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, inmates may receive all mail unless they are on a Homeland Security hold and then sometimes the lists are censored.
Read moreInmates are allowed to write their loved ones and are encouraged to do so. The inmate would either need your address or our address, as we receive thousands of letters from inmates on our member's behalf. People tend to like having an address other than their own for privacy reasons.
Read moreThe only way you will know if they received it is when they respond back to you, thanking you for remembering them, unless the letter is returned to us. In that event we will investigate the reason and notify you of your options. It's rare but sometimes the facility is wrong or the inmate ID is missing. These are all correctable and we do so at no charge.
Read moreInmates can write with or without money on their books. Inmates with no money can get writing supplies and stamps that are provided by the institution as indigence funding.
Read moreInmateAid does not list juvenile inmates for pen pal connections. The site's services are focused on adult incarcerated individuals, and listing minors in any kind of public-facing pen pal capacity raises serious child safety concerns that make it something no reputable platform should facilitate. If you are genuinely interested in supporting young people in the juvenile justice system, the right path is through established organizations that have proper vetting processes in place. Programs like the National Juvenile Justice Network
Read moreHe will probably get it Monday or Tuesday if the mail room is operating under normal conditions.
Read moreYour dilemma was the reason InmateAid was created. There are no other websites that put all of this in one place to help make your relationship with an incarcerated loved one easier to manage. If you need to get their location, send us their name, DOB, state their in and any other information (like the jurisdiction: county, state or federal). You can send the [word search](https://www.inmateaid.com/shop/magazines), photos and letters, [postcards](https://www.inmateaid.com/postcards), [magazine subscriptions](https://www.inmateaid.com/shop/magazines) and books all from your smartphone or computer.
Read moreWe estimate that it takes 2-3 business days to make it to the jail. Once there, the staff opens and reads each piece of mail and inspects it for contraband. Once they decide the mail is fit to be handed out at mail call, your inmate will receive it. Please be patient, if the ID number and facility are correct we are 100% reliable. Mail call is Monday - Friday in most places.
Read moreNo, just add money to their commissary. Your stamped envelopes will either be returned or discarded, they will not make it to your inmate.
Read moreThe letter and photo service from InmateAid is straightforward. You type up a letter and upload photos where applicable - proceed to the Pay Now page and complete the transaction. The letter order flows through our Admin area to the Processing Department. Letters are processed immediately upon entry unless it is after 4pm on Saturday, then the letters do not go through the process until Monday morning. You may check in your My Account area to see the status of
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