Can I Send Handwritten Letters to an Inmate for Free?

You can write and send letters yourself directly through the US Postal Service without using any third-party service. The only costs involved are the supplies you already have at home, paper and an envelope, and the cost of a postage stamp.

A first-class stamp covers standard domestic mail. Make sure the envelope is addressed with your inmate's full legal name, their inmate ID number, and the complete facility mailing address. That is all that is required.

One thing worth knowing: a handwritten letter often means more than a printed one. The time it takes to sit down and write by hand, the fact that it came directly from you in your own handwriting, carries weight that a typed and printed letter does not always match. Inmates recognize the difference and it matters to them.

InmateAid's letter service is there for convenience, for when you want to include photos printed professionally, when you are writing from outside the US, or when you want the privacy of not having your home address on the envelope. But if you want to write a letter yourself and mail it, that is always a valid and meaningful option.