Lillo Brancato Jail Journey: From Stardom to Redemption
Explore the journey of Lillo Brancato, from his rise to fame and descent into addiction, leading to his time in jail and eventual redemption.
Explore the journey of Lillo Brancato, from his rise to fame and descent into addiction, leading to his time in jail and eventual redemption.
Discover why did Tupac Shakur go to jail, the truth behind his arrest, charges, and time at Clinton Correctional Facility and his fame after.
Uncover the truth behind why did Monica Bedi go to jail, her relationship with Abu Salem, imprisonment, and life lessons learned during her time in prison.
Discover why did Josh Duggar go to jail, as we dive into the reality TV star’s arrest, conviction, and the impact on his family in this blog.
Why did Dustin Diamond go to jail? How did this beloved child actor end up in jail? Discover the details here.
Discover why did Ja Rule go to jail, exploring his legal issues, including tax evasion and attempted criminal possession. Find out here.
Why did Julian Assange go to jail? Uncover the truth behind legal troubles and examine the implications of exposing government secrets.
Discover the shocking story of Sean Penn in jail. What was his sentence and it’s major impact on his life? Learn more here!
Discover why did Mike “The Situation” go to jail, as we get into his tax evasion scheme and what he faced for his actions in prison.
Discover why did Jared Fogle go to jail, as we delve into the former Subway diet pitchman’s crimes involving to minors.
Discover why was Merle Haggard in jail. The country legend’s story of arrest and how he turned his life around after release.
Uncover why did Lil Wayne go to jail, exploring his gun charges, legal history, and the rapper’s message to fans post-sentencing.
Discover why did Charles Dutton go to prison and how this story led to a successful acting career after serving time for manslaughter.
Explore the story of Chuck Berry in jail, from his sentence to its impact on his career and can be learned from this experience.
Was Phil Spector jailed? Find out now! His troubled history, and the impact of his conviction on families with loved ones behind bars.
Uncover why did Lil Kim go to jail: the 2001 shootout, lying to a federal grand jury, and its impact on her career.
Explore the impact of James Brown jailed on his life and career while learning valuable lessons from this iconic musician’s legal struggles.
Learn why did Danny Trejo go to jail, gain insights for inmate families, find support, and stay connected with loved ones in prison.
Explore why did OJ Simpson go to jail, from his Las Vegas robbery conviction to the infamous murder trial and legal issues in this insight.
Lauryn Hill Jail Sentence. The consequences of tax evasion, its impact on her family, and how it affected her legacy in the music industry.
Why did Amber Portwood go to jail? Learn about the story behind her tumultuous journey through the criminal justice system now!
Explore the impact of Felicity Huffman jail time. Read about her involvement in the college admissions scandal of this highly publicized case.
Did Chris Brown go to jail?” Discover his legal troubles, public reaction, career impact, and support for families of inmates.
Discover Lindsay Lohan’s jail saga, from her sentencing to early releases. Uncover the story behind each “Lindsay Lohan jail” incident.
Why did Khloe Kardashian go to jail? The charges she faced, her sentencing, and the length of time served in this revealing blog post.
Why did Mark Wahlberg go to jail? Read about the details of his assault, his apology, and the tumulous impact on his life in our blog post.
Explore the story of Wesley Snipes’ jail time, from his tax evasion charges to sentencing and eventual release. Learn how the Blade actor regained his freedom.
Learn about the inspiring journey of Robert Downey Jr Prison experience. Overcoming addiction and rebuilding his life to becoming a Hollywood icon.
What do inmates actually do in prison? That’s a question we get a lot here at Prison Insight, and we’ve noticed there is a lot of misinformation out there about what life is like for a prison inmate. So, instead of sourcing different articles or speaking from my experience years ago, we decided to ask… Continue reading What Do Inmates do in Prison?
I can’t think of anything more important to a prison inmate than communication with their loved ones in the outside world. Whether it was through letters, emails, visits, or phone calls—there was nothing more important to me when I was in prison than being able to talk to my family and friends. Communicating with a… Continue reading How Do Prison Inmate Calls Work?
