When people are sent to jail they face enough problems; life behind bars, separation from family and loved ones, personal safety, and a loss of many freedoms. This is the price for committing a crime. However, many prisoners also face other issues, such as mental health problems and drug and alcohol addiction. These are debilitating illnesses which will undoubtedly make time served in jail much harder and can be dangerous for the inmate as they may be more prone to hurt themselves or another inmate.
Prisons in the state of Wisconsin acknowledge that mental health issues among inmates is a concern and that once these residents are behind bars, they are the responsibility of the state. A recent evaluation of the state’s prison system recommended that the Corrections Department screen incoming inmates to be able to detect mental health illnesses so that guards can be better trained to monitor these inmates and that more efficient “release plans” can be created.
Part of this earlier detection plan will include a course on how inmates who need medication should receive their doses from guards. Also possible is the chance that certain inmates may be transferred to the Wisconsin Resource Center for mental health treatment.
Services provided by JPay to inmates can make a big difference in their lives. Inmate trust deposits/money can be used to help them purchase items from the commissary. JPay also allows friends and family to stay in touch with their inmates with electronic messaging, the fastest and most cost effective way to stay in touch with an inmate.

As states across the country struggle with rising costs, including those associated with prisons, some are deciding to actually let prisoners go. Take the state of Illinois for example. Governor Pat Quinn says 1,000 prisoners will be let out early in an effort to reduce costs.
Over the next few months only certain inmates will be released; those who are serving the last year of a sentence and those who are “low-level and non-violent”. All early release offenders will be required to wear an electronic monitoring device.
Based on these criteria, most of this group of 1,000 will be those who are serving time for drug and property crimes. An Illinois Corrections spokeswoman assured the public that prisoners who have been convicted of murder, sex crimes, domestic violence or who have active orders of protection against them do not qualify for release.
By releasing 1,000 prisoners, the state expects to save about $5 million a year, but it will cost the state $2 million to monitor them, which includes having a parole officer assigned to each person and providing drug and other rehabilitation treatment.
This may all sound like good news; however it isn’t for some of those employed by the Illinois state prison system. Governor Quinn is expected to lay off 1,000 prison employees
Hanke Gratteau, Executive Director of the John Howard Association and a former Chicago Tribune managing editor says “We should be using tax dollars wisely to be locking people up who present a physical threat to the community. But to just lock people up to punish them without programming doesn’t make any sense.”
If you know someone that may soon be released, send them money, so that when that loved one gets out, he / she will have some funds with which to integrate back into society.

When you get sent to prison you don’t get to bring your cell phone, but many prisoners are finding ways to get cell phones and this is becoming a problem. Cell phone use by inmates is used to run criminal activity like drug trafficking and gangs. They can also be used to intimate people on the outside; those who are supposed to feel safe once someone is sent to jail.
As with other prohibited goods, getting cell phones for and to inmates has become a big black market. Attorney General for the State of New Jersey, Anne Milgram, said yesterday that thirty five inmates have been indicted on charges of possessing phones and that N.J. needs to start to target this problem and seek extended jail sentences for those prisoners that are caught “dealing” phones.
Yesterday, Attorney General Milgram asked state lawmakers to further increase the penalty for cell phone possession, which since August 2007 has been considered a third-degree crime punishable by up to five years in jail. No joke.
Corrections Deputy Commissioner Lydell Sherrer agrees with Milgram, saying “I think it’s critically important that we send a very strong message. We have not consistently seen individuals getting as much time as I think they should.”
This may be harder than it seems, because as with anything that is prohibited, people, in this case prisoners, always find a way to get what they want. Cell phones are frequently smuggled into prisons; inmates hide them in books, laundry, mattresses, etc. Sometimes different parts are placed in different areas to make the phone itself harder to detect.
Milgram said New Jersey is thinking about using technology to locate cell phone use in prisons, but this is known to be expensive and not necessarily that effective. As with drugs, perhaps dogs can be trained to sniff out cell phones.
Cell phone use is not a right that prisoners retain when they are sent to jail, but they do retain other rights, which companies like JPay.com help maintain. For example, the right to stay in touch through prisoner email, the right to send a prisoner money through money transfers, and the right to see and speak with an inmate even if you cannot be present at the actual jail, through video visitation.

