Stories from across the country and practical guides to help your family understand the system, prepare and stay connected.
Transportation, training, care and connection. Local stories with details families can use.
Plan a Rikers visit with the free DOC visitor bus, the Q100, registration windows and the visiting calendar. Know what to confirm before leaving home.
Read the storyInside the history of Cook County Jail’s garden, culinary training and composting pilot—and the questions families can ask about program access.
Read the storyWhy a Harris County jail record can lead to housing outside Houston—and what families should confirm before a visit, a letter or a release pickup.
Read the storyUnderstand Miami-Dade’s Criminal Mental Health Project, the difference between pre- and post-booking help, and questions to bring to counsel or the program.
Read the storyExplore Fulton County Jail’s Canine CellMates program, its documented history and the distinction between jail-based training and Beyond the Bars.
Read the storyHow Seattle’s Books to Prisoners takes requests, what families can do with permission, and why facility restrictions matter—including SeaTac FDC.
Read the storyEducation, family life, and a record that deserves scrutiny. Inside the story of San Diego’s Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility.
Read the storyA booking number in one text, an address in another, and nobody certain which update is current. A shared record can make the next conversation easier.
Read the guideThe address on a map may get you to the building. It may not get a letter delivered or a visitor to the correct entrance.
Read the guidePhone credit, messaging, commissary and packages may use different accounts. Start with the facility and the service you actually need.
Read the guidePractical guides for calls, visits, mail and money.