Recently Asked
Inmate Care Packages
How to Send Care Packages to an Inmate in Prison?
Sending a care package to someone in prison is not as simple as boxing up items and shipping them from home. Most correctional facilities do not accept...
Send Inmate Money
How to send money to a inmate in Jail or Prison?
Sending money to an inmate is one of the most practical things you can do to support someone on the inside. Money on their books gives them access to...
General Prison Questions-Terminology
"What is the difference between jail and prison?
Jail and prison are two distinct types of correctional facilities that serve different purposes, house different populations, and operate under different...
Inmate Phone Calls
How do I get a phone call from my husband who has just been transported there
When an inmate arrives at a new facility, phone access does not begin immediately. There is an intake and orientation process that typically takes one to two...
More Questions
How do I send a physical letter through the USPS to my daughter?
Include the inmate's name, their ID number and mailing address of the facility.…
Include the inmate's name, their ID number and mailing address of the facility.
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How do i get money to him for commissary?
You have to find out the money transfer company they use if you want to expedite the transaction.…
You have to find out the money transfer company they use if you want to expedite the transaction. You can always send a money order too, but that is a slower process. What facility is your inmate in, we'll try to help?
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How do I know inmate received mail sent?
The inmate will let you know.…
The inmate will let you know. These letters are not like registered mail where someone signs for it. They are mailed into the facility and inspected by the staff. After they have decided that the mail is ready to be handed out to the inmates, they distribute it at "mail call". If the mail is rejected for any reason and is returned, we will investigate the reason and let you know possible remedies.
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What do you have to do to get married?
Our best advice is to call the facility chaplain and ask if this is available to the inmates and if so what the rules are.…
Our best advice is to call the facility chaplain and ask if this is available to the inmates and if so what the rules are.
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Do I still pay Telmate even after getting an InmateAid number?
The phone service at all the prisons, jails and detention centers are set up through bid process.…
The phone service at all the prisons, jails and detention centers are set up through bid process. The winner of the contract is the ONLY provider for that facility making them a monopoly - Telmate in this case. Therefore you have to use them to receive calls. The choice is whether you pay them for a long distance call or a local call (to a number we get for you).
Here is how it works... We get you a local...
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Where are the inmates who answer these questions?
The inmates answering these question are ex-inmates who have served time in federal prison, private prison and county jail.…
The inmates answering these question are ex-inmates who have served time in federal prison, private prison and county jail. They spend significant time and know a great deal about the inner-workings of the system of incarceration. Getting answers like what you are reading in the pages of Ask the Inmate is valuable information that isn't usually free - but on InmateAid it is - and you can ask ANYTHING!
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Can you stop a postcard from being sent once it is entered and paid for?
NO, once the postcard is completed, it is automatically and immediately processed by a third-party.…
NO, once the postcard is completed, it is automatically and immediately processed by a third-party. We have no way of stopping it from being mailed once it is paid for.
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How does my inmate write me back through this service?
Inmates that have money on their inmate trust accounts can purchase stamps and envelopes at the weekly commissary.…
Inmates that have money on their inmate trust accounts can purchase stamps and envelopes at the weekly commissary. If they do not have money on their books, the prison will provide indigent inmates with all the materials necessary to send out mail to their loved ones.
If your inmate writes to you directly, using your address, the cost of the mailing is a 49 cent stamp. Many of our members use the Inmate Response Mail service through InmateAid. Your inmate...
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Can anyone read the letters & postcards sent by someone else on InmateAid?
No, absolutely not.…
No, absolutely not. You can also elect to make the inmate's profile private
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How do i add a inmate?
Send us the inmate's name, ID number, DOB, the and the facility they are incarcerated in - we will set it up for you and notify you when it is synced to the…
Send us the inmate's name, ID number, DOB, the and the facility they are incarcerated in - we will set it up for you and notify you when it is synced to the services on InmateAid. If you are missing any of the information, send us some of it and we will research it for you.
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When do inmates receive their mail?
Mail is handed out Monday through Friday…
Mail is handed out Monday through Friday
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Is Access Secure Deposits the way to get money to an inmate?
Yes, that is one way if they have the contract with the facility where your inmate is incarcerated.…
Yes, that is one way if they have the contract with the facility where your inmate is incarcerated. All money transfer solutions have a fee.
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How does the inmate mail works & how do the inmates gain access to the messages?
InmateAid's service is not email; it is with the US Postal Service.…
InmateAid's service is not email; it is with the US Postal Service. Inmates do not have Internet access. We estimate that it takes 2-3 business days to make it to the jail. Once there, the staff opens and reads each piece of mail and inspects it for contraband. Once they decide the mail is fit to be handed out at mail call, your inmate will receive it. Any delay that occurs at the facility is out of our control. We...
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How do you get money to a inmate?
It depends on where they are incarcerated.…
It depends on where they are incarcerated. Most facilities have a money transfer solution but you'd have to check with them to see who it is. We have a deal with [Western Union](https://www.westernunion.com/us/en/send-to-inmate.html?src=aff_cj_mt_Inmate+Aid%252C+LLC_6191743_SENDMONEYPAGETEXT) which primarily deals with the federal BOP but they do not cover all of the facilities. You can click the link and check to see if Western Union is a solution for your inmate.
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How often do the inmates get to make phone calls?
Phone time varies by the penal system that your loved one is incarcerated in.…
Phone time varies by the penal system that your loved one is incarcerated in. The federal system is 300 minutes per month. State prions and county jails have more available time to communicate by telephone. Normally, the phones are on at 6am - 9:30pm but we advise checking with your particular facility to know for certain.
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