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.
Related InmateAid Services
2 to 3 days in most cases
Read moreThe inmate may replay to you with the InmateAid Inmate Response Letter Service. There is no cost to the inmate, but there is a cost to the recipient of $1.49. Transfers can mean a few things, but early release is not one of them. Usually it is that the inmate is "working his way down" the various custody levels. If it is that, it might lead the way to the earliest possible release date.
Read moreYes, mail is considered sacred, there is no withholding of inmate mail for punitive reasons
Read moreInmates may reject mail without opening it. We are not 100% sure that is the reason in this case, but if there are hard feelings or it's a recent incarceration, the inmate might be a little out of sorts.
Read moreMaybe a few hours earlier than the other inmates at mail call, or a few hours later. They will likely call him to the administration building to sign for it, and that would be on their schedule as they are not treating this mail any different than the others - all incoming mail is opened, read and inspected for contraband before the handed out. We think certified mail is not necessary because of where he is.
Read moreUsually within 2-3 business days. New inmates are allowed incoming and outgoing mail. The only caveat to this timeline is the possibility that the mail gets delayed once inside the mail room. The staff goes through each piece of mail before they distribute to the inmates
Read moreYes, we call it Letters from Inmates in the Admin section of your My Account area. Our users like the ability to write and inmate and not have to use their own address as the sender. If this is the case, the inmate will write you through us. We receive the letter and scan it into your account. You are notified via email that there is a letter there for your review.
Read moreIf you let us know the new location, we will resend them for you at no charge at any time.
Read moreWe will send you an email that there is a letter in your account. The letter is scanned and is available on a PDF.
Read moreThe Letter and Photo service through InmateAid is not digital. It is an actual letter printed out and send through the US Postal Service. We estimate that it takes 2-3 business days to reach the mail room. Normally the mail is immediately processed and delivered to the inmate, however there are delays that occur for various reasons that are outside of anyone's control. We have been successfully and reliably delivering hundreds of thousands of inmate letters over the many years
Read more