Have you ever heard of someone who upon getting released from jail, literally jumps back in? Well, it happened on September 1, 2009 in Brevard County, FL.
After spending two and a half years in prison in connection with a fatal shooting, a 24 year old inmate, wanted back in. He said threats had been made against him and he was so nervous about being released and going back into public life, that he actually climbed a fence and fell through three levels of razor wire, trying to get back behind bars.
He sustained serious injuries and a loss of blood and was taken to a nearby hospital while police were going to investigate his claims.
In the meantime, should he be allowed back into prison?
If he does go back in, then he’ll probably want to stay forever, or at least until those that have made threats against his own life, as he claims, are no longer around. If so, then knowing the way people can be, he’ll probably end up inciting some kind of “fan club” / cult following. A documentary might be made, girls will want to write him letters, some type of civil rights group may want to start a fund for him. If this does happen, then all the things associated with modern day prison stays will come in handy.
Email a prisoner, send a prisoner money, video visitation with a prisoner, and starting trust account payments are all realities that are available to inmates today. Inmates today are much luckier than their predecessors, because contact between them and their loved ones is encouraged and there are numerous online groups and companies, like JPay.com, that seek to foster this connection.

Most times we hear of how prisons cost too much; that housing prisoners for years upon years in state or federal run jails is too costly and where is the money supposed to keep coming from? This complaint is exacerbated by the fact that most state prisons are over packed – too many people are being sent to jail and serving longer sentences.
So, what happens when things get so bad that a prison has to shut its doors? Where do all the prisoners go? When Obama was elected as President he promised that one of the first things he would do, would be to shut down the controversial prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, which most people probably agree is a good thing, but which countries should these inmates be transferred to? Who really wants more prisoners?
Well, the state of Michigan does. Michigan has a prison in Standish that could not afford to keep its doors open and a couple hundred people were going to lose their jobs if this happened. So, Michigan thought that if it could “recruit” prisoners from other states, then they could stay open.
The state of Michigan is lobbying for this to happen. The Governor, Jennifer Granholm, has basically said “bring them on.” She started asking around; California? Pennsylvania? The Feds? Detainees from Guantánamo?
California said “no” because the Standish prison would cost too much and lacked required medical facilities. The Guantánamo move might go through.
Whatever happens, we hope it all ends well for the Michigan prison system and that jobs are saved. If the Standish prison is kept open and operating then, services provided to inmates, especially those who have relatives and friends in other countries, will be on high demand. Michigan inmate mail, contact with prisoners, visitation rights, video visitation, sending money to inmates and even electronic inmate mail will all be inquired about topics. Luckily, JPay can help with all of these. So, if you know of someone who is currently in a Michigan jail or will soon be transferred to one, then rest assured, JPay is here to help.

Once a person is sentenced to serve time in jail many of their rights are taken away and since each state has the right to monitor and decide how their prisons will be run, some states have taken away more rights for their prisoners than others.
Recently, Florida officials banned inmates from having online style listings (like those found on any “looking for friends” or dating sites. The reason behind the decision is that it creates problems and a potential conflict of interest for the person on the outside; the one not in jail.
In reaction to the move taken by Florida officials, lawsuits saying this decision violates the prisoners’ First Amendment rights have been filed. The First Amendment states that the United States government cannot infringe upon people’s right to: freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom to assemble peacefully or freedom of the press.
Other states like Missouri, Montana, Indiana and Pennsylvania have also instated similar restrictions on the rights of their prisoners. The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) is representing prisoners in both Indiana and Missouri who are protesting their state’s policies, banning them from posting online profiles or receiving mail from pen-pal organizations.
One of the many services provided by us here at JPay is getting mail to inmates in Indiana, Michigan and Missouri.
Whether its Indiana inmate mail, Michigan inmate mail or Missouri inmate mail that you seek, we can help you starting today.
Let us make your life easier and your efforts appreciated.

