Prison questions, answered — all topics

Twenty bilingual audio guides about prison and jail life: intake, daily life, visits, commissary, rights, discipline, sentencing, probation, parole, and life after release.

• Bad Place / Good PeopleWhy prison is seen so negatively, how a facility actually runs day to day, and the people — officers and inmates alike — who make it function.
• Corrections OfficerWhat corrections officers are responsible for, how they are trained, and how they apply facility rules in a fair, firm, and consistent way.
• County PrisonWho brings people into county prison, how inmates are classified, and what a typical day of activity looks like inside a county facility.
• Daily LifeThe daily routine inside prison — counts, day-room, meals, yard, and medication — and how that rhythm repeats and is occasionally interrupted.
• First 24What to expect at intake: searches, property storage, processing, and the procedures every new arrival goes through on the first day.
• JobsWhich prison jobs are typically available — from tier-man and laundry to kitchen and maintenance — and how inmates apply for them.
• Misconducts / AppealsHow prison discipline works: rule violations, informal resolutions, disciplinary hearings, sanctions, and the right to appeal.
• ProbationWhat probation is, the most common violations, what can happen if you violate, and the rights probationers keep — including Gagnon hearings.
• ProgramsAcademic, vocational, and cognitive programs offered in prison, why they reduce recidivism, and how participation is reported to judges and parole boards.
• Rights, Privileges, & ResponsibilitiesThe rights, privileges, and responsibilities of incarcerated people — from fair treatment, mail, and visits to the rules they are expected to follow.
• Security / Treatment / MedicalHow a prison's security, treatment, and medical departments work together to keep inmates and staff safe and support rehabilitation.
• Sentences / Alternative Punitive MeasuresConcurrent, consecutive, determinate, indeterminate, suspended, and mandatory sentences, plus alternative punishments a court may consider.
• VisitationHow to get on an inmate's visitation list, what ID you need, visiting schedules, and the rules visitors must follow.
• Probation / ParoleHow probation and parole are alike and how they differ — who decides, when each happens, and the conditions you will be expected to meet.
• Terms / DefinitionsPlain-language definitions of terms a defendant will run into, from affidavit of probable cause and summons to arrest warrant and offense tracking number.
• Post PrisonThe challenges of reentry after prison — housing, transportation, employment, and everyday life skills — and why the first period after release matters.
• AddictionWhat addiction is, the signs used to diagnose it, and how its severity is measured — mild, moderate, or severe.
• CounselorsHow corrections counselors help new inmates adjust, explain the rules, manage case files, and handle requests such as jobs and housing.
• JurisdictionHow jurisdiction determines which law enforcement agency investigates a crime and which court — local, state, or federal — hears the case.
• CommissaryWhat commissary is, how inmates and families fund it, how ordering and delivery work, and which items are usually available.