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.
Subject: Send inmate mail
If 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.
Subject: Send inmate mail
Yes. 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 or restrict...
Read moreSubject: Send inmate mail
Saturday night, the post office is closed. The letters will be processed Moday morning.
Subject: Send inmate mail
It 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
Subject: Send inmate mail
You will get an email notification that will alert you that there is a letter from your inmate scanned into your account
Subject: Send inmate mail
When you have completed your letter and are going to checkout, underneath your inmate's name and address it says: **Estimated** **mailing** **date**: an actual date (xx/xx/2016), *How* *long* *will* *my* *letter* *take* *to* *arrive* *?*
When you click it, it gives this explanation: Letters are processed immediately upon entry unless after 6pm on Saturday, 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 opens and reads...
Read moreSubject: Send inmate mail
We strongly recommend having the inmate ID for all mail correspondence because the staff can reject mail without it. That is not to say they will, but some are more strict with the rules and will use any reason to send things back. We have corrected this in your account and would be more than happy to resend any of them. The ones without an ID go back to 3-28-16. Let us know if he received them, if not we...
Read moreSubject: Send inmate mail
They will have to tell you. The jails do not report back that incoming mail was received. If there are any issues we will resend with no questions asked. Normally it takes 2-3 business days but the staff ultimately has the responsibility of deciding when they hand out the mail. Delays happen sometimes without notice.
Subject: Send inmate mail
Yes, that is no problem :)) We would refrain from speaking about the crime he was convicted of or what you think about law enforcement.
Subject: Send inmate mail
All of the mail arriving to the MCI -Shirley mail intake is handled by a very competent staff. They go through and inspect the mail, then create three destination piles before delivering it into the units. If your inmate ID is correct, the staff will make sure that the inmate and the unit match as there is always movement between the different security levels based on conduct, status changes and length of sentence.