Money makes the world go round. It’s a simple fact and although prison may be the only place where one doesn’t need money on a daily basis, when that person gets released he or she will most definitely need monetary funds as they enter back into the world as we know it.
As we all know, everything costs something and you simply cannot live without money, so being able to provide a recently released inmate with some money will make all the difference to him or her. Sending money to an inmate now is basically giving them a second chance for when he or she gets out.
So, just as you would set up a savings account or a college fund for your child or grandchild, there are ways to send money to inmates.
It is unlikely that upon release men or women who have spent time in jail will have any savings at all, so the ability to send money to an inmate now, is critical.
JPay.com is one of the companies that fosters and facilitates a relationship, both emotional and financial, between prisoners and their loved ones. One of the services that JPay provides is trust account payments. JPay is the fastest way for an inmate’s loved one to send money to an inmate. With JPay, the money is generally credited to the inmate’s account by the following morning. To see if JPay is able to send money to you inmate, simply go through the simple registration steps of the site. You will first be asked for the inmate name and number. If it matches their database you will be able to proceed.
Just as if you were the one that was incarcerated, you would wish that there was someone who was going to be there to help you when you were released. So, any amount that can be contributed is a way that you undoubtedly ensure an inmate that you know and care about will have an easier transition back into society when his or her day comes.

When dealing with money in any way, shape or form, it’s always important to have trust and security in how your money is being transferred.
Being that we are all tight on money these days, how we spend it requires more consideration and counting of pennies than ever before. Families are struggling, single parents are struggling, young men and women right out of college are struggling, and so are prisoners. Inmates are at more of a financial disadvantage than any of us; typically they have not a cent to their names when they are released. If you have a loved one behind bars, making inmate deposits is one of the most supportive things you could do for this person.
Inmate deposits are made easily and quickly through JPay. With JPay, the money is generally credited to the inmate’s account by the following morning if not sooner.
Money for inmates can be sent using a debit or credit card. You can also send cash to certain jail facilities by going to any MoneyGram, CVS, or Walmart location.
To make sure that the prisoner you want to send money to is within JPay’s extensive system, simply go through the steps to register for a free account. You will first be asked for the inmate name and number. If it matches our database you will be able to proceed.
For more information about a particular state’s timing schedule or service fees, please sign up for a free account today. JPay provides 24/7 customer service.
Fees for sending money to inmates depend on the offender’s location. On our website, see “Fees and Timing” on the “Send Money” page. There are no additional fees, only the one to process the transaction.
JPay lets you have peace of mind knowing the payment is on its way. JPay’s website lets you look up your account information including card details, transaction history, and available balance. You can also edit your account information online. It’s also possible to make an inmate deposit through your account but by using someone else’s card, meaning that more than one source of “donations” can be attached to a single account.

One of President Obama’s promises was to send checks to people that would allow them to spend some money and therefore stimulate the economy. About 3,900 checks in the amount of $250 were sent to prison inmates. But if you’re in jail, you can’t do any shopping and prison inmates are usually excluded from receiving any federal benefits, so why was so much money for inmates sent?
Out of the 3,900 checks that were sent to prisoners, 2,200 of the inmates who received these funds got to keep them because, under the law, they qualified, said Mark Lassiter, a spokesman for the Social Security Administration. Lassiter explains that they were eligible because they weren’t incarcerated during the three months before the stimulus package was activated.
So, what about the other 1,700 checks that were sent to inmates? Well, that was a mistake, because government records didn’t accurately reflect that these people were actually in prison. And instead of taking the money and running so to speak, most of those checks were sent back to the government by the prisons.
The inspector general for the Social Security Administration is performing an audit to make sure no checks went to ineligible recipients, spokesman George E. Penn said. The audit will review whether checks were sent to people who do not qualify; including inmates, dead people, fugitives, or people residing outside of the country. About $425,000 was mistakenly sent to prisoners.
If you know a prisoner whose check was taken back and want to be able to give him or her some money, you can set up a trust fund account through JPay. JPay is the fastest way for an inmate’s loved one to send money to an inmate. With JPay, the money is generally credited to the inmate’s account by the following morning if not sooner.
Think of this as your own stimulus package to help someone in jail get back on his or her feet when it’s their time.

