Send Inmate Mail — Ask the Inmate
A letter from home arriving at mail call is one of the most powerful moments in an incarcerated person's day. It is proof that someone on the outside is thinking about them, that life is continuing, and that there is something worth coming home to. But sending mail to a correctional facility involves rules that vary by institution and mistakes can mean your letter never arrives. This section covers how to address mail correctly for federal and state facilities, what the mailroom screening process looks like and how long it adds to delivery time, what content is and is not permitted in letters, how to send photos and why sending them through InmateAid's service is more reliable than printing and mailing them yourself, how to send mail from outside the United States, and what the InmateAid return letter service does for inmates who want to write back. The guidance here makes sure every letter you send reaches its destination. See also our sections on Inmate Care Packages, Send Books and Magazines, and Inmate Phone Calls.
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Yes, inmates in the SHU are only eligible to get and send mail. The mail is delivered on a normal schedule. They are allowed ONE 15-minute phone call per week.
Read moreWe are not aware of any facility allowing nudity sent in through the mail. I definitely would have LOVED it!! But, they get rejected routinely for as little as a nip-slip. We feel bad for your fiance, he'll have to revert to the ones of you that got through. We love you for doing that for your guy!
Read moreAre you using the InmateAid app? All mail pieces we send are prison-jail compliant. If you would like to try our incredible service for free, please email aid@inmateaid.com and we will send you a free coupon to see what your inmate has been missing.
Read moreWe would call the facility and ask to speak with the mail room supervisor to find out why.
Read moreNot directly. You could imagine the ways that they could accomplish it thought by having someone on the outside do it for them.
Read moreThe inmates can send all the letters they want, provided they buy stamps in the commissary for postage. The inmates without money on their books can get stamps and letter writing material for free (as indigent inmates).
Read moreIt is a physical letter that is sent via USPS. The inmate gets to hold it in their hands. It is especially rewarding when they get pictures in that envelope at mail call, too
Read moreyes ma'am, unless the pictures show a little too much skin, they might get rejected. please keep em coming, we all appreciate it!
Read moreThe inmate will know when they are at mail call that they have a letter from you. It is a physical letter that is actually handed to the inmate.
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