Archive 12/10/2023

USING EMAIL⌨ AND PHONES ☎️IN FEDERAL PRISON: A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

TRULINCS EMAIL

The Rules for Email are set in The BOP Program Statement P5265.13.

  • TRULINCS: email Sent From someone in the BOP.
  • CORRLINKS: email Received either by persons outside of prison, or with the Warden’s Permission, other inmates in different facilities.

 

“TRULINCS” is charged based on $0.05/ minute, with the funds removed from your Commissary Account. This includes all of your time “On The System;” no matter whether you are reading a message, typing, or printing (at 0.15 cents per page).

    • Your maximum time is 30 minutes, and then you must wait another 30 minutes before logging back on if there is a computer free.
    • Minutes are sold in lots ranging from 40 to 600.
    • Messages can be ~ 2000 words or 13000 characters (and you will see a “countdown timer” in case you lose track).
    • Everything is plain text, with no special symbols; nothing fancy.
    • There is No Message Forwarding, but you can send a message to multiple persons at one time. If you are found to be forwarding messages, at minimum you may have restrictions put on your usage of the system.
    • Printing messages cost 15 cents per page.
    • An inmate could be restricted from TRULINCS (the public messaging system) in the following circumstances:
      • The person has a history that threatens institutional security or the public.
      • A prisoner is under investigation for Disciplinary Violations related to TRULINCS, or Corrlinks abuse or misuse.
      • Disciplinary sanctions have restricted the person from emailing for a specific period.
      • When there are particular email or sexual offense criminal charges.

CORRLINKS: No forwarding any message to third parties!

USING TRULINCS

  • Is considered a privilege; therefore, the Warden or other authorized representative may limit or deny that privilege to any person.
  • Individual inmates may be excluded from program participation as part of classification procedures, where the Warden makes the final determination.
  • All incoming and outgoing electronic messages, including transactional data, message contents, and other activities, are monitored and retained. [FYI: all that you do is monitored in prison, please don’t try to outsmart them.]
  • BOP staff can reject individual messages sent to or from inmates using TRULINCS that jeopardize the institution’s interests.
  • Each inmate’ acknowledges, and voluntary consent must be documented on the Inmate Agreement for Participation in TRULINCS Electronic Messaging Program Form (BP-0934).

 

TRULINCS RESTRICTIONS

  1. When it is determined that their use would threaten the safety, security, or orderly running of the institution or the protection of the public and staff.
  2. A Public Safety Factor – Sex Offender, does not automatically exclude them from participation.
  3. Pending Investigation or Disciplinary Action for Possible Messaging (TRULINCS) Abuse or Misuse. A messaging restriction in this situation is discretionary to ensure the institution’s safety, security, and orderly operation, or the protection of the public and staff.

 

YOUR CONTACT LIST

  • Inmates may only exchange electronic messages with persons in the community who have accepted the inmate’s request to communicate.
  • Attorneys, “special mail” recipients, or other legal representatives on their electronic message contact list, with the acknowledgment that electronic messages exchanged with such individuals will not be treated as privileged communications and will be subject to monitoring.
  • Inmate to Inmate Communication. An inmate may be permitted to correspond via electronic messaging with an inmate confined in any BOP facility if the other inmate is either a member of the immediate family or is a party or witness in a legal action in which both inmates are involved. The following additional limitations apply:
    • The appropriate Unit Manager at each institution must approve in writing the correspondence if both inmates are members of the same immediate family or are a party or witness in a legal action in which both inmates are involved.
    • The Warden will be informed of any unusual circumstances about a request to correspond electronically for members of the same immediate family or for inmates who are a party or witness in the same legal action.

OUTGOING MAIL LABELS

    • Ordinarily, inmates are required to place a TRULINCS-generated mailing label on all outgoing postal mail.

ELECTRONIC MESSAGE MONITORING

  • Electronic messages sent or received by inmates at all security levels are subject to monitoring for content by trained staff.

TRULINCS Email Contact Request Form BPA1054

    • This form allows two contacts per page and is very detailed.
    • From prison, an email will be sent out.

 

CORRLINKS: email Received either by persons outside of prison, or with the Warden’s Permission, other inmates in different facilities.

 

CORRLINKS

  • You may or may not receive an email alert, that you have a CORRLINKS
  • So if you get to this part first, great.
  • As you see, you will need to Register.
  • Enter: Your email and create a password.

 

 

ON YOUR FIRST CORRLINKS LOGIN

  • You will see all of these choices below.
  • The only one that I believe we need to work on now is Mailbox.

