Jail Transfers: Four Tips to Minimize Disruptions

Jail Transfers: Four Tips to Minimize Disruptions

The following tips might make a jail move easier, whether it’s a temporary or prolonged transfer: 1. Bring Attention to Medical information: While the sending jail should provide records about an inmate’s medical needs to the new jail, the inmate and his family should take the time to inform the new facility about any health conditions. Paperwork gets lost and humans forget to do things. For the inmate’s sake, he needs to self-advocate. 2. Update Mailing Address Info: It is a rare county jail that bothers to forward incoming mail to a new county jail. The inmate should immediately notify at least one friend or family member of the new address and that person can quickly spread the word through private messages on social media or email. 3. Manage Commissary: The inmate’s commissary money doesn’t necessarily follow the inmate to the new county jail. Typically, it stays in the sending jail’s books until the sentence is complete. An inmate’s family should contact the new jail to get instructions on commissary. This will let them put money on the new books. 4. Learn the Rules: The inmate is under all rules of the new jail. This applies to good time credits, visitation days and mail runs. In some cases, this is a plus because the new jail might have more generous good time credits than were offered at the old jail. Conversely, the new jail might offer fewer credits. In the news: Inmate transfers to reduce overcrowding Final thoughts: Some moves happen to separate co-defendants or to separate opposing gang members, which can be beneficial.