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
You can send as many sexy pictures as you want - they are definitely allowed in federal prison, but you cannot show any private parts (they will get rejected). Pictures of yourself in a bikini or lingerie, inmates love them. But, remember that the pictures are reviewed and approved by staff members in the mail room - so keep it classy. Your boyfriend will appreciate these pictures and they go a long way towards keeping him thinking about you :)
Read moreInmates can only write to another inmate if both have approval from their respective institutions. This happens in cases where the two are related, it is unlikely to be approved if there is no family connection
Read moreThe online letter is the most reliable. Inmates have to call you, you cannot call in and ask to speak to them. Therefore, the letter can initiate contact but then the inmate would have to call you.
Read moreThe inmates may write you back through us. If they do, we scan their mail into your account and notify you by email that you have correspondence.
Read moreYes, absolutely we will notify you that they have written you back
Read moreYes, and they DO! When we receive the letter from your inmate on your behalf - we scan it into your account and then notify you by email that it is there.
Read moreMail is considered sacred in a prison, detention center or jail. The facilities do everything can in their power to make communication available to all inmates. You are correct in that a lot of them are forgotten and get no mail at all. It is really great that you are reaching out and making some connections. These inmates need your attention if you have the time. There is a program for indigent inmates at every facility where they supply
Read moreThere is no such thing as "free" in the prison system
Read moreThere is no limit
Read moreInmates are allowed mail whether they are in the hole, lockdown...anything except terrorism
Read more