What Is Mail Call Like and How Does Prison Mail Work?

Mail call is one of the most anticipated moments of the day inside. Monday through Friday, staff distribute incoming mail to inmates, and the anticipation of hearing your name called is something that never really loses its significance no matter how long someone has been inside. For inmates who receive letters regularly, it is a reliable connection to the outside world. For those who rarely hear their name called, watching others get mail and being passed over is one of the quieter hardships of incarceration.

Incoming mail goes through the mail room first. Staff open and inspect every piece for contraband before anything reaches an inmate's hands. That process can add a day or two between when a letter arrives at the facility and when it actually reaches the person it was sent to.

Sending mail works exactly the way it does anywhere else. An inmate writes a letter by hand, addresses the envelope, puts a stamp on it, and sends it out through the regular US Postal Service. Stamps and envelopes are purchased through commissary. Inmates with no money on their books can usually access a small allotment of indigent supplies from the facility that includes basic writing materials and stamps.

Most facilities do not have internet access or email for inmates. The federal system has CorrLinks, a monitored email program that allows inmates to exchange messages with approved contacts. Some state systems have adopted similar platforms through JPay or other providers. But for the majority of incarcerated people, the handwritten letter remains the primary form of written communication with the outside world.