Reviewed on: April 30,2026
Send Inmate Mail

Does My Inmate Need Credits to Write Back Through InmateAid?

If I buy letter credits does the inmate have to have credits to write me back? What do I need to do to have someone write me back

Your inmate does not need any credits or an InmateAid account to write back to you.
Ask The Inmate
Answered by a former federal inmate · 14+ years advising families
✓ Verified answer March 29,2021 · Send Inmate Mail
1

Your inmate does not need any credits or an InmateAid account to write back to you. The process on their end is simple and costs nothing beyond a postage stamp.

When you send a letter through InmateAid, the return address on the envelope is InmateAid's Florida address. Your inmate writes their reply on paper, addresses it to that InmateAid address, and mails it out through the facility's regular outgoing mail. That is all they need to do.

On InmateAid's end, when the reply arrives it gets scanned into your account and you receive a notification that incoming mail is waiting. You log in and retrieve it from your dashboard. The fee for that incoming mail service is $1.99 per letter.

The reason a lot of people use this system is exactly what you might expect. Your home address never appears anywhere in the exchange. Your inmate writes back to a Florida address, not to wherever you actually live. That privacy protection works in both directions and is one of the more practical features of the service for people who have safety or personal reasons for keeping their location private.

To set it up, make sure your account is active and your inmate has the InmateAid return address, which will be printed on every envelope you send them. Once they have that address they can write back at any time, and you will be notified in your account when something arrives.

Accepted Answer Date Created: March 29,2021
Was this helpful?

My situation is different — ask your own question.

Our advisors answer within 24 hours. Free, always. Former federal and state inmates with direct experience.

About this answer: This response was prepared by InmateAid’s editorial team in consultation with former inmates who have direct experience with the federal correctional system. InmateAid has served families of the incarcerated since 2012. This is general information only — not legal advice. Last reviewed April 2026.