My Inmate Was Released Before My Postcards Arrived. Will He Still Get Them?

Whether your postcards reach him depends on where he went after release and whether he left a forwarding address with the facility.

If he was released directly to the community, meaning he went home or to a family member's address, the facility will not automatically forward his mail. Most correctional facilities do not maintain forwarding systems for released inmates unless the inmate specifically requested mail forwarding and provided a home address before leaving. In that case your postcards will likely be returned or discarded.

If he was transferred to a halfway house before full release, the situation is more favorable. Mail sent to the original facility is typically forwarded to the halfway house when an inmate transitions there as part of the pre-release process. There is usually a short delay but the mail tends to follow him.

The fastest way to find out is to contact the facility directly and ask whether mail is being forwarded for recently released inmates and whether he left a forwarding address on file.

Going forward now that he is out, InmateAid's letter and postcard services can be redirected to his current address whether that is a halfway house, a family home, or his own residence. Staying connected through mail during the reentry period matters just as much as it did inside. The transition home is one of the hardest parts of the journey for everyone involved.