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
Yes, and you should write every letter as if they do. Mail room staff are expected to read incoming letters in their entirety. That is the protocol, and it exists for legitimate security reasons. In practice, the volume of mail at larger facilities means some officers scan rather than read thoroughly, but there is no way to know which approach any particular staff member is taking on any given day. Assuming your letter will be read word for word
Read moreThey go out the same day, unless purchased after 5pm EST.
Read moreYour inmate can write you anytime they want. Even if they do not have any money to buy stamps, there is a program for inmates that have no money on their book, they can ask their counselor and the stamps and writing materials will be provided.
Read moreThe letters are sent via US Mail. The staff that receives and hands out the mail does not offer a verification. You will know they received it because they will tell you - if gets sent back we will investigate and let you know why it didn't. In those cases, we fix the problem and resend it for you at no charge. The service is very reliable, we've been successfully doing this for many years
Read moreThere are precious few things a loved one can actually do for an inmate to make their stay more bearable. Keeping in contact with them, sharing holiday photos and sending things that help them pass the time like magazines and books are a hugely beneficial - especially during the holidays. InmateAid has all the services that you'd need to keep organized and connected until they come home. We applaud your efforts!
Read moreYes, the inmates may write you through our Letters from Inmates service. We are essentially being your postal address, the inmates writes back to you with our address, we scan it into your account and you can access it through your My Account portal. Inmates have no Internet access. People like the privacy this affords, some do not want their own address used. We estimate it takes 2-3 business days for the mail to reach the facility. Once there, the staff
Read moreThey can reply to you through us. Our return address is on the postcard. If they do, we will let you know there is a letter from your inmate in your account.
Read moreIf your inmate sends you a letter to our address, we scan it into your account and notify you by email that it is there. You access the letter in a PDF, it can be read online or downloaded and printed.
Read moreWe estimate a couple business days for normal mail to make it into the facility. Once it is there, they inspect all parcels and then hand them out to the inmates. There might be a short delay inside the mail room.
Read moreYes they can. Inmates do not have access to the Internet. They send you the letter through our service - we receive them, scan them and place them in your My Account area for retrieval. This service is beneficial for people who want their home address private.
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