 

 

 

THE REGISTRATION CONTINUES

  • It may not be exactly in this order, but fill out all of your information that is in RED.
  • You will also see that there is a space for an Identification Code.
    • When you get the alert that you have your first email, Do You Accept It?
    • If yes, there will be an IDENTIFICATION CODE (which may expire in “10 Days”),
    • Copy that code and enter it on Your Registration Form ⇓

 

YOU NOW CORRESPOND FROM YOUR PC,

YOUR APPLE DEVICE, OR

 

GOOGLE.

 

CorrLinks Guide: An Overview

  • CorrLinks is a reliable and convenient web-based email system that allows authorized users to communicate with inmates through secure email. To use this service, you need to create an account, purchase credit, and add inmates to your contact list. Once you complete these steps, you can send messages to inmates, who can conveniently receive and respond to them using a secure kiosk within the prison.
  • Forgotten your password on CorrLinks – don’t worry. The system has got you covered! Simply reset your password, it’s a quick and easy process. Please note that CorrLinks won’t be able to personally assist you with this, but rest assured that their system is designed to help you with password resets.
  • Your first email alert from your loved one. Upon receiving an alert that an inmate wants to add you to their account on CorrLinks, you simply need to accept the request to begin exchanging messages with them.
  • If you’re thinking about blocking an inmate on CorrLinks, it’s important to know that it’s not a decision to be taken lightly. Once you’ve blocked them, it can be difficult to undo the process. You’ll have to go through a lengthy process of sending a written request to the institution to remove the block. It’s important to note that the institution’s mailing address can be found on the Federal Bureau of Prisons website. Once the block is removed, the inmate will have to send you another invitation to add your email again. If you’re certain that you want to block an inmate, you can easily do so by selecting the “block contact from an inmate” option or “block contact from every inmate at a specific facility” option from the menu on CorrLinks. But remember, it’s important to think through your decision before proceeding.
  • CORRLINKS Customer Support.

PHONE CALLS

  • Inmate Phone Calls Are Recorded and Monitored
    • No three-way telephone calls are allowed and this will result in you being disciplined.
    • The hours may start as early as 6:00 a.m. and extend as late as 11:30 pm.
    • Inmates can make up to 300 minutes of prison phone calls each month, each for 15 minutes.
    • In most cases, inmates must wait one hour from the start of their last prison phone call before they can place another call.
  • When making a collect call, the recipient must agree to pay for the call.
    • $0.06 to $0.38 each minute for local calls and
    • $0.56 per minute when calling long distance.
  • Direct-dial telephone call costs are subject to change, taken from your commissary account, and are currently as follows:
    • Local calls: $0.06/minute
    • Long-distance calls in the U.S.: $0.21/minute
    • Calls to Canada: $0.35/minute
    • Calls to Mexico: $0.55/minute
    • Other international calls: $0.99/minute
  • In November and December, the prison Warden may authorize an additional 100 minutes, on top of the allowed 300 minutes.
  • Biden signs a bill to fight Expensive State Prison phone call costs, JANUARY 6, 2023
    • Incarcerated people pay about 5 dollars for a 30-minute phone call. A new bill wants to change that.

 

CELL PHONES

  • The new law makes possession or use of a cell phone or wireless device a crime punishable by up to a year in prison.
  • The law also covers the smuggling of cell phones into the BOP.
  • Good Time Credits and Earned Time Credits may also be lost, as well as possibly going to The SHU or triggering a change in prison.

Dr. Marc Blatstein | About

Marc Blatstein was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he attended high school. He later went to George Washington University in Washington DC for his undergraduate degree, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, all the while working a job on the side to help offset the high costs of a college education.

Marc later went to Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine, where he studied medical training and obtained his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Degree. While studying there, he started the “Pink Panther Bartenders” along with his brother and two of his classmates to help with some of the costs of higher education. At one point, he was grateful to be asked to participate in a Gala for the Cleveland Opera, to which he agreed.

He then attended a surgical residency that covered Podiatric Medicine and Surgery, which was followed by a 31+ year career as a single practitioner. While in practice, Marc Blatstein incorporated a medically oriented shoe store, wound care, and physical therapy programs into his practice.

HOBBIES

Most of my joys have been spent on the water, while I have enjoyed power and sailing with my 1st mate, Bailey.

In the end, though, the peace of sailing is where I have spent most of my time.