Solitary confinement is something we often get asked about here at Prison Insight. It’s a controversial subject politically—as it should be—because there is a lot of evidence that suggests it causes long-lasting harm on the human mind and body. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, on any given day last year, an estimated 55,000 to… Continue reading What Is Solitary Confinement?
This week’s blog post was inspired by a question we got here at PrisonInsight, but something I didn’t have any experience with when I was incarcerated. So, instead of me attempting to recall random anecdotes from my time in prison nearly a decade ago, I decided to reach out to a current prison inmate. For… Continue reading What Happens if You Starve Yourself in Prison?
This week’s blog post is all about inmates and money. Specifically, it’s about why inmates in prison need money at all. After all, they get everything provided to them, right? We get a lot of questions about this topic here at PrisonInsight. I have written about this myself in the past, but it’s been almost… Continue reading Why Do Inmates Need Money?
This week’s blog post is all about how inmates pass the time in prison. We get a lot of questions about this topic here at PrisonInsight. Instead of me recalling things from my time behind bars nearly a decade ago, I thought I would reach out to a current prison inmate and let her answer… Continue reading How Do Inmates Pass the Time in Prison?
This week’s blog post is all about prison health care. Specifically, it’s about prescriptions that are available to inmates. We get a lot of questions about this topic here at PrisonInsight, but I didn’t have much experience with mental health care when I was incarcerated. So, instead of me attempting to recall random anecdotes from… Continue reading Can You Get Prescribed Xanax in Prison?
Have you ever wondered what it takes to become a prison (corrections) officer? Are the requirements different compared to a police officer on patrol? Do they vary from state to state? Well, considering there are different types of prisons—federal, state, private—there are some differences when it comes to the specific requirements. But overall, the criteria… Continue reading Can You be a Prison Officer With a Criminal Record?
Food is an extremely common topic that people bring up when they ask me about prison life. People are always asking me about what inmates eat, where the food comes from, how often inmates eat, and where inmates eat. For some reason, people really want to know the answers to these questions! Like I say… Continue reading Where do Inmates Eat?
If you think everything is expensive at the grocery store right now, I can guarantee that prices are even higher at your local jail or prison commissary! It may sound odd, but being locked up isn’t cheap. Yes, correctional facilities provide inmates with “three hots and a cot” plus some prison-issued clothing. But everything else… Continue reading What is an Inmate Trust Fund?
If you live near a state or federal prison, and you are on the hunt for a job, chances are you’ve seen a lot of job postings lately for correctional officer positions. Where I live, there are three prisons within 20 miles. They are currently holding job fairs and offering big hiring bonuses because all… Continue reading Can You be a Prison Officer With Asthma?
During the past year, you may have noticed a lot of news stories about the trend of “smash and grab” robberies in California. During the height of the most recent Christmas shopping season, there was a hit on a Louis Vuitton store in San Francisco’s Union Square. There were also incidents at Burberry and Bloomingdales.… Continue reading Can You go to Prison for Theft?
When you are sentenced to a long-term prison sentence, or even a year in the county jail, your life is no longer in your own hands. Just about everything in your life is decided for you, from what you eat to what you wear to where you live to how you spend your time. When… Continue reading Do Inmates Prefer to Share a Cell or Have One All to Themselves?
For most people, the first question that comes to mind when they see someone in prison is—what did they do to end up behind bars? Did they kill someone? Did they commit assault? Maybe they stole something? Our minds tend to land on major “violent crimes,” like murder, rape, and assault, as the reason that… Continue reading Can you go to Prison for Not Paying a Phone Contract?
Millions of people in the United States have spent time behind bars over the past 40 years. Between the 1,566 state prisons, 102 federal prisons, 2,850 local jails, 1,510 juvenile correctional facilities, 186 immigration detention facilities, and 82 Indian country jails—as well as the military prisons, civil commitment centers, state psychiatric hospitals, and prisons in… Continue reading Can You Leave Prison Early?
In late 2021, the movie Belfast from writer/director Kenneth Branagh—and starring Jamie Dornan, Caitriona Balfe, and Judi Dench—hit theaters nationwide. The film is a coming-of-age drama set in Northern Ireland during a period known as, “The Troubles,” which lasted from the late 1960s until the late 1990s. “The Troubles” was a violent conflict between nationalists… Continue reading Can You Visit Maze Prison?
