I'm looking for first-hand experience or information with regard to the LA county jail system. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 7, 2009 - 2 answers

What happens when a baby is born in jail in New Jersey? What departments/agencies are automatically involved? We are looking to get legal guardianship of a sister's soon-to-be-born child while she is in jail and need to know what agencies we should be dealing with beforehand.
posted by infostud on Sep 29, 2009 - 8 answers

Prison party fashion...without the prison? [more inside]
posted by tejolote on Sep 29, 2009 - 24 answers

How do I send books or magazines to someone in jail? [more inside]
posted by electroboy on Apr 22, 2009 - 6 answers

Just signed a 5 month lease with 4 roommates found on Craigslist, then found out one guy has a criminal record a mile long! How should I begin to deal with this so things don't get physically dangerous, or legally murky? [more inside]
posted by UrbanEye on Apr 16, 2009 - 23 answers

Help me think of prison-themed presents for a Down by Law screening party. [more inside]
posted by lunalaguna on Feb 23, 2009 - 15 answers

Where are pre-op transsexuals placed in short-term holding tanks when they are arrested? The men's area, or the women's? [more inside]
posted by Unicorn on the cob on Feb 2, 2009 - 10 answers

Algebra-filter: help me create a formula to calculate "good time credits" for California jails: ([{actual days in jail/4} - any remainder] x 2) + actual days in jail = number of days sentenced to jail Solve for "actual" Show your work [more inside]
posted by unclezeb on Oct 31, 2008 - 18 answers

What can someone expect when they go to jail for five days for a DUI? [more inside]
posted by nomad73 on Oct 28, 2008 - 10 answers

Who needs to know that I was in jail tonight? [more inside]
posted by AloneOssifer on Oct 6, 2008 - 18 answers

Any therapists out there? What would you say/do if a patient called you from jail claiming they were innocent? [more inside]
posted by PostIronyIsNotaMyth on Sep 21, 2008 - 11 answers

How can I best help a friend get out of jail? He accidentally missed his community service gig. [more inside]
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints on Aug 26, 2008 - 11 answers

When one goes to jail for a long time, how are the mundane aspects of one's previous life handled? What happens to the pets? If there's a mortgage and no one to assume responsibilities, is the house sold for the prisoner? Who pays the cable bill? Do you have to pay to cut your cell phone plan short of the contractual ending date? Who returns the library books?
posted by sleslie on Jul 26, 2008 - 12 answers

Any idea where to find a black-and-white horizontally-striped t-shirts reminiscent of old style prison outfits--like what Elvis had in Jailhouse Rock? I've found whole costumes (jumpers, etc.) but I just need t-shirts.
posted by sourwookie on Jun 19, 2008 - 8 answers

So...what's with jail terms for speeding tickets in Wyoming? [more inside]
posted by konolia on Jun 8, 2008 - 20 answers

What happens if you go to jail with braces on your teeth? [more inside]
posted by melodykramer on Mar 16, 2008 - 6 answers

My Drivers License is expired. So are my car's tags. A lot. How do I renew both without getting arrested on the spot? [more inside]
posted by brain cloud on Feb 24, 2008 - 26 answers

What would a person have to do in order to get a one year jail sentence in the California penal system. [more inside]
posted by SECONDHANDSMOTE on Feb 15, 2008 - 18 answers

Has anyone ever escaped from jail or prison using this novel method, either in fiction or in real life? [more inside]
posted by Tube on Jan 30, 2008 - 6 answers

According to these pages on the U.S. Bureau of Justice site, imprisonment for public order offenses suddenly fell by a third in 2002. Why?
posted by painquale on Jan 12, 2008 - 11 answers

I have heard that prisoners will use a trick involving sticking a bit of metal in electrical outlets to get a spark in a rather Macgyver-esque process of lighting a cigarette. Is this more urban legend than reality. [more inside]
posted by gbinal on Dec 26, 2007 - 14 answers

