Important note
Correctional communication rules, approved services, fees, schedules, and mail procedures vary by facility and can change. Confirm current requirements directly with the facility or its official communication provider before sending money, mail, photographs, or gifts. Unchained Connections is a public pen-pal directory; it is not a correctional agency, legal or medical service, or messaging provider, and it cannot guarantee that a service is available or that a message will be delivered.
CorrLinks federal and state procedures differ: For federal Bureau of Prisons TRULINCS, the incarcerated person must add your email address and initiate the invitation; check your email and accept the request in CorrLinks. At participating state facilities, outside users may be able to search for and add the person directly without an invitation. Follow the specific state facility’s process.
Mail and property rules: Do not rely on general lists as permission to send an item. Facility rules may differ and change; check the recipient’s current facility page or mailroom instructions before mailing anything.
Introduction
Keeping in touch with jailed loved ones is essential for their mental health. Sending pictures, cards, and authorized presents may also provide consolation and support, even if regular mail is still a popular way to communicate. Correctional facilities have stringent policies about what may and cannot be provided to prisoners, so it’s crucial to be aware of the laws and regulations before sending these products.
We’ll walk you through the process of sending pictures, cards, and authorized presents to prisoners in this post. We’ll also cover how to deal with the regulations of different prisons and the services that are available for delivering these things.
- Understanding the Restrictions on Sending Items to Inmates
It’s important to know the broad limits that most correctional institutions have before mailing anything to an inmate. The purpose of these limitations is to keep the facility safe and orderly. Typical limitations on mailing gifts, cards, and pictures include:
Size and Format Limitations: Gifts, cards, and pictures sometimes have format or size limitations. For instance, photographs might have to be reproduced on particular kinds of paper or within predetermined dimensions.
Content Restrictions: Unsuitable materials, such as sexual material or anything that may be used to hurt people or support unlawful activity, cannot be sent to prisoners. This might involve violent images, gang emblems, or cryptic messaging.
Approved Vendors: Certain establishments could only let the shipment of goods via authorized suppliers or certain postal services, such SecurePak, JPay, or Access Corrections.
Packaging and Labeling: There may be regulations governing the labeling and packaging of goods. For example, some institutions would only permit specific kinds of packing, such as envelopes for cards or pictures.
Before shipping anything to an inmate, it’s important to confirm the rules of the particular facility to prevent delays or denials.
- How to Send Photos to Inmates
There are several crucial restrictions and criteria to go by while sending pictures to prisoners, but it may be a meaningful method to keep in touch:
General Guidelines for Sending Photos:
Quality and Type: Generally speaking, glossy picture paper or plain paper should be used for printing photos. Polaroids, laminated images, and pictures with a lot of decorations (such stickers or glitter) should not be sent.
Size: The majority of prisons restrict photos to 4×6 or 5×7 inches. Larger images might not be accepted.
No Inappropriate Content: Make sure there is nothing violent or graphic in the pictures. This includes anything that can be interpreted as a threat or a breach of prison regulations, such as sexually provocative content or emblems connected to gangs.
No Borders or Decorative Additions: Images with borders, embellishments, or other non-photo components (such as text or illustrations) may be disqualified. Don’t add any extra patterns to your images; keep them simple.
Sending Photos Through Approved Services:
Certain states or establishments only allow the sending of images using particular services, like:
JPay: JPay permits friends and relatives to send pictures to prisoners, but the images must adhere to certain rules (no improper gestures, gang-related imagery, or nudity, for example). The detainee receives a digital copy of the scanned images via email or a digital kiosk.
Corrlinks: Some institutions use a service that digitizes your images so that they may be sent through Corrlinks. Corrlinks will scan the photos and make sure they adhere to facility regulations, much like JPay does.
Access Corrections or ViaPath / ConnectNetwork (formerly GTL): Platforms such as Access Corrections permit the sending of photographs to certain jails, usually in exchange for a fee. Based on how the prison is set up, inmates may receive these photos in printed or electronic form.
To find out if a facility accepts images taken via these platforms, always check with them.
Mailing Physical Photos:
If submitting actual pictures is permitted, be sure you do the following:
Send in a Plain Envelope: The majority of institutions prefer that pictures be sent in a basic, standard envelope with no additional embellishments.
Avoid Sending Originals: Sending photocopies instead of actual prints is a smart option because photographs can occasionally get lost or damaged.
- How to Send Cards to Inmates
An excellent way to make an inmate’s day and stay in touch on holidays, birthdays, and other important events is to send them greeting cards. What you should know is as follows:
General Guidelines for Sending Cards:
Material Restrictions: The majority of prisons only accept cards composed of specific materials, such as cardboard. Don’t send cards with ribbons, glitter, or other embellishments that can be interpreted as posing a security concern.
No Enclosed Items: Cards containing cash, gift cards, or small trinkets are prohibited by several establishments.
Size and Shape: Generally speaking, cards must fit within the envelope and follow the facility’s size restrictions, which are typically 5 by 7 inches.
Content Restrictions: Cards that include improper or objectionable content (such as allusions to drugs or gangs, violent pictures, or nudity) will be disqualified. Make sure the card’s message is acceptable.
Sending Cards Through Approved Services:
Like pictures, greeting cards can be sent via digital platforms or authorized merchants with certain services:
JPay and Corrlinks: As an excellent substitute for paper cards, both platforms enable consumers to send electronic or digital cards to prisoners. The digital cards are sent straight to the inmate’s account, and this may be done via the platforms’ websites or applications.
SecurePak: Inmates can get a variety of gift and card alternatives from some businesses, such as SecurePak. These suppliers make sure that products adhere to facility regulations by working closely with correctional facilities.
Mailing Physical Cards:
When mailing a physical card:
Use a Simple, Plain Card: Steer clear of cards that include glitter, 3D features, or anything else that could be dangerous.
Follow the Facility’s Rules: Just as with images, make sure you adhere to the facility’s specific rules on the content and material of the cards.
- How to Send Approved Gifts to Inmates
Whether it’s for a special event or a holiday, inmates frequently like getting gifts. However, because many things are limited, mailing presents is more difficult than sending cards or pictures.
Types of Approved Gifts:
The types of gifts you can send vary by facility, but generally include:
Commissary-Approved Items: Sending presents in the form of commissary packages, which contain food, toiletries, and personal care items, is permitted at many institutions. Orders for these packages must be placed with authorized third-party suppliers such as I Care, MyCarePack, or Access Securepak.
Clothing and Shoes: Inmates may occasionally be permitted to purchase apparel and shoes, but only from authorized suppliers. Make sure you adhere to the facility’s size, brand, and color specifications.
Books, Magazines, and Newspapers: