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
We are certain that he will appreciate them but most facility mail room staff will censor any nudity. It's best to send those kind of pictures with something on, you can make it sexy but going further than that will most likely get returned.
Read moreProbably a week or more. You should try our [letter service](https://www.inmateaid.com/letters), it'll be cheaper and a lot faster than international mail. Email us at Aid@InmateAid.com and request a coupon to try the service the first time for free.
Read moreYes, we have a very convenient and effective way to communicate with your inmate. Inmates do not have access to the Internet. The 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 6pm on Saturday, then the letters
Read moreIn most cases, writing a letter in Spanish will not slow down delivery. Mail to inmates is opened and inspected by staff before it is handed out. This is standard at every facility. If the staff can easily understand the language, the process usually moves along at the normal pace, which is typically a few days plus whatever internal mailroom delay the facility has. The only time a delay might happen is if the mailroom staff cannot understand
Read more“Ask the Inmate” is not a direct communication link to a particular inmate; it is a question and answer forum between you and a former inmate who knows how things work on the inside. To communicate, [you can write letters](https://www.inmateaid.com/letters), [postcards](https://www.inmateaid.com/postcards) or send photos - you will have to go to your My Account area and click on the Inmate Page and then click "Letters". You will be able to communicate with them through there.
Read morePostcards are processed immediately upon entry unless after 6pm on Saturday or on no-mail Holidays, those letters will process Monday morning. We estimate that it takes 2-3 business days to make it to the jail. Once there, the staff 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. Any delay that occurs at the facility is out of our control.
Read moreYes, InmateAID's letter and postcard service has served tens of thousands of members for many years. You may [write your inmate](https://www.inmateaid.com/letters) often, you may add beautiful 4" x 6" glossy photos which inmates LOVE. You inmate may write you back to your address or if you wish to keep your location private your inmate can write you through InmateAID. We receive the letters on your behalf, scan them into your account and email you that they are there for your
Read moreYou know your heart better than anyone else. If you want to contact him again, the only way to know if he wants to hear from you is to try. The worst thing that could happen is that he asks you to stop or he doesn't respond at all. If you don't try you'll never know and you'll always wonder.
Read moreIt depends on the orders from the judge. The mail room personnel will know what they are and since they will open and inspect every piece of mail, it might be best to contact them before sending any pictures.
Read moreIt takes a couple of days through the mail. Once it arrives in the mail room it is up to the staff to read the mail and determine when they hand it to the inmates at mail call
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