What books should I buy for someone in jail? [more inside]
posted by suki on Nov 4, 2007 - 35 answers

what fun, performance-related activities would you teach in a high-security prison? [more inside]
posted by twistofrhyme on Oct 22, 2007 - 12 answers

My fiance just got arrested in Malawi for an expired visa, what can I do? [more inside]
posted by i less than three nsima on Oct 17, 2007 - 11 answers

Has anyone ever done time in prison for harassing a whale? [more inside]
posted by jason's_planet on Jul 10, 2007 - 10 answers

Why are jails so cold inside? [more inside]
posted by konolia on Jun 16, 2007 - 22 answers

Does anyone know the title of old Italian film - Partly set in a Venetian Jail? [more inside]
posted by Dub on Feb 8, 2007 - 7 answers

I have a friend who has served time for several DUI's, and is currently on parole. He is worried about failing a drug test, and being sent back to the slammer to complete his sentence. Are there any MeFis out there that have been on parole, failed a test for marijuana, and not been sent back to jail? [more inside]
posted by lester on Jul 7, 2006 - 11 answers

How do I kill ninety-days in the hole? [more inside]
posted by cedar on Jun 27, 2006 - 64 answers

Any tips for serving a 2 day sentence in a Sonoma County, California jail? [more inside]
posted by small_ruminant on Apr 20, 2006 - 25 answers

Hypothetical Jail Filter: What happens if you refuse to give identification to an officer after commiting a petty misdemeanor? [more inside]
posted by stratastar on Apr 4, 2006 - 22 answers

Help me keep my fiance out of jail... Overdue parking ticket hell. [more inside]
posted by Derive the Hamiltonian of... on Mar 21, 2006 - 32 answers

For a friend: "My boyfriend and I work for the same company. After a couple of years, we are becoming very serious. I work in human resources. He works elsewhere in the building. As part of building our total trust in each other, he told me that he was once arrested for a non-violent, non-drug crime and jailed for a few days. Do I report him?" [more inside]
posted by Mo Nickels on Dec 12, 2005 - 245 answers

Name 5 US Celebrities to have gone to jail that aren't boxers or rap stars. [more inside]
posted by BigCalm on Jun 14, 2005 - 51 answers

"I want my phonecall!" In movies and on TV shows, the protagonist/antagonist always asks his jailers for his "one phonecall" to a lawyer. Do you really only get one phonecall? Do regular people really have a lawyer's number on them? How's this all work? (I'm not in trouble, promise)
posted by kahboom on Nov 24, 2004 - 13 answers

My husband is going to court in Atlanta/Fulton County next week for a speeding ticket. He has an unpaid speeding ticket in another state from two years back, but was able to renew his license here without any problems at all. The primary reason he's going to the court date is because we can't afford to pay the fine before then and they don't accept payments the day of the court date without you appearing in court. I'm scared the judge will somehow see the unpaid speeding ticket and my husband will immediately be thrown in jail. What is the likelihood of this happening? Am I being irrational?
posted by anonymous on Nov 9, 2004 - 12 answers

GoofyFactCheckFilter: do jail guards (specifically not prison guards) ever carry firearms? I published a short story online recently in which a guard in a county jail is carrying a gun and the person being held for questioning grabs it, chaos ensues, etc. I just received an email (from a guy I know slightly) insisting that "jail guards never carry firearms for the very reason you give -- high risk of someone grabbing it."

Now, I've never been to jail, but I've visited inmates in a maximum security prison (long story), and of course all the guards were carrying guns. So is there really some universal distinction between prison guards and jail guards regarding firearms, or was this person just being a know-it-all (and an ill-informed one at that)? I, of course, am only asking for the sake of accuracy, and not because I'm irritated.
posted by scody on Sep 3, 2004 - 8 answers

How does house arrest work? (more inside) [more inside]
posted by Zed_Lopez on Jul 16, 2004 - 14 answers