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
Stamps in jail and prison commissaries are sold at the standard US Postal Service rate, the same price you would pay at any post office. Envelopes and paper are often available at little or no cost through the facility, though this varies by jail. If your inmate has no commissary funds at all, it is worth knowing that most facilities have an indigent program that provides a basic allotment of stamps and envelopes to inmates who cannot afford them.
Read moreIt depends on where the letter was addressed when you sent it. If you sent the letter to the facility your inmate was leaving, it may not follow him. Facilities do not reliably forward mail to a transferring inmate's new location, and there is no postal forwarding system in place the way there would be for a regular home address change. Mail sent to the old facility after an inmate has been transferred often gets returned to sender.
Read moreWhen you send a letter through InmateAid, we handle the printing and mailing on your end. Your letter is printed, properly addressed, and sent directly to the US Postal Service, which delivers it to the facility's mail room just like any other piece of mail. From there, staff opens and inspects it for contraband before it reaches mail call and gets handed to your inmate. The reply process is straightforward and works the same way regular mail always has.
Read moreYour fiancé does not need any money on his books to receive what you sent. There is no charge to the inmate for incoming mail. When you send a letter or photos through InmateAid, you pay for the service on your end. That covers the printing, any attachments, and the postage to get it to the facility. Once it arrives, it goes through the mail room the same way any other piece of mail does, staff inspects it, and
Read moreLegal mail is protected. Facilities cannot hold it, restrict it, or prevent it from going out. That protection exists under federal law and applies to correspondence with attorneys, courts, and government agencies. If your boyfriend is sending legal mail, it should be leaving the facility. That said, there are a few practical things worth checking if he feels like something is not moving. Legal mail typically has to be identified as such when it is handed in. In
Read moreYes, mail generally continues even during a lockdown in a federal prison camp. Lockdowns usually restrict movement, visitation, phone access, and commissary, but mail is considered an essential service. Inmates are still allowed to send and receive personal mail, although there can be delays. Here is what typically happens during a lockdown: Incoming and outgoing mail still moves, but more slowly Mailroom processing may be delayed due to limited staff movement Delivery to inmates may take longer than usual
Read moreThere is no return receipt or delivery confirmation for mail sent through InmateAid. Once a letter clears the facility's mail room and reaches the inmate, the only way you will know it arrived is if they reach out to you directly. This is true of all prison mail, not just letters sent through our platform. Facilities do not notify senders when mail is delivered, and there is no tracking system that follows a letter past the point of mailing.
Read moreAbsolutely. In fact, the best thing you can do for someone in segregation is to fill their days with plenty of stuff to read. Letters and photos keep them connected - but books, magazines and newspapers will bridge that gap of no outside contact.
Read moreOnce a letter is sent through InmateAid, delivery typically takes the same amount of time as standard US mail to that facility, usually a few business days depending on the location. There is no tracking confirmation sent to you when your inmate receives it. Mail delivered through the prison system works the same way a regular letter does once it leaves our hands, and facilities do not notify senders when mail is received. If your inmate says they have
Read moreNo. Your inmate list is completely private. Inmates you correspond with have no way of seeing who else you are writing to through InmateAid. Your account information is not shared with anyone inside a facility, and there is nothing in the letters themselves that would reveal other correspondences you have going. InmateAid protects both your privacy and the privacy of every inmate on your list. That means your personal information, your account activity, and the identities of others you
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