Category: Prison Rules

I’ve talked a lot in my blog posts about the life of inmates behind bars, but I rarely write about prison workers–the officers, administrators, and volunteers who supervise the facility and enforce the rules.  I don’t have any experience working in a prison as a non-inmate, but I did watch these people very closely for… Continue reading Can You be a Prison Officer With Tattoos?

When you get sentenced to time in prison, the purpose is to segregate you from society as punishment for your crime. While you sit behind bars and wait for each day to pass until you reach your release date, the world goes on without you.  Staying in touch with friends and family is a good… Continue reading Can You Leave Prison For a Wedding?

The past two years have changed the way many of us interact with other people—even with friends and family members. The days of handshakes and hugs were replaced with social distancing and masks, and in many parts of the world that’s still the case.  The pandemic hit less than three years after I was released… Continue reading Can You Hug Someone in Prison?

Joliet Correctional Center — aka “Joliet Prison” — opened in 1858 and was operational for more than a century and a half. Located in Joliet, Illinois, the facility was originally known as the Illinois State Penitentiary.  It often gets confused with the nearby Stateville Correctional Center — located in Crest Hill, Illinois — which operated… Continue reading Can You Visit Joliet Prison?

Prisons are supposed to keep meticulous records about everything that goes on inside, especially when it comes to the inmates. They have to know who is in the facility and how many inmates are in camp. But that’s not all — they have to know where each inmate is located at all times.  Head counts… Continue reading Can You Search Prison Inmates?

Jodi Arias became a media sensation in 2008 when she was arrested for the murder of her ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander. At the time, she was a blonde-haired vixen who smiled in her mugshot, flirted with officers, and sang O Holy Night while in police custody. She denied having anything to do with Travis’ murder, and… Continue reading Can You Visit Jodi Arias in Prison?

The most common question that I get from people when they find out I spent four years in prison is — what is prison really like?  I’ve talked before about how my knowledge and impression of prison was informed by pop culture. The only exposure I had to prison life was through TV shows and… Continue reading What Is Prison (Really) Like?

The blog topics that I write about on Prison Insight are based on the most commonly-asked questions we get about prison and the criminal justice system. Today’s topic has been on my list for a while, but I’ve avoided it because it hits so close to home. And, I’ve got to be honest, it makes… Continue reading Can You Get Life in Prison for Drugs?

When you are sentenced to time behind bars, chances are you won’t be using your regular name while you are there. The guards and other members of the prison staff will use your last name or your inmate ID number. As for the other inmates, they will either call you by your last name or… Continue reading Prison Nicknames – A Real-Life Look at Examples

Like millions of other Americans, I am a proud parent of two sweet fur babies — my Shih Tzu, Titus and my kitty cat, Dale. My pets are members of my family, so it’s hard for me to write content about animal cruelty. A common question people have about prison is associated with that topic.… Continue reading Can You go to Prison for Killing a Dog?