Legal Question in Criminal Law in Virginia

Re: Upcoming sentence

You will survive this. Bring a couple of hundred dollars, you will be able to draw from this to purchase soap, toothpaste, and snacks from the commissary. Bring any prescription medicine bottles for medicines you take. You will be allowed to bring nothing with you (but they will probably reissue you any medicines you take). You will go through an intake process which may take the better part of a day. You will be asked about your medical history and whether you have been in jail before; you will be photographed, searched, and fingerprinted and may possibly be drug tested. Eventually you will be told to shower and change into jail clothes; and you will be issued a mattress, blanket and bedsheet. You will be assigned to a cell. Thereafter, your days will be spent sleeping, being counted, watching TV and waiting for your next meal. This would be a good time to start an exercise program, it's not like you will have anything else to do. You will probably be asked or told to donate a portion of your commissary purchases to stronger or less fortunate inmates. Go along with this. You will have access to books, newspapers, and writing paper. You will be able to make collect phone calls that will cost your friends and relatives $15-$30 a pop. Your letters and phone calls will be read/overheard by the staff, but you have the right to write to and receive letters from lawyers, courts, and public officials confidentially (this is called "legal mail.") You will probably be able to participate in sports and worship services if you like. Address the correctional officers as "Sir" or "Ma'am," and realize when they verbally abuse you it is because they think it is part of their job. You will be surprised at the variety of people you will meet, some of whom are a little bit or a lot crazy. You will have zero protection against being assaulted, so under no circumstances should you do anything to piss anybody off. If you don't do anything stupid like looking down your nose at your fellow inmates, your time will probably go like water off the back of a duck. Do a google search on "how to do time." Good luck, and please write back and let me know if this answer was helpful.

Re: Upcoming sentence

Mr. Stone's description is fairly accurate, with the exception of the fact that you are also going to be part of work release. Work release generally involves being released, either in a supervied or unsupervised capacity, to perform work. Work release inmates are, in most facilities, kept seperate from the general population, which should make your stay somewhat easier.