InmateAid Website questions — Ask the Inmate
InmateAid is designed to be as simple and accessible as possible, but questions about how the platform works are completely normal, especially for first-time users navigating a stressful situation. This section covers the most common technical and account questions including how to create an account and set up an inmate profile, how to send letters and photos through the platform, how the discount phone service works and when your number will be ready, how to track the status of a letter or money transfer, what to do if an order did not go through as expected, how to update an inmate's facility information after a transfer, and how to contact InmateAid's support team when you need help. The guidance here is written to get you back on track as quickly as possible so you can focus on what matters, staying connected with your loved one. See also our sections on Send Inmate Mail, Inmate Phone Calls, and Money Transfer.
Related InmateAid Services
Absolutely. InmateAid does not filter, suppress, or conceal answers based on who is asking or what the subject matter is. The platform covers every imaginable topic related to incarceration and the answers come from people with real firsthand experience inside the system. That perspective is the whole point. The only reason an answer ever gets marked private is if the person submitting the question checks the private box themselves when they ask it. That is a user controlled setting,
Read moreWOW, thanks for the kind words. As far as a recommendation of how to "spread the word", we are much on asking others for promotion as it seems a little disingenuous. But, if you are inclined, there are people that will say something nice on Facebook (some that don't LOL). If it works for you, then that is all the recognition we need.
Read moreclick the pencil icon to the far left of where the letter is displayed, it will open up and allow you to edit the words.
Read moreCorrectional facilities require a return address on incoming mail. A letter without one is likely to get rejected at the mailroom before it ever reaches your loved one. Facilities want to know where mail is coming from, and an envelope with no return address raises flags that can result in the letter being discarded entirely. Addressing the envelope correctly is straightforward, but the details matter. You need the inmate's full legal name, their inmate ID or register number, the
Read moreYes. One InmateAid account can support as many inmate profiles as you need, across any number of facilities. There is no limit on how many people you can follow or how many different jails and prisons those people are in. To set up a second or additional profile, log into your account and go to the My Account area. From there, click on Inmate Pages and create a new profile for each person you want to follow. Each profile
Read moreNavigate to the inmate profile in your account and look for the small eyeglass icon on the far right of the letter entry. Clicking that icon opens the scanned letter so you can read it. If you do not see the icon contact InmateAid support for assistance.
Read moreThe concern is understandable given how many services in this space have taken advantage of families who are already in a difficult situation. InmateAid operates transparently and the process is straightforward from start to finish. When you write a letter through InmateAid and include photos, that content is printed as a physical document and mailed to the inmate at their facility through the regular postal system. It goes through the facility mailroom the same way any piece of mail
Read moreInmateAid does not have a mechanism that allows one member to block another member from accessing an inmate's profile outright. What can happen is that a profile is set to private by whoever created it, which restricts visibility to that specific page. If you are running into a wall trying to access a particular profile, a private setting is the most likely explanation for why you cannot get through. The important thing to understand is that a private profile
Read moreThis is one of the most common concerns for families using any inmate mail service for the first time, and the uncertainty is completely understandable, especially when an extended lockdown has cut off direct communication and removed the ability to confirm receipt through a phone call or letter back. InmateAid can say with certainty that your letter was printed, addressed, and dispatched into the postal system. That step is documented and verifiable on the fulfillment side. What no service,
Read moreInmateAid was built by a former federal inmate who also spent time in county and private prison facilities. The site exists to help families and loved ones support someone who is incarcerated, from the day they are arrested through their release and reentry. That is what the tagline Before, During and After means. Here is what the site offers and how it works. Personal Inmate Page. You create a profile for your inmate that serves as a central
Read more