I was in an Oklahoma prison for almost a decade and have since been working for prison reform, with inmates and their families, and anyone else to make things better for inmates and their loved ones.

I will give you a general idea about prison, but if you want something specific for Wisconsin, message me. I have a couple of friends that spent time in the Wisconsin prison system and I will get you some specific answers.

As a wife, you may fear for your husband’s safety in prison. Don’t, as he has a probation or parole violation, has a series of non-violent crimes, and will not be serving a lengthy sentence. As a result, he will go to a lower security prison where all the inmates there are petty criminals with short sentences in contrast to a medium security prison where the inmates are violent with long sentences. All the “bad guys” are at the medium security prisons, so your husband will be safe.

The reason the inmates at a minimum security prison are well behaved is that they all are close to their release date. As a result, the last thing on their minds is causing problems for another inmate and receiving a misconduct, which will set their release date back up to a year. There are almost no problems in a minimum security prison.

Your husband will do fine, so try to relax. They ALL do fairly well once they get acclimated to prison life. He needs to address his drug issues, get into some programs, get into a daily routine, and try to learn from his prison experience. He will survive and you will also.

You can message me anytime you have a question or a worry about your husband. I am pretty good with prison problems since I was in one for such a long period of time.

I don’t know exactly what about the situation is troubling you, so I don’t know what else to say, but anytime you have a question, please do not hesitate to message me. I work in support and receive over two dozen messages every day, so I am used to questions from concerned wives, mothers, or GFs.

Rewdiazpem

Thank you so much. I guess his safety is my first concern. Second we have a baby coming November 16th, so Ill be doing that alone. Hes so afraid and of course all he hears in jail is horror storys. The case he is being revoked on is one felony H forgery and uttering check for 80.00 and felony bail jumping. But the judge is no joke and the max is 6 years. I have no idea how Im gling to get through this. I try to stay positive for him because he is terrified.

Prison is nothing like you see on TV or in the movies. The producers dramatize prison life to make the show more interesting and watchable. In fact, most of the time prison is boring with men sitting around watching TV, playing cards, or just talking to each other, waiting for the day they can go home.

A medium security prison CAN be rowdy in much the same manner as you see on TV, but it does not happen often. If you watch too many prison shows in TV, you would be led to believe that all inmates ever do is go around beating and raping each other, which is not true.

I saw stabbings and real beat downs at the medium security prison, but never once---not one time----did I see a stabbing and a major beating at a minimum security prison, where your guy will be sent.

He will be fine and he has nothing to worry about as long as he does not snitch, get into debt without the ability to pay, talk too much to the guards, minds his own business, and respects others. He needs to be seen as an OK guy just trying to serve his time, and he wants to keep a low profile.

Hope this helps you relieve your mind.

rewdiazepam

How are you sure he will be on minimum. Ive heard everyone is medium and u hsvecto earn minimum. Wisconsin also has truth in sentencing so 3 years is 3 years. Unless you can get the early release program which there is a waiting list. He also has money on his books stays to himself, and just wants to get home. The longest time hes done is 5 months, so 18 to 24 seems like a lifetime. Thank you for your in site id be curious what your guys from Wisconsin have to say about the prisons here.

You said, “How are you sure he will be on minimum. Ive heard everyone is medium and u hsvecto earn minimum.”

I think you are getting custody classification levels confused with the level system for inmates once they are already in the system. The custody classification determines the security level at which the inmate is sent----minimum, medium, or maximum. The custody classification is done at the first prison he goes to after the county jail and is usually referred to a “receptions or assessment” prison.

At this prison, they will determine which security prison he should be placed and the programs he needs to take while in prison. The custody classification is based on several factors, but the most important factors are the length of the sentence and the nature of his crime. Those with longer sentences and violent crimes will be sent to higher security than those with shorter sentences for non-violent crimes.

No prison system will place a non-violent offender with a three year sentence at a medium security prison with bank robbers, murderers, kidnappers, and rapists. Doing so would be a security nightmare. You would have the older, more experienced inmates harassing the non-violent----and often younger----inmates. The custody classification is used to prevent non-violent inmates with short sentences from being placed in the same prison as a guy who murdered someone with a 50 year sentence.

