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, envelopes are provided, stamps may be purchased at commissary. If you inmate does not have money on their books, there is a provision for indigent inmates where stamps and letter writing materials are available.
Read moreThe Inmate Response Letter Service is $1.49 based upon the letter that is received in it's entirety, to be paid by the recipient. If the inmate mails more than four pages, there is another PDF File created which is a separate charge. As long as the letter is four pages or less, then it's a single charge.
Read moreNo, they are sent through the US Postal Service
Read moreInmates that have money on their inmate trust accounts can purchase stamps and envelopes at the weekly commissary. If they do not have money on their books, the prison will provide indigent inmates with all the materials necessary to send out mail to their loved ones. If your inmate writes to you directly, using your address, the cost of the mailing is a 49 cent stamp. Many of our members use the Inmate Response Mail service through InmateAid. Your
Read moreIt is 50/50 whether they will forward it or not. The inmate profiles are created by the members of the site. We do not monitor or verify the inmate information unless requested to do so. If the new facility is the Union City Community Corrections Center (UCCCC), we would be happy to resend it for you at no charge.
Read moreIf he writes back through InmateAid, he simply uses our return address and we will scan the letter into your account and notify you of it's existence.
Read moreYes. Inmates have the right to refuse incoming mail, and if they choose to do so the letter gets returned to the sender rather than delivered. It is not something that happens often, but it does happen. An inmate may refuse mail from a specific person for any number of reasons, whether they want to cut off contact, are trying to avoid conflict inside, or simply do not want the correspondence. In some cases a facility can also flag
Read moreSaturday night, the post office is closed. The letters will be processed Moday morning.
Read moreIt takes 1-3 business days but once it is received in the mail room at the jail, it is up to the mail room staff to hand the mail out to the inmates. It's hard to pinpoint an exact time for that reason
Read moreYou will get an email notification that will alert you that there is a letter from your inmate scanned into your account
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