison.

Inmates Are Allowed To Have Bank Accounts

Inmates are allowed to have bank accounts so long as those accounts have not been seized or frozen by the courts. When the inmate has cash in their bank account, they can ask someone outside the prison to transfer money to their prison account. Plus, the account can be used for money transfers. You might send money to the inmate’s outside bank account if that is easier, but you need to know their specific bank account information before sending any transfers.

Conclusion

When you are looking for a way to help prisoners, you need to know their rights, how they can use money, and how you can help them manage money. Plus, you need to understand how they use the money inside the prison, how communication works, and their basic rights. You might send money to an inmate because they have an account at the prison. Plus, you need to get the prisoner ID information, the address, phone number, and any identifying information about the prison before sending a transfer.