They just don’t place inmates with only a three year sentence at a medium security prison UNLESS he has an escape history.

The level classification after he is already in prison just classifies inmates according to their behavior while in prison. Having a job, not getting any misconducts, and being a well behaved inmate will result in a higher classification than guys who are troublemakers. Most prisons have a level system with level one through four, with level four having the most privileges.

This level classification is done after the custody classification and is a completely separate classification. The level classification determines the amount of privileges an inmate has while in prison.

The biggest factor determining if an inmate will have problems in prison is the nature of his crime. Sex offenders---especially child sex offenders--- are hated by the other inmates b/c many of them were abused as children. A sex offense is not a problem at a minimum security prison since the inmates there tend to be well behaved as I stated in my prior post, but a sex offense is a real problem at a medium security prison.

Since your husband is not a sex offender, but has petty property/drug crimes, he will do fine.

You said, “He also has money on his books stays to himself, and just wants to get home.”

At the prison he will be sent, all the other inmates will just want to go home. If he stays to himself and minds his own business, he is doing everything right and will have no problems in prison.

Unless he has an escape history, with a three year sentence he will NOT be going to a medium security prison.

I know about all this as I spent almost a decade in the Oklahoma prison system and I now do support work for inmates and their families. I am fairly knowledgeable how the DOCs around the country operated their prisons.

He will do fine at the lower security prison where he will be sent.

rewdiazepam

Hi Lesh! There's a member named ihatewisconsin and she can give you insight on what to know/expect since she and her man have been dealing with that. She usually pops up here and there but you can send her a pm as well!

You say you're having a baby soon, please don't take this the wrong way but you've got to breathe and take care of yourself so you'll bring a healthy baby into this world! I'm by no means saying throw your man under the bus and run, however he got himself into whatever trouble he's in, not you and most definitely not that precious baby.

As for a medium security facility, Rew is right in that it can be rowdy but as long as he's cool as a cucumber he will be just fine. I speak from experience because my fiance is in medium. There was some crazy stuff but he just lets them go bat s**t crazy amongst themselves because he's trying to get out on time. So just breathe and yes continue to think positive. Truthfully speaking there are some days when you'll want to cuss him out and slap him silly, but just think about when he's done and comes home! Good luck!

We hear so many different things. The,worse he has done was when his PO came to accused him of some petty shit, left and said he was going to jail and she didnt know if or when he would be out, He waited at rhe treatment house for 2.5 hrs his anxiety got the best of him and he cut off his bracelt and left. Thats why hes being revoked. He was so worried he wouldn't see our daughter born and now that is forsure not going to happen. Everyday is a struggle this is his 1st child and I thought my last wax 21 yrs ago!!! . So yes age difference Im 44 hes 30. Never been in trouble until he got hooked on heroin and he stole checks and wrote checls to himself. He was in drug court but thats a joke u csnt scare people in to being sober, not without real treatment. All you hear abkut is how overcrowded prisons are here on Wisconsin and they keep locking people up who need help. I feel so overwhelmed, I try to stay strong for him, and tell him he can do this.And I get I cant I cant do this, well you dont have a choice and u hsve too for me and ur daughter, we will be here when u get out. But 50.00 a day on the phone talking hom dlwn os killing me. I Ccant do this for years. His father was head of the Wisconson state patrol for 35 yrs so hes had a good life he just got hooked on this evil drug. But he also knows you cant steal and take things that dont belong to you. Thanks for all the support. Nice to know Im not alone, family thinks I should cut my losses. AND Im a idiot. But hes the love of my life and I cant turn my back on him now.

If he cut his ankle monitor off, then Wisconsin may classify him as an escape risk. As a result, he might go to a medium security prison. Remember, I told you he would not go to a medium UNLESS he has an escape history.

BUT even if he goes to a medium, he will be fine with his charges. Unless a guy has a sex offense or any type of offense against a child, he can usually do pretty well.

If he has any problems at all in prison, message me.

rewdiazepam

I will thank you. Hes never been charged with escape, they just comsoder it obscoundiing from probation. But I understand how the system may look at it differently. He also wasnt on it serving a jail sentence. They had him wear it because he was out of county doing treatment. I appreciate all your knowledge. Its a very scary time.