Sometimes the easiest way for children to express their feelings is by drawing. However, when you see these drawings, you will instantly know that these kids are sad, scared and confused. They are created by children who have at least one parent that has been or is currently in prison. The drawings feature broken hearts, knives, blood and pain.
Next to the drawings are words like “My heart is bleeding; my heart is a broken bleeding heart.” These young artists are part of a program called No More Victims. Many have been raised in at-risk environments, without good role models and who, like their parents, could end up going to prison at some point in their lives.
Marilyn Gambrell, a former Texas parole officer and founder of No More Victims, seeks to break this vicious circle. In 1993, she founded this non-profit organization which is dedicated to helping kid and teenagers whose parents are in jail.
She says her “goal is for this child to feel healthy enough and healed that they didn’t want to take their own life or someone else’s. Just give them what they need, love them, support them, provide basic needs.”
Numbers don’t lie and the numbers on incarcerated parents is astonishing. According to Justice Department estimates, 2.3 percent of American children under the age of 18 have at least one parent in prison. 52 % of those in a state prison and 63% of those in a federal prison reported having an estimated total of 1,706,600 minor children.
In 2000, Gambrell took her No More Victims organization to a local Texas high school where many students had first-hand knowledge of the effects of having parents in prison. Wanting to provide support and love for these kids, Gambrell also opened “a community center where teens could take care of basic necessities such as getting food and diapers for their own kids and doing their laundry.”
For the members of No More Victims the community center is like a home and Gambrell is like a mom. She’s “on-call” to these kids 24 hours a day, seven days a week and her simple, practical approach works well. Since 2000, only 22 of the 700 kids who enrolled have gone to jail and many have graduated from high school.
The idea that “art therapy” versus more traditional forms of therapy, can more quickly and more easily help a child open up about their feelings is supported by child counselors.
By giving kids and teens an outlet through which they can express their feelings, Gambrell created a safe way for them to express their experiences and fears.
Mary Ellen Hluska, a child life specialist at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, says “I think it’s effective because it helps them have a safe place to express what they’ve been through without using words.” (The art) “becomes a tangible object. It’s there, and they don’t have to say it.”
Before beginning their drawings, Gambrell teaches the kids students to use red pencils if they want to express pain and anger and blue ones to represent feelings of calmness and peace.
“I knew it would be deep because … I had red and blue pencils for them, and no child wanted a blue one,” said Gambrell.
“In the first exercise, everybody requested red,” Gambrell said. “And some children had four and five red pencils. They drew so much and colored so hard that they actually broke the lead.”
Shante Weaver is a success story of No More Victims. At 20 years old, her mother had been in and out of jail for most of her life and she never really knew her father. Shante used a lot of red when she first started drawing pictures.
At 15, through her art, Shante had a breakthrough and was finally able to talk about all that had happened to her and also inspired other classmates to open up about their experiences. With Gambrell’s support and those of her fellow classmates, she found the courage to press charges against a man who for many years had abused her. Today, Weaver works two jobs to support her family, including her grandmother with whom she lives. She also studies at a local community college and wants to become a nurse.
Weaver credits No More Victims with helping her get on the right track and is still an active member of the group, where she likes to be a role model to those just coming in.