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I find it hard to believe that you can't do all this from prison, paperless statements, shred the card. Can't you go online and send your mom flowers for birthday, Christmas, Mother's Day and Other Holidays. YOu could even sign up for FICO scores through here that would charge every month and give you a chance to keep an eye on everything if you get to a computer.
On a lighter note (please don't be mad OP, just joking) I just keep imagining Amex Rep, "How can I help you?" Hi I' m trying to order a poster of Raquel Welch, and a Rock Hammer online and my account isn't working. (Yeh I've Seen Shawshank Redemption one too may times)
@rootpooty wrote:is amex not doing backdating anymore? couldnt the op just shut down amex now then reapply when hes a freebird?
Why not get some CLIs while hanging out? Also, without active cards when he gets out, it might be tuff to get AMEX again for a bit.
This is what I was thinking. I assume jail/prison has internet access. Three to five years of history would be pretty nice to have. PIF every month while using the cards sparingly (Mailboxes Etc. or whatever) and request CLIs every 4-6 months. Before you know it, you'll have 3-5 years of history with prime cards and high limits!
Mail forwarding wouldn't work because it is only for a year. I'd keep the mailbox because if either of your cards expire within the time you will not be around, they will need a valid address to mail the new cards. The suggestions of getting a monthly subscription are great. My Hulu is $7.99 a month and my Netflix is $8.55 a month. So, for just under $200 a year, you would have a monthly charge to keep those cards active. Since you have over $20,000 in the bank, I think $200 a year wold be a good investment just to keep those cards active for when you get out.
@kimmiller112 wrote:Mail forwarding wouldn't work because it is only for a year. I'd keep the mailbox because if either of your cards expire within the time you will not be around, they will need a valid address to mail the new cards. The suggestions of getting a monthly subscription are great. My Hulu is $7.99 a month and my Netflix is $8.55 a month. So, for just under $200 a year, you would have a monthly charge to keep those cards active. Since you have over $20,000 in the bank, I think $200 a year wold be a good investment just to keep those cards active for when you get out.
not mail forwarding from post office. Mail forwarding service. Like a mail box etc, except they mail your mail to where ever you like. I used one years ago when I was traveling for a year. I think these days there are ones that will scan in mail for online access.
Stuipd thought/question:
If you have your mail going to some PO box (or mailbox etc thing) and your CC expires while your away and it sits for months or a year or two before you can get to it - won't they question why you didn't activate it? especially when having recurring things like netflix or a gym charging every month.
I think the BEST advice you recieved on here is to call each compnay and say "look I need to suspend my account for X years (however long is the max you know you'll serve) can I suspend my account, I'll still pay the AF but I just want to make sure I"ll have an account to come back to when I can" If they say "i don't understand" or press for more info just respond, I'm going somewhere where I won't have much access to use my card, howeve I know in X years I will and I love your card and would hate to see that when I get back that I won't be able to use it"
they don't have to know that means prision for all they know your going to antartica for a year or the middle of the jungle to study apes.
If you've been a good customer for years I wouldn't see if they could try to work something out for you.
As a former correctional officer (7 yrs) and the daughter of two more who retired from state corrections after 20 yrs...... unless security guidelines have DRASTICALLY changed in the last 7 yrs since I left... jails and prisons do not provide internet access to inmates. There 'might' be the occasional very low security or special program which allows access in a limited or supervised environment somewhere.
That said... cell phone were constantly being smuggled in (among other things) and constantly being confiscated too. I was working a low/minimum security federal camp facility.
Most facilities will allow you to purchase items and have them sent in such as books, magazines, clothing (depending on inmate uniform), shoes, etc. I think your best bet is to subscribe to a magazine or book club (which can auto ship periodically) and set up auto pay for it. Also, try to figure out how to have the card # accessible (don't take it with you - major risk factors there... it WILL get stolen and used by someone else) for clothing, shoes orders, etc.
The facility (and those my parents worked at) allowed catalog orders for clothing and shoes... usually the inmate had to get a check drawn on his inmate acct or have a family member purchase it but if you can access your CC # you could use that to pay for the order. Plan on anything you have ordered to be sent directly from the company, most facilities allow only limited items to come from individuals.
Have all your mail sent to you... although mail with acct numbers can be risky. Better to send to mom if you trust her.
My absolute BEST advice... do NOT, under ANY circumstances, mix your personal life with the incarceration and most of the people you'll be down with. It would be too easy to be compromised in some fashion by another inmate. Leave ALL your personal life, except visitation, outside those gates so that when you get back home you don't drag the negatives of prison home with you anymore than necessary.
HTH
@amkari wrote:As a former correctional officer (7 yrs) and the daughter of two more who retired from state corrections after 20 yrs...... unless security guidelines have DRASTICALLY changed in the last 7 yrs since I left... jails and prisons do not provide internet access to inmates. There 'might' be the occasional very low security or special program which allows access in a limited or supervised environment somewhere.
That said... cell phone were constantly being smuggled in (among other things) and constantly being confiscated too. I was working a low/minimum security federal camp facility.
Most facilities will allow you to purchase items and have them sent in such as books, magazines, clothing (depending on inmate uniform), shoes, etc. I think your best bet is to subscribe to a magazine or book club (which can auto ship periodically) and set up auto pay for it. Also, try to figure out how to have the card # accessible (don't take it with you - major risk factors there... it WILL get stolen and used by someone else) for clothing, shoes orders, etc.
The facility (and those my parents worked at) allowed catalog orders for clothing and shoes... usually the inmate had to get a check drawn on his inmate acct or have a family member purchase it but if you can access your CC # you could use that to pay for the order. Plan on anything you have ordered to be sent directly from the company, most facilities allow only limited items to come from individuals.
Have all your mail sent to you... although mail with acct numbers can be risky. Better to send to mom if you trust her.
My absolute BEST advice... do NOT, under ANY circumstances, mix your personal life with the incarceration and most of the people you'll be down with. It would be too easy to be compromised in some fashion by another inmate. Leave ALL your personal life, except visitation, outside those gates so that when you get back home you don't drag the negatives of prison home with you anymore than necessary.
HTH
Completely agree with everything said here.
My brother did 2 years FED time and my mom handled everything for him while he was there. She would use his credit cards to purchase money to put on his "books" so he could get things from the commissary. When he got out it was like he never left to the CCC
Prison.. Ouch.
On the plus side if you manage to keep your CCs open, you'll have a kick ass FICO score when you get out. There's no way someone could have a high utilization in prison and accounts will age as well.
Though god forbid AMEX do a financial review though...
How about a monthly subscription to Score Watch for one card and TU Quarterly monitoring for the other card.....