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
No he will not, it takes a couple of business days and then the mail room staff has to read all the mail and approve of the pictures before they are handed out to the inmates. There is NO same-day service as it relates to inmate mail, too many variables that might cause a delay. Be patient and expect the delivery to be quick but not immediate.
Read moreWe would love to say that it'll get through because your man deserves to have pictures of you. But, it is totally up to the individual staff member that comes across it while screening the incoming mail. You can try it, but there are no guarantees it'll get through. Why not try lingerie and/or a bikini...? It'll make him just as happy :)
Read moreUsually 2-3 business days does the trick, but there are sometimes delays inside the facility mail room that are outside of anyone's control. Our letters have the InmateAid logo on the envelope and the mail staff knows that we only send letters and photos, there are no marketing pieces or anything that might delay delivery to the inmates.
Read moreWe get hundreds of incoming letters per day. They are all scanned and matched to the name of the addressee. There is no cost to the inmate, we charge $1.49 for the retrieval of the letters.
Read moreThe mail room staff does potentially read every letter coming through, even at the camps but they are looking for crime-related content that relates to their crime, escape or potential crimes they might know about or even direct through letters. Outside of those instances, you can write whatever you want in your letter to your inmate. Sexually explicit letters are especially gratifying for the inmate. They have no means of intimacy and your sexy words of encouragement are a great
Read moreMost federal inmates can buy "picture tickets" through the commissary ($1.00 - $1.50 each). Once or twice a month, the staff will take inmate's pictures for the very purpose of sharing them with their loved ones mailing them home.
Read moreNo, he definitely did not get it. Send us the inmate's name and new location, we will remail it for you at no charge.
Read moreIt comes to your inmateAID account, which is in a way electronic for you, look under - "Letters from Inmates"
Read moreThis service is NOT an email, it is a postal letter delivered into the mail room of the facility. Inmate do not have internet access. Our members find it reliable, convenience, safe and priced fairly for what we do. There is no proof of receipt other than your inmate will let you know they did. We have been mailing tens of thousands of letters and pictures every month to inmates in EVERY facility in the United States. It is rare when
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