Prisons are part of the multi-billion dollar correctional industry in the United States, and it takes thousands of people to operate these facilities throughout the country. While the inmates do most of the manual labor in a working prison, there are also paid employees from the free world who are needed to make sure things… Continue reading Can You be a Prison Officer With Epilepsy?
The oldest prisons and jails in the United States were built approximately two hundred years ago. The oldest,New Jersey State Prison, dates back to 1798, but that’s nothing compared to the origins of some prisons around the world. If you’re a prison history buff, you may have heard of the infamous Newgate Prison. Located in… Continue reading Can You Visit Newgate Prison?
There are a lot of misconceptions about what being in prison is like. As with most things in life, you can’t really know or understand it unless you experience yourself. Thankfully, most of us have to rely on TV and movies to get a glimpse of prison life, but Hollywood rarely gets it right. While… Continue reading Can You Stay in Your Prison Cell?
There are thousands of prisons and jails in the United States, and each one of them is different. From their security level to design to inmate management system, every detention facility looks unique and does things their own way. When you venture outside of the United States, things are even more different in the world… Continue reading Can You Visit Mountjoy Prison?
Something that many of us take for granted in the free world is the ability to choose our housing. In America, we can live where we want, and we can rent or buy a house or an apartment. When you are convicted of a crime and sentenced to prison, the luxury of choosing your housing… Continue reading How Are Cells Assigned in Prison?
It’s tax time once again, and no one is exempt–not even prison inmates. With the United States having the highest incarceration rate in the world, nearly one percent of residents age 18 or older are currently behind bars. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, that adds up to approximately 2.3 million people confined to prisons… Continue reading How Does an Inmate File Taxes?
I’ve talked before on this blog about the communities that are behind prison walls. Inmates at every facility have their own social hierarchies and create their own economy. Without inmate workers, the place couldn’t function. Everyone in the general population works full-time or goes to school. Then in the evenings, people will hang out at… Continue reading Why Do Inmates Especially Hate Child Sex Offenders?
I recently ventured outside of the United States prison system for the very first time in this blog to talk about visiting Dartmoor Prison in the UK. That facility dated back to the early 19th century, and its history included an American connection. That centuries-old prison actually housed American prisoners of war from the War… Continue reading Can You Visit Kerobokan Prison?
When someone is sentenced to life in prison, that often means a sentence of about 25 to 30 years. Many violent crimes result in a life sentence without the possibility of parole, or someone is sentenced to multiple life sentences running concurrently. Both of those scenarios means that the inmate will die in prison. You… Continue reading Can You Die in Prison?
When I talk about prisons and the criminal justice system on this blog, I’m almost always referring to American facilities and cases, but today, I’m going to change things up a bit and talk about Dartmoor Prison in the United Kingdom (UK). Officially known as HM Prison Dartmoor, this facility—known for its high granite walls—is… Continue reading Can You Visit Dartmoor Prison?
I’ve talked a lot in my blog posts about the life of inmates behind bars, but I rarely write about prison workers–the officers, administrators, and volunteers who supervise the facility and enforce the rules. I don’t have any experience working in a prison as a non-inmate, but I did watch these people very closely for… Continue reading Can You be a Prison Officer With Tattoos?
When you get sentenced to time in prison, the purpose is to segregate you from society as punishment for your crime. While you sit behind bars and wait for each day to pass until you reach your release date, the world goes on without you. Staying in touch with friends and family is a good… Continue reading Can You Leave Prison For a Wedding?
The past two years have changed the way many of us interact with other people—even with friends and family members. The days of handshakes and hugs were replaced with social distancing and masks, and in many parts of the world that’s still the case. The pandemic hit less than three years after I was released… Continue reading Can You Hug Someone in Prison?
Joliet Correctional Center — aka “Joliet Prison” — opened in 1858 and was operational for more than a century and a half. Located in Joliet, Illinois, the facility was originally known as the Illinois State Penitentiary. It often gets confused with the nearby Stateville Correctional Center — located in Crest Hill, Illinois — which operated… Continue reading Can You Visit Joliet Prison?