 

 

EDUCATION | PRACTICE AND CONSULTING TIMELINE

George Washington Univ., BA in Psych. (’77),
Externship(s):
* Lutheran Hospital Baltimore MD. (’82),
* Atlanta Hospital & Medical Center, Atlanta GA (’82).
Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine, Doctor of Podiatric Medicine, DPM (’83),
Lawndale Community Hospital Surgical Residency in Podiatric Medicine & Surgery (’84)
1st Career: Podiatric Foot And Ankle Medicine and Surgery, License, 1985 – 2023
2nd Career: Physician Presentence Report Service, LLC., 2011

PRIVATE PRACTICE 1985 – 2023

POPULAR COMPONENTS OF MY PRACTICE

I. PLANTAR FASCITIS

According to Dr. Marc Blatstein, morning heel pain is the most common complaint he treats. Patients relate that it is pain upon standing first thing in the morning. While the pain initially is excruciating, with ambulating, the pain may subside, only to come back again with a vengeance after sitting and then immediately returning after standing up again.

The plantar fascia is a ligament attached at one end to the bottom of the heel (in a medial, central, and lateral band), then fanning out into the ball of the foot, thus acting as a shock absorber for the foot. As the foot impacts the ground, with each step, the plantar fascia stretches slightly. When these excessive pressures of pulling the plantar fascia on the heel occur over time, with an innocent step (like stepping on a marble or off a curb), they create small tears in the plantar fascia (the ligament on the bottom of the foot) resulting in a small amount of bleeding, pain & inflammation. Medical literature initially thought heel pain was due to a bone spur on the bottom of the heel bone (or calcaneus). We now know that the pain is due to excessive tension on the plantar fascia as it pulls on its attachment to the inside/medial aspect of the calcaneus (heel) bone.

In diagnosing heel pain, Dr. Marc Blatstein relates that over the years, patient care has demonstrated that not all bone spurs are painful, and everyone with heel pain (or plantar fascitis) does not necessarily have to have bone spurs. A complete history and physical exam play a large role in approaching this diagnosis, along with weight-bearing X-rays, which are useful in determining if a heel spur is present (fractured), or associated with other pathologies contributing to the diagnosis.

Initially, treatment by Dr. Marc Blatstein can start with a combination of one or all of the following: padding & taping of the foot in a supportive nature, taking oral anti-inflammatory medications, immobilization of the foot in a walking cast, physical therapy as well as implementing specific stretching exercises. Should additional treatment be necessary, cortisone injections and orthopedic functional foot orthotics may be prescribed. Should any or all of these treatments fail, and after a detailed review of X-rays and lab results with your physician, surgical intervention may be considered, and according to Dr. Marc Blatstein, it is very effective. Here, an Endoscopic Plantar Fasciotomy is one (of many) of the possible procedures that could be recommended. A plan is formed between you and your doctor for a successful outcome meant to add a full and enjoyable life to your years.

II. THE CIRCULATOR BOOT™

 

A major part of Dr. Blatstein’s practice is using The Circulator Boot™ as a method of treatment that helps with the core elements of lower extremity wound therapy: bacterial control, increased blood supply, moisture, and the removal of dead or damaged tissues to help the healing of healthy tissue. Along with other modes of treatment, surgical debridement of infected wounds, the use of antibiotic medications along with home care, and boot therapy in Marc Blatstein’s eyes may improve the blood supply and control the infection when standard methods of treatment are failing.

The Circulator Boot™(Mayo Clinic.org), from Dr. Marc Blatstein’s years of experience, the end-diastolic timing of its leg compressions (this FDA-approved non-invasive technology) provides benefits in preventing leg amputation. Poor circulation and infection are the leading causes of 90,000 diabetic amputations that occur every year in the United States.

The Circulator Boot™, “A leg with poor arterial blood flow, may be likened to a dirty sponge that is half wet. Squeezing such a sponge disseminates the water throughout the sponge. Soaking and wringing the water repeatedly from the sponge may help clean it. In like fashion, the heart monitor of the Circulator Boot™ is timed to allow each arterial pulse wave to enter the leg as best it can (to partially wet the leg “sponge”). Boot compressions provide a driving force to disseminate blood around the leg and, at the same time, press venous blood and excess tissue water from the leg. Patients with a pulse rate of 80 beats per minute might receive 4800 compressions an hour. Patients with severe arterial leg disease might receive 100 such treatments or close to a half-million compressions! Breakdown of the clot, re-channelization of blocked vessels, and forming small new vessels may help restore blood flow.”

