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.
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Subject: Send inmate mail
You will only know that your inmate has received your letter when they tell you by telephone or by return letter. There is no verification process. Prisons consider mail a sacred item that represents a connection to the outside world. Prisons are sensitive to an inmate’s rehabilitation and as such feel strongly that correspondence is critical to that end. We have a strict policy, in the event that a letter gets returned to us, we effort to locate that inmate's...
Read moreSubject: Send inmate mail
Before you can send anything, you need to confirm exactly where your inmate is housed. Facilities transfer inmates more often than most families expect, and sending mail to the wrong address means it comes back or gets lost.
InmateAid maintains a directory of every jail, prison, and detention center in the United States. You can search it to find the correct facility name and mailing address. Once you have the facility confirmed, you will also need your inmate's full legal name...
Read moreSubject: Send inmate mail
Absolutely. Nothing is stopping you from writing a letter by hand, addressing the envelope, buying a stamp, and dropping it in the mailbox the traditional way. That has always worked and always will.
InmateAid exists to make the process easier, faster, and more affordable, not to be the only option. If handwriting letters is meaningful to you and your loved one that personal touch is worth keeping.
That said here is why many families find the online system worth using even when...
Read moreSubject: Send inmate mail
You will have to create a "Personal Inmate Page" with your inmate's information, their inmate ID # and the facility they are incarcerated in. Once that page is created, you will then be able to click a button "Send Letter" and process letters and photos right there.
Subject: Send inmate mail
Once you have selected an inmate from "Search Personal Inmate Page" - you are then taken to their Personal Page - at the top of their profile, there are two buttons, one says "Send a Letter", the other "Follow Inmate". If you follow inmates, you can then interact with them via InmateAid where you can write them and they can write you back through our Response Service - sort of like a Pen Pal feature, especially if you do not...
Read moreSubject: Send inmate mail
Delivery is between 1-3 days but be mindful that all of the mail is opened and inspected for contraband by the prison staff. This sometimes delays actual delivery to the inmate.
Subject: Send inmate mail
All letters and photos are delivered daily by US Mail. It will take one or three days but please be mindful that the prison staff will open every piece of mail for contraband. Therefore, the actual delivery date that it makes it to mail call depends solely on the prison staff.
Subject: Send inmate mail
The standard is 1-3 days. Please understand that the prison or jail will open and inspect every piece of mail for contraband. In some cases, this delays the actual delivery to the inmate at mail call.
Subject: Send inmate mail
You will only know that your inmate has received your
letter when they tell you by telephone or by return letter. There is no
verification process. Prisons consider mail a sacred item that represents
a connection to the outside world. Prisons are sensitive to an inmate’s
rehabilitation and as such feel strongly that correspondence is critical to
that end. We have a strict policy, in the event that a letter gets
returned to us, we effort to locate that inmate's status then notify you of its
return...
Read moreSubject: Send inmate mail
Most likely yes. Facilities generally make every effort to deliver mail to the correct inmate even when the inmate number is missing from the envelope.
Mail is treated seriously inside correctional facilities. Prison administration broadly understands that family communication is one of the most important factors in successful reentry and rehabilitation. A letter addressed with the correct name and facility that is missing only the inmate number will typically be matched to the right person by mailroom staff rather than returned...
Read moreSubject: Send inmate mail
The normal time it takes is between 1-3 days. Once the letter is received by the prison intake, they open and examine the contents for contraband. Every prison has their own procedures which might effect the actual date the inmate receives the letter.
Subject: Send inmate mail
To send books from Amazon to an inmate at SCI Pine Grove, you will enter the inmate’s information as the shipping address during checkout.
Here is how to do it step by step:
Add the book(s) you want to purchase to your cart
Go to checkout
Under “Shipping Address,” select Add a new address
Enter the inmate’s information in this format:
Inmate’s full name and ID number (on the name line)
Facility name
Facility mailing address
Select Ship to this address and complete your order
A few important tips:
Make sure the name and ID number match...
Read moreSubject: Send inmate mail
You are not allowed to receive communication from ANY felon. There are exceptions that must be granted with permission by both facilities. Those cases are when the inmates are related.
Subject: Send inmate mail
Generally, it takes 1-2 days to be received by
the prison. The prison staff inspects each piece of mail for contraband which
sometimes delays actual delivery to the inmate at mail call. Inmates have “mail
call” Monday through Friday and are notified of incoming mail during that time.
Subject: Send inmate mail
InmateAid has a service that allows inmates to write a member through the site. Some members would like to write inmates but keep their address confidential. This service works for members who would like a pen pal relationship without having to disclose where they live. The service cost $1.49 to retrieve the letter from you account.
