Your husband has been convicted of a federal crime and has been sentenced to prison but instead of being taken from the courtroom, he was instructed to wait at home for further instructions. There are both positives and negatives with Self-Surrender. Prison, Day 1Your husband will receive a letter by mail telling him when and where to report. Pro: Because he has some time while waiting for the letter, he can work and save money, get his affairs in order, and prepare the family for his absence. Con: Until the letter comes, you won’t know where or when he is going. The stress of waiting and wondering how far away he will be can be trying. He will be told what he can and cannot bring: Pro: It allows him to shop and pack and make sure he is well equipped when he goes into prison. Con:  It can be expensive during a time you are trying to save as much money as possible to use during his absence. It means he is not considered High Risk: Pro: He will most likely be sent to a low or medium security facility, with other non-violent offenders. Con: Because the federal system is spread across the nation, he will be sent where there is room for him. That could mean somewhere near home or clear across the country. Final thoughts: The self-surrender system is good in that it gives everyone time to prepare. The down side is that the actual sentence won’t start until he reports, so it will be that much longer from the time of the conviction until he gets out. Lindsay Lohan’s Self Surrender – Prison Coaches on Video