For those who may be facing amputation, this may be an option. Dr. Marc Blatstein recommends learning more about The Circulator Boot™ as a Method of Treatment via The Circulatory Boot Service at the Mayo Clinic.

III. TARSALTUNNEL SYNDROME

Similar to Carpal Tunnel, Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome is due to the compression of a nerve called the Posterior Tibial Nerve. Dr. Marc Blatstein, a Podiatric Surgeon, explained that Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome occurs over time as the nerve becomes inflamed, resulting in symptoms such as burning, electric shocks, and tingling, as well as a shooting type of pain. Other factors that Dr. Marc Blatstein has found factors contributing to Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome come from either an overly pronated foot, which puts a stretch on the nerve, pressure on the nerve from soft tissue masses such as ganglions, fibromas, or lipomas that physically compress the nerve, as well as other insults to the nerve.
The diagnosis is usually quickly made by physical exam and the patient’s complaint history. Observation may reveal a slight swelling just on the inside of the ankle joint. As part of the physical exam, Dr. Marc Blatstein finds that gently tapping the inside of the ankle joint in the acute phase will result in a tingling sensation that may shoot up the leg and/or into the foot. Nerve conduction studies are another tool that will reveal if there is damage to the nerve.

Treatment of the Tarsal Tunnel involves many different components, some of which are correcting the abnormal pronation of the foot [which is accomplished with prescription functional foot orthotics]. Along with this, oral anti-inflammatory medications, vitamin B supplements, &/or steroids may provide some benefit but are rarely curative. Should a soft tissue mass compress the nerve, surgical removal of the mass may be necessary. Surgical correction of Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome has a good chance of success; at the same time, the overpronation of the foot still needs to be followed with functional foot orthotics.

IV. THE PAINFUL HAMMERTOE

According to Dr. Marc Blatstein, hammertoes appear with the toes bent in a clawing fashion. Hammertoes may be flexible or rigid; flexible infers that you can manually straighten the toes, while it is not possible to straighten the rigid toe. Because most of us wear enclosed shoe gear, the pressure caused by the shoe gear we wear causes the toes to become painful. On top of this, pressure forms hard corn, while on the bottom of the foot, the toe pushes the metatarsal bone down, forming a callus under the metatarsal head. Treatment of hammertoes can be approached in many ways. Dr. Marc Blatstein starts by recommending a combination of appropriate shoe gear and a functional orthotic prescribed as a shoe insert to help the hammertoes from progressing or getting worse. In the very initial stages, while the toe is still flexible, it can be tapped into its corrected position, utilizing a functional orthotic. This conservative treatment also consists of hammertoe and buttress pads, all available over the counter, and open-toe shoes.

With continued pain, correction of the deformity, while successful, depends on whether they are rigid or flexible. While the hammertoe is still flexible, a simple tendon release followed by taping it in the corrected position is usually effective. Then, a functional orthotic may be prescribed to help maintain this correction. With a rigid hammertoe, the surgical procedure consists of removing some skin and a small section of bone. Dr. Marc Blatstein told us that in cases of a severe hammertoe deformity, a pin may be used to hold the toe in its corrected position for several weeks & then it is removed. In all cases, following your surgeon’s after-surgery instructions is essential to get the best result.

V. INGROWN TOENAIL

Victoria Azaranka recently dropped out of a tennis match because of an ingrown toenail. Dr. Marc Blatstein tells us how to prevent ingrown toenails. Several people wait far too long to have the procedure, and they have more complications. 

Most people do not think an ingrown toenail will get in the way of their profession, but it did for one person. Victoria Azaranka, the world’s No. 1 tennis player, was sidelined due to an ingrown toenail in her right big toe. The toenail had become ingrown and made it so painful she had to sit out of a match against Serena Williams, a former world’s No. 1 women’s tennis player. The cause behind the ingrown toenail is a surprise, a bad pedicure.

PUBLICATIONS:

Nails Magazine, Contributor, through the 1990s

                                                                                                               

CREATIVE FOOTWORKS

Novelties, Business Supplies, and Gifts for those practicing Foot and Ankle Medicine and Surgery, 1986-1996.

 

        

             

                                                                     

 

 

 

 

SECOND CAREER

PHYSICIAN PRESENTENCE REPORT SERVICE, LLC. 2011

 

PUBLICATIONS:

 

 

Presentence Report

 

 

The Federal Lawyer, Co-authored, 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

American Bar Association, Co-authored two Chapters in 2022