Obviously you will self-surrender by walking up to a door, fence, gate, marshal, etc. wearing clothing, shoes, etc. but such articles will be shipped off immediately. Make sure whomever is receiving your clothes knows they are coming or they may FREAK out at the box with your favorite hat and sneakers in it.
What will you be allowed to keep?
Almost nothing. If you are legally married, you can have a wedding band with no special gems or jewels. You may be allowed to keep a basic chain with a religious charm necklace. It can't be fancy. It can't be expensive. And it is not guaranteed. They do sell some as the commissary. You may be allowed to keep a basic Casio style digital watch with a value below $100. You may read that some white cotton undergarments can get in, but I talked directly with the prison today, and at least at Carswell, all undies and bras must come from them. Perhaps some camps are more lenient. Worth a call, I suppose. I was told to bring my pill bottles with whatever is left in them - whether I am given the medication is unknown. I'm also to bring my enbryl, which I'll have to keep cold for my travel days. Bring your glasses, but make sure they are plastic frames and simple frames. Not too valuable. I suppose since mine came from SAMs Club, it's as low as you can go. That is all the physical property we can keep.
We should also bring our paperwork:
-medical records
-power of atty over healthcare
-living will
-college/high school transcripts (if u finished high school but didn't attend college) - without transcripts, you must take GED courses
- 2 copies of our address list - 30 names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses - one for the prison and one to keep
- money order to put initial funds in commissary account
Back home, with someone you trust, before you self surrender, have one bag packed with 5 outfits- especially if you are planning on being out in less than a year. At the halfway house, you will be allowed 5 outfits and they will need to be sent to you once you arrive. Plan ahead. Don't forget the shoes and possible work/interview clothing.
On the mailing your clothes home thing...when hubby went in, we opted for him to wear in old/torn clothes and old sneakers and just allow the BOP to dispose of them. The thought of me/our daughter receiving his clothes in the mail was not something we wanted to deal with. And it saved a little money as he would have had to pay shipping costs out of his inmate account...
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