Prisons are supposed to keep meticulous records about everything that goes on inside, especially when it comes to the inmates. They have to know who is in the facility and how many inmates are in camp. But that’s not all — they have to know where each inmate is located at all times. Head counts… Continue reading Can You Search Prison Inmates?
Jodi Arias became a media sensation in 2008 when she was arrested for the murder of her ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander. At the time, she was a blonde-haired vixen who smiled in her mugshot, flirted with officers, and sang O Holy Night while in police custody. She denied having anything to do with Travis’ murder, and… Continue reading Can You Visit Jodi Arias in Prison?
The most common question that I get from people when they find out I spent four years in prison is — what is prison really like? I’ve talked before about how my knowledge and impression of prison was informed by pop culture. The only exposure I had to prison life was through TV shows and… Continue reading What Is Prison (Really) Like?
The blog topics that I write about on Prison Insight are based on the most commonly-asked questions we get about prison and the criminal justice system. Today’s topic has been on my list for a while, but I’ve avoided it because it hits so close to home. And, I’ve got to be honest, it makes… Continue reading Can You Get Life in Prison for Drugs?
When you are sentenced to time behind bars, chances are you won’t be using your regular name while you are there. The guards and other members of the prison staff will use your last name or your inmate ID number. As for the other inmates, they will either call you by your last name or… Continue reading Prison Nicknames – A Real-Life Look at Examples
Like millions of other Americans, I am a proud parent of two sweet fur babies — my Shih Tzu, Titus and my kitty cat, Dale. My pets are members of my family, so it’s hard for me to write content about animal cruelty. A common question people have about prison is associated with that topic.… Continue reading Can You go to Prison for Killing a Dog?
When I was sentenced to prison to serve two 15-year sentences (concurrently) for marijuana possession, I had no idea what I was walking into. The only thing I knew about prison was what I had learned in TV and movies. I quickly discovered that a pop culture prison education wasn’t based on any kind of… Continue reading Prison Slang – A List of Terms You’ll Hopefully Never Need to Use
When someone is sentenced to prison, their experience behind bars depends on a number of factors. To begin with, prison experiences vary greatly among different countries because every sovereign nation has their own method for handling people found guilty of committing a crime. When we focus on prison inmates in the United States, someone incarcerated… Continue reading What Is Military Prison Like Compared to Civilian Prison?
When you are convicted of a felony and sentenced to prison, you lose a lot of your constitutional and human rights while you are incarcerated. In some states, some of those rights aren’t automatically reinstated upon an inmate’s release, and it’s possible the former inmate won’t ever get all of their rights back (most notably,… Continue reading What Rights Do Inmates Have?
I used to think that everyone who was in prison deserved to be there, but when I was put behind bars, I discovered that I couldn’t have been more wrong. The majority of people in prison are there for a non-violent offense. Oftentimes, the only victim of the “crime” is the state, in my opinion. … Continue reading What Happens if You are Found Innocent After Being in Prison?
Tattoos are a common part of prison culture. In my experience, the majority of inmates already have ink before they start doing their time, but some don’t get their art work done until they are behind bars. No, prisons don’t have tattoo parlors where you can drop some cash to get professional work done. Instead,… Continue reading What Are The Meanings of Prison Tattoos?
We all know that when someone is convicted of the crime of murder, they will end up in prison. It’s the most violent crime in the criminal code, and it comes with the harshest penalties. Taking someone’s life usually results in a lengthy prison sentence. In many states, there’s no possibility for parole. In some… Continue reading Can You Get Life in Prison for Manslaughter?
We’ve all been in situations where we’ve lost our temper. But sometimes, things can get out of hand, which can cause the law to get involved. If you have knowingly inflicted or attempted to inflict serious physical injury to someone, that’s considered assault. And if you get charged with the crime of assault, things can… Continue reading Can You go to Prison for Assault?
The United States has between 1.5 million and 2 million people behind bars at any given moment, which means it incarcerates a larger proportion of its citizens than any other developed country in the world. If you’ve never lived or worked inside a prison, you really don’t know what life is like on the inside.… Continue reading Why Inmates Join Prison Gangs?
