The US Federal Bureau of Prisons jail first-time offenders in short-term county jails for THREE YEARS before a fair trial. These inmates are being held per an outdated act of congress from 1930 that states anyone "charged with offenses.. being held as witnesses or otherwise" can remain in these county jails for 3 years. This is mainly because at the time the US only had 3 prisons.  The US Prison system now uses this same act to leave pre-trial, presumably innocent people in these conditions.

These pre-trial inmates are being held without proper long-term care in county holding facilities.  The county jails in the US, by their own description, are for inmates "serving time that is less than a year."  In most of these county jails (aka "federal holds") pre-trial inmates are given a mat, a toothbrush, toothpaste and a bar of soap. Most are ALLOWED one bible and no other reading material.

Most of these presumably innocent inmates , AREN'T ALLOWED to go outside, listen to music, to exercise, attend church services, study their case (no law library access).  They have no in-person visits, pictures, emails or letters from their loved ones (only 3x5 white postcards). They are given no fruit, not even a piece of lettuce, no ice, only can drink water and coffee, no lip balm, no hair ties, no pens or colored pencils, no proper shoes, only flat plastic slip-ons. These people, who have yet to be found guilty, deal with very limited or poor medical help... imagine receiving a Tylenol for a headache 3-5 days after your request and being charged $20 for a long-since-gone headache. Most are told they can't attend state family court for their children or deal with outside issues that would help their case.

People kept locked in these short-term facilities for longer than recommended terms feel forced to plead guilty to their charges although they might be innocent to avoid these prisoner-of-war-like conditions just to be moved to federal long-term institutions where they receive better care.

Please help these thousands of people buried in the Federal Justice System!