About Federal & State Prison Tips
Real experience. Honest guidance. Every step of the way.
We combine firsthand family experience with current, verified information so you and your family can make informed decisions during one of the hardest chapters of your lives.
Our Story
Why We Began
Federal & State Prison Tips began with a personal experience.
Our family has had to navigate the federal criminal justice system firsthand — and we continue to navigate it today.
We quickly learned that entering the system doesn't only affect the person facing incarceration. It affects the entire family.
There are questions at every stage — questions about sentencing, what happens next, designation, self-surrender, communication, programming, transfers, time credits, release planning, and everything in between.
Finding clear answers isn't always easy.
Information can be scattered across government websites, policies, legal documents, institutions, attorneys, and other sources. Even when information is available, understanding what it means and knowing what to do with it can be difficult.
We created Federal & State Prison Tips because we experienced that uncertainty ourselves.
This company was built from that experience — with the goal of helping individuals and families navigate the process with more information, more preparation, and less uncertainty.
Why We Exist
The system can feel impossible to navigate. It doesn't have to.
The correctional system is complicated.
For individuals and families who have never experienced it before, even basic questions can feel difficult to answer.
What happens next?
Where do I find reliable information?
What does this policy mean?
How do I communicate with someone who is incarcerated?
What should we be preparing for?
Federal & State Prison Tips exists to help make that process easier to understand.
We believe individuals and families deserve access to clear, practical, research-based information when they are trying to navigate one of the most difficult periods of their lives.
Our purpose isn't to promise that every situation has a simple answer.
Our purpose is to help you understand the process, know what questions to ask, prepare for what may come next, and know where to look for reliable information.
Who We Are
Practical Guidance for a Complicated System
Federal & State Prison Tips is a prison consulting and educational resource created to help individuals and families better understand the federal and state correctional systems.
We provide:
- Consulting services
- Educational resources
- Research-based information
- Practical guides
- Checklists
- Planning tools
- Resources for families
- Information covering the correctional process from investigation through release and reentry
We take complicated information and work to make it easier to understand, organize, and use when people need it most.
We are not a law firm.
We do not provide legal advice or legal representation.
Our role is different. We help people understand the system they are navigating.
When someone you love enters the system, you enter it too.
Families deserve information, guidance, and practical resources along the way.
Founder & CEO
Meet Francine Mayes
I became involved in this work because my family has had to navigate the federal criminal justice system firsthand — and we continue to navigate it today.
I know how overwhelming, frustrating, and uncertain the experience can be — not only for the person facing the system, but for the entire family.
Throughout our experience, I found myself asking the same questions so many families face:
What happens next?
What does this mean?
Where do we find the right information?
How do we communicate with someone who is incarcerated?
What should we be preparing for now?
As our family navigated the federal system, I saw just how complicated the process can become from one stage to the next.
Families may be expected to understand sentencing, presentence reports, Bureau of Prisons policies and procedures, designation, self-surrender, programming, time credits, release planning, and much more — often while already dealing with fear, stress, uncertainty, and major changes in their lives.
And once someone is incarcerated, the uncertainty doesn't simply go away.
Communication can become difficult. Transfers can leave families wondering where their loved one is, when they will arrive, and when they will be able to communicate again.
I know what it feels like to spend hours searching for answers because you need to understand what is happening and don't know where to find reliable information.
During my family's experience, I became the person responsible for researching options, organizing information, tracking important developments, communicating with professionals, and helping my family prepare for each stage.
I learned how difficult it can be to find accurate, practical information in one place. Answers are often scattered across legal documents, government policies, attorneys, online forums, and outdated websites — and even when the information exists, it is not always explained in a way families can easily understand.
That experience is what led me to build Federal & State Prison Tips.
Today, I oversee the day-to-day operations of Federal & State Prison Tips, research and develop resources, support clients, and create practical guides, checklists, educational tools, and consulting services designed to help individuals and families navigate the correctional process.
I can't promise to have every answer. But I can help you know what questions to ask, where to look for information, what to prepare for, and what steps may come next.
Our Experience
Research. Organization. Practical Guidance.
Our experience has taught us that navigating the correctional system requires more than simply finding information.
It requires research, organization, attention to detail, preparation, and the ability to adapt when circumstances change.
Throughout our family's experience, we have had to learn about:
Sentencing
Understanding the stages and information that follow sentencing.
Presentence Reports
Understanding the importance of information gathered before incarceration.
Bureau of Prisons
Learning policies, procedures, terminology, and processes.
Designation & Self-Surrender
Understanding what happens between sentencing and entering the system.
Programming & Time Credits
Learning how programs, eligibility, and earned time can affect an individual's journey.
Communication
Understanding the challenges families face when communicating with someone inside.
Transfers
Monitoring movement, tracking available information, and preparing for periods when communication may be limited.
Release & Reentry
Preparing for the transition back into the community.
Transfers in particular showed us how quickly circumstances can change.
When a transfer is approaching, families may have limited information about where their loved one is, when they will arrive, or when communication will resume.
There were times when we had to keep researching and piecing information together simply to understand what was happening and what we needed to prepare for next.
That experience shaped the way we approach this work today.
Being informed isn't about knowing everything. It's about knowing what to look for, what questions to ask, and what to prepare for.
Our Mission
Guidance for Every Step of the Process
Federal & State Prison Tips exists to help individuals and families better understand the correctional system, prepare for what lies ahead, and find practical guidance throughout the process.
From investigation and sentencing to incarceration, communication, programming, transfers, release, and reentry, our goal is to help you understand what comes next and how to prepare for it.
We believe people should not have to spend hours searching through policies, government websites, legal documents, and scattered resources just to understand the basics of a process that already feels overwhelming.
Our mission is to make reliable information easier to find, complicated processes easier to understand, and the next step easier to identify.
We can't promise to have every answer.
But we can help you know what questions to ask, where to look for information, what to prepare for, and what steps may come next.
Guidance for every step of the process.
Because when someone you love enters the system, you enter it too.
Legal Disclaimer
Federal & State Prison Tips provides consulting and educational information and is not a law firm. Information provided through this website is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Privacy Policy
We collect only the information needed to respond to your inquiry and deliver consulting services. We never sell your information. Communications with our team are treated as confidential business communications, though they are not protected by attorney-client privilege.
Terms of Service
Use of this website and our consulting services constitutes acceptance of our terms. Consultations are scheduled in advance, and fees are due at booking. Outcomes depend on many factors outside our control, and no result is guaranteed.
Available 24/7 • Holidays Included
We're ready when you are.
Call, text, or email anytime. We're available around the clock, including weekends and holidays.