Ask The Inmate. Real answers from people who've been there.

Yes, you can send care packages to an inmate, but it’s important to follow the specific guidelines and regulations set by the correctional facility where your loved one is housed. Here’s a detailed overview of the process to ensure a smooth and successful delivery: 1. Use Approved Vendors: Most correctional facilities only accept care packages from authorized vendors with whom they have partnered. Popular companies like Access Securepak, Union Supply Direct, iCare Gifts, and Walkenhorst’s offer a wide range of approved care...

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 would write you back to the return address on the letters which are to the InmateAid corporate offices in Florida. We receive the letters on your behalf, scan them into your My Account section and notify you by email that they are waiting for your review. There is a charge of $1.49...

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. Any delay that occurs at the facility is out of our control. We make no guarantees as to how long it will take as there are thousands of facilities and none of them do things the same way.Please be patient, if the ID number and facility are correct we are 100% reliable. Mail call is Monday...

The delays during holiday times are normal but they are not usually too long. Normally there are longer delays once inside the mail room as the staff reads all the letters and decides what gets handed out and what gets rejected. As long as your letter has the correct inmate ID number and the correct facility and does not contain content relating to what they deem to be unacceptable, you'll have no problems. But be mindful that prison makes their...

Most immigrants are being held in Immigration Detention Facilities that we have denoted in our directory with (ICE) in the name. The U.S. government is using detention with increasing frequency as a means of dealing with undocumented or otherwise removable immigrants after their arrest. When a friend or loved one has been placed in detention, it can be difficult to try to discover information on the person’s whereabouts.Immigration detention is not too different than jail or prison. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) either operates the...

Inmates are not personally notified when money is added to their phone account. There is no staff member who goes and tells them. They usually find out when they check their balance on the phone system or when they go to make a call and hear the available funds. As for getting your phone number to them, you will need to send it yourself. Jail and prison staff generally will not pass along messages or contact information. The best ways to do...

Yes, you can usually get married while he is incarcerated, and you can also visit him without being married. These are two separate issues, and neither one automatically requires the other. Marriage while incarcerated: Most facilities, including places like CNMCF, do allow inmates to get married, but there is a process. You will need approval from the facility, and both of you must meet legal requirements to marry. This usually involves: Submitting a marriage request through the chaplain or administration Providing identification and required...

The phone service at all of the prisons in the Arkansas Department of Correction is set up through bid process. In this case, GTL has the contract for all inmate outbound calling and to tape record the calls - essentially a monopoly. Therefore, you have to use them to receive any calls. The choice is whether you pay GTL for a long distance call (to your number) or a local call (to a number that we get you). If you...

At McCreary Satellite Camp in Pine Knot, KY, the discount phone service option is unfortunately not available. This is one of those rare locations where local number solutions cannot be set up due to how the phone lines are configured in that area. Here is how the phone system works there: All federal inmates use the Bureau of Prisons phone system, which is a closed system. Your loved one has to add your number to their approved calling list, and calls can...

There is no notification system where someone tells the inmate a letter was sent online. From their side, it looks just like regular mail. When you send a letter through InmateAid, it is printed out and mailed through the U.S. Postal Service. Once it arrives at the jail, staff will open and inspect it, and then it is delivered during normal mail call. Your inmate will not know it was sent online unless you mention it in the letter. To them, it...

When your husband arrives at Colwell Detention Center, he will first go through an intake process called Admission and Orientation, often referred to as A and O. During this time, the facility evaluates him, assigns housing, and sets up his records. This intake period usually takes anywhere from a few days up to a couple of weeks, depending on the facility. In some cases, parts of orientation can extend longer, but basic processing is typically done within the first week or...

When an inmate is transferred without notice, it can feel like they disappeared, but there are a few common reasons and ways to track them down. Based on what you described, a transfer by air is often a sign that the inmate may be in federal custody or being moved under the U.S. Marshals Service. State inmates are usually transported by ground unless it is a long distance transfer, but flights are much more common with federal movement. Here are the most...