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 Absolutely!
Read moreYou will have to set up an inmate profile. Once that is set up in your Account, you may click on "letters and photos" - follow the prompts when selecting photos from the storage on your phone. It is easy to do, but if you are having difficulties please call our offices and we will walk you through it on the phone. 866-966-7100
Read moreCreate an inmate profile, click on LETTER in their profile, type out your letter (upload some photos) and then save the letter. Proceed to the Pay Now page and once it is submitted, the letter will be posted almost immediately.
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 6pm 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
Read moreNever. InmateAid does not review, censor, withhold, or share correspondence regardless of who the inmate is or how much public attention their case may be receiving. Here is exactly how the process works. When an inmate's reply letter arrives at InmateAid, it is scanned and uploaded directly to the recipient's account dashboard. The physical letter is shredded after scanning to protect everyone's privacy. InmateAid staff do not read the contents. The scanning process is automated and the material goes
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. Any delay that occurs at the facility is out of our control. We make no guarantees as to how long it will take as there are thousands of facilities and none
Read moreThe InmateAid letter response system still travels through the US Postal Service because that is the only option available to inmates who do not have internet access. The difference is in how the letter is received and delivered to you on the outside. Here is how it works. When you send a letter through InmateAid the return address on the envelope is InmateAid's address rather than your personal home address. Your loved one writes their response letter and mails
Read moreWe do not have a bible program currently in place. We recommend using Amazon for the sending of all books into the prison. Make sure that the books are paperback and come from Amazon itself and not one of their resellers.
Read moreYou can send "sexy" pictures, in your bikini or lingerie as long as the material is not transparent or that there are no private parts showing.
Read moreOnce a letter is received, scanned, and uploaded to the InmateAid system so it can be delivered to the recipient, the original physical letter is kept on file for two weeks and then destroyed. The two week window exists as a buffer to handle any issues that might arise with the digital delivery, such as a recipient reporting they did not receive the letter or a question about the contents. Having the original available during that period allows any
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