I have written in the past about the mass incarceration problem in the United States. In my opinion, one of the reasons our prisons and jails are so crowded is because we lock people up for non-violent “crimes” that often have no victims. The truth is, the 50 states that make up our great country… Continue reading Can You go to Prison for Criminal Damage?
A common phrase I heard from the prison guards during my four years of incarceration was: “if you don’t like it, you shouldn’t have come to prison.” One of the white shirts (the guard in charge) used to say that line in response to every inmate complaint. Sometimes, it was an appropriate response, but as… Continue reading Can You Sue Prison?
The crime of kidnapping is defined as the illegal act of taking a person and transporting them against their will with force, fear, and/or intimidation. The laws in the United States date back to the 1930s after the highly publicized Lindbergh baby kidnapping. The Federal Kidnapping Act authorized the FBI to investigate kidnapping based on… Continue reading Can You Get Life in Prison for Kidnapping?
If you are being abused by your partner, you can contact the National Domestic Abuse Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. Domestic violence cases are a commonly misunderstood area of the law because of the stigma associated with the concept of abuse. Obviously, domestic violence is disgusting and those who are guilty of committing such a crime should… Continue reading Can You go to Prison for Domestic Violence?
When you are sentenced to prison, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are going to be locked in a cell 24/7. Unless you have a super-violent history and are housed in a SuperMax, or maximum-security prison, chances are you will either be assigned to a work detail or required to attend classes. When you are assigned… Continue reading What Kind of Labor do Prisons Make Inmates Perform?
When Demi Burnett was trying to win Colton Underwood’s heart during season 23 of The Bachelor, she revealed that her mom – Tina Jean Jordan – had recently been released from prison after serving a sentence for embezzlement. But as it turns out, there’s a lot more to the story than that. Keep reading to… Continue reading Why Did Demi Burnett’s Mom go to Prison?
The purpose of child support is to provide for your child’s needs – housing, food, clothing, medical, extracurriculars, etc. – even though you are the non-custodial parent. It’s not a payment that you make in exchange for child care. Most custodial parents rely on the child support payments from the non-custodial parents, but that doesn’t… Continue reading Can You go to Prison for Not Paying Child Support?
Johnny Cash is one of the most famous outlaws in Country music history. Known for numerous hits like Folsom Prison Blues, I Walk the Line, Ring of Fire, A Boy Named Sue, One Piece At a Time, and Hurt, the “Man in Black” had a career that lasted nearly five decades. When he died in… Continue reading Why Did Johnny Cash go to Prison?
There are more than two million people in the United States who are currently behind bars, and their crimes range from non-violent marijuana possession to mass murder. I’ve talked before about how the United States has approximately five percent of the world’s population, but a whopping 25 percent of the world’s prison population. The data… Continue reading Can You go to Prison For Not Paying Taxes?
Ten years ago, Abby Lee Miller burst onto our television screens in the Lifetime reality show Dance Moms. For eight seasons, the founder of the Abby Lee Dance Company was famous for yelling at her students in practice sessions and motivating them to excel in dance competitions. The show produced three spin-offs – Abby’s Ultimate… Continue reading Why Did Abby Lee Miller go to Prison?
Every American has the fundamental right to defend themselves. This is pretty common knowledge. But the term “self-defense” in a legal context doesn’t necessarily apply in every case of unwarranted aggression. When do you have the right to “self-defense?” When someone is badly injured or loses their life and the aggressor claims self-defense, who decides… Continue reading Can You go to Prison for Self Defense?
Growing up, many of us watched Bill Cosby on The Cosby Show. He was the TV dad who raised his kids with love, discipline, respect, and humor. He was also the guy in the Jello commercials, as well as the star of Fat Albert. If you were a kid in the 80s, you knew who… Continue reading What Prison Is Bill Cosby In?
This information is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. We are not lawyers. We have many laws in this country.. At the federal level, no one actually knows how many laws there are in the United States! Of course, we’ve been accumulating laws well over 200 years, but there have been many… Continue reading Can You go to Prison for Speeding?
