How Do I Make Sure My Letter Went to the Right Inmate?

The two things that determine whether a letter reaches the right person are the inmate ID number and the facility address. Get both of those right and the letter will find its way to your inmate. Get either one wrong and it will not.

Inmate names alone are not enough. Facilities process a high volume of mail and route it by ID number, not by name. A common name with a wrong or missing ID number creates real risk of the letter being undeliverable or, in a worst case, delivered to the wrong person entirely.

Before sending anything, confirm the following:

The inmate ID number on the profile matches exactly what the facility has on file. Even a single digit off will cause a problem. The best way to verify is to cross-reference the ID number against the facility's online inmate locator or ask your inmate directly to confirm their current ID number.

The facility address is current. Inmates are transferred without much notice, and a letter addressed to an old facility will not follow them. If there is any chance your inmate has moved recently, confirm their location before sending.

If a letter comes back to InmateAid as undeliverable, we research the reason and contact you with what we find. You will have the option to resend with corrected information or receive a refund. But getting the ID number and address right upfront is always faster than troubleshooting after the fact.