October 27, 2014
How to Report To Federal Prison:
- Assemble email, address and telephone lists with people you would like to contact from prison. The day prior to your reporting date, mail them to yourself at the prison address. Make sure your family has a backup copy of your lists in their possession. Communication with the outside world from prison is an essential part of your well being.
- Visit the Doctor and the Dentist prior to reporting to prison to address any health issues. You should know your PSA number and your cholesterol number so you can compare them to any tests you receive in prison. Make sure your shots are up to date including tetanus and shingles (over 50 ). Bring all prescription medications with you when you report to prison.
- Review the prison email system known as "Corrlinks" and make sure your family and friends understand how it operates. Family and close friends should pay the extra few dollars for the "premium " service as it notifies the recipient of every email you send to them. Email is the most cost effective way to communicate from prison.
- Make sure you wrap up all financial issues and tax issues, if possible, prior to reporting to prison. Organize documents regarding your assets, liabilities, taxes, etc. so a trusted family member can easily reference them, if needed, in your absence. Attempting to address these issues from prison is difficult and frustrating. Also, make a family budget and a plan as to how your family will survive financially while you are away. Remember, Prison is not free! Plan on spending $300 a month for telephone, email and the commissary. Insure that your estate plan is in order and that a trusted family member has a durable power of attorney so they can conduct business on your behalf while you are in prison.
- Purchase a newspaper subscription for a paper you enjoy and have it sent to you at your new prison address. Keeping abreast of current events keeps you attached to the real world and provides a daily respite from prison life.
- Create a list of Books and Magazine subscriptions you would like to read in prison. Prior to reporting to prison, mail a package of books to yourself at your new prison address. It is great to have good reading material available from day one. Friends will ask your family what they can do for you while you are in prison. Have them send a book or magazine to you off your list.
- Speak to Justin about GOOD TIME CREDITS, RDAP and THE SECOND CHANCE ACT. Many attorneys give wrong advice. With help there may be opportunities to reduce the length of your sentence under these programs. Qualifying for such programs can be difficult and confusing. Make sure you understand these opportunities and your eligibility for them. Don’t be fooled by people who offer guarantees to entice you to hire them.
- Recognize that you are about to enter a world where you have very little control over anything. You will wait in line for everything and frustration will creep in. Things you took for granted in the real world are privileges in prison. Prepare for a truly humbling experience where patience will truly become a virtue. Still you can do great things. I am always thinking about the U Curve Justin wrote about.
- Read the prison handbook prior to reporting to prison so you have some idea of the rules before arriving. It will be available online at your prison's website. The rules can be quite complex. There are other rules you will learn once you arrive(written and unwritten). I was prepared for them. A basic knowledge of the rules will ease your transition into prison.
- If you can afford one, consider hiring a prison consultant to assist you through the process. A qualified consultant can alleviate many fears and concerns for both you and your family. They can also teach you how to use your time in prison effectively, and enhance your ability to secure meaningful employment post prison. Remember, Prison consultants are like any other profession, there are good prison consultants and bad prison consultants. Do not pay $5,000 for a book and a couple of phone calls! Make sure you can talk to other people who have used the consultant so you can make an informed decision, as I did with Justin.
Ken Flaska
Greetings Ken,
Although I find your blog extremely enlightening and shocking to read; my heart strings are tugged and my thoughts and prayers go out to Roxanne, your family and you! Keep the faith and if ever you need to talk–I am willing to listen. I am curious what is the difference between minimum and low security prison and why you did not get the minimum security prison. Sounds horrible to say since this will be your first one in prison; but Happy Halloween!
Sincerely,TPH