It’s always fascinating when a celebrity gets caught up in the criminal justice system. I think it really catches our attention because as an unspoken rule, it’s the poor who end up behind bars. When you have money, you can afford a legal team who can work wonders when it comes to getting a good… Continue reading Why Did Martha Stewart go to Prison?
When the time comes for a person who’s been convicted of a crime to receive their sentence, the punishment he/she receives can often seem quite random. Believe it or not, judges don’t have a lot of power when it comes to sentencing. Most of the laws in the federal criminal code – as well as… Continue reading How Long is a Life Sentence in Prison?
Texting is part of our everyday life in the free world. It’s become so common that it’s almost weird to get a phone call. Much less a voicemail. But how does it work when you are arrested and sentenced to some time behind bars? Do inmates have cell phones? Can you text in prison? In… Continue reading Can You Text in Prison?
One thing I took for granted before going to prison was haircare and beauty products. I had always lived in a world where I could buy any kind of shampoo or conditioner I wanted to. I could also buy gel, pomade, and hairspray whenever I wanted, as well as any kind of ponytail holder, clip,… Continue reading Can You Dye Your Hair in Prison?
The words commonly used in the criminal justice system tend to get conflated from time to time. We often refer to people as “criminals” when they are convicted of a crime. But, there is a big difference between crimes classified as felonies and those classified as misdemeanors. Many people also tend to use the words… Continue reading Can you go to Prison for a Misdemeanor?
America has five percent of the world’s population and 25 percent of the world’s prison population incarcerated. The correctional industry has made some people a lot of money. There are famous prisons that have become part of popular culture. From Alcatraz to the Ohio State Reformatory, you can even tour these famous prisons and buy… Continue reading Where is Sing Sing Prison?
Whenever a celebrity gets caught up in the criminal justice system, it always seems to garner a lot of attention. When they end up going to prison, their case becomes even more intriguing. It can also be an opportunity to shine a light on how America’s never ending amount of laws can so easily put… Continue reading Why Did FPSRussia go to Prison?
I have a confession to make. I’m a pop culture nerd. In fact, I love movies and TV so much that I write about them for a living when I’m not writing content for Prison Insight. For this week’s blog post, I thought it would be fun to mix together my love of movies with… Continue reading Where is the Prison from The Shawshank Redemption?
When an inmate has a chance for parole, it’s a really big deal. Honestly, it’s all you think about. At least it was for me. When I was sentenced to thirty years in prison (two fifteen-year sentences, running concurrently), I had the chance to get paroled after a serving fifteen percent of my sentence, or… Continue reading How to Write a Letter to Help Get Someone Out of Prison
The number of women in prison has risen dramatically in recent years, and it’s happening all over the world. Since 1980, the number of women incarcerated in the United States has increased by more than 700 percent. In the past decade alone, the number of women jailed has increased by more than 100,000. New data… Continue reading Can You Keep a Baby in Prison?
When advocating for criminal justice and prison reform, I often hear people claim that prison inmates are living the good life. For some reason, there are people who believe that prison inmates have got it good because they get three meals a day and a place to sleep at night. I also hear people talk… Continue reading Can You Claim Benefits in Prison?
When President Trump signed the CARES Act last spring, part of the legislation featured $1,200 stimulus payments to citizens who make less than $75,000 per year. As we all know, a second round of checks for $600 was included in the most recent stimulus bill. And, it looks like President Biden will be signing more… Continue reading Can Prison Inmates Get Stimulus Checks?
Keeping up with current events – in your community, country, and around the world – is a normal part of daily life for many of us. Especially in this current political climate. Thanks to modern technology, we now have immediate access to more information than we can accurately process. Unless some major tech company tries… Continue reading Can You Get Newspapers in Prison?
While the debate rages on in America about free and fair elections – and which candidate actually won the Presidential election – it got me thinking about prison inmates and felons in relation to the electoral process. It’s no secret that when you go to prison, you give up some of your rights. There is… Continue reading Can You Run for President in Prison?
Life is all about choices. Making good ones can lead you on a happy, successful path in life. But making bad ones can result in consequences that you might never be able to overcome. Having the freedom to make your own choices – no matter how big or small – is one of the best… Continue reading Can You Choose Which Prison to go to?