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
It is not a good idea and in many facilities it will get your letter rejected before it ever reaches your inmate. Perfume and cologne on mail are prohibited at most correctional facilities because scent can be used to mask the smell of drugs or other contraband during mail room inspections. Many facilities post this restriction explicitly in their mail policies, and officers who detect a scented letter will often discard or return it without delivering it. Lipstick
Read moreWe estimate that it takes about 3 business days to arrive in the facility mail room. Once there, the staff opens each piece for contraband. Be mindful that each facility has their own set of rules as to how long they have to actually deliver the mail. For instance, the CDCR in California has up to 14 days from receipt. This is a drastic example, but the prison business is not normal and the rules are like a moving target.
Read moreOnce your inmate's letter arrives at InmateAid, it is scanned and posted to your account dashboard the same day it is received. You will get an email notification as soon as it is uploaded so you know it is there waiting for you. The part that takes time is the postal delivery, not the processing on our end. Once the letter leaves the facility it travels through the regular US mail system, which typically takes a few days to
Read moreEvery inmate wants sexy pictures of their mate. You cannot have any nudity. The photos that will make it past screening are bikini, lingerie type photos where no private parts are showing.
Read moreWe have a "greeting card" service on the website. Log onto your account and click on http://www.inmateaid.com/pages/details/send-inmate-birthday-cards-holiday-greetings-cards and it'll take you where you need to be.
Read moreForwarding books or packages: County jails almost never forward mail or packages if an inmate has been moved. If you send a book from Amazon and your inmate is transferred before it arrives, it will usually: Be returned to the sender, or Be rejected or lost in the system Forwarding is rare and typically only happens within certain systems, not at the county jail level. What you should do instead: Try to confirm the inmate’s current location before ordering
Read moreThe inmateAID service is not email, it is postal mail. The estimated time for delivery is 1-3 business days. There are potential delays once inside the mail room as the staff opens all mail inspecting for contraband. If you have questions about inmate ID or location, you can use the inmate locator for that facility page inside inmateAID or their jurisdiction (federal or state). If you need our help, just ask!
Read moreThe same rules that apply at jails and prisons apply at correctional boot camps. All incoming mail is opened and inspected by staff, and any photos containing nudity will be confiscated before they ever reach your family member. The line is the same across virtually every correctional setting: bikinis and lingerie are permitted as long as private areas are covered. Anything that crosses into explicit nudity gets rejected at the mail room, and in some cases repeated attempts to
Read moreyou can write in either pen or pencil, there are no restrictions for a normal letter being sent. do not spray perfume on the paper or place any stickers or anything that might get the letter returned. keep it simple. try our letter writing service, the best part is the photo option. they are 4 x 6 glossy photos that are prison-approved and look great! have you been promising to send some pictures??
Read moreWe estimate that it takes 1-3 business days to arrive at the facility. The detention center or jail receives the mail, opens and inspects it for contraband and then passes it out at "mail call" to the inmate. This process sometimes delays the distribution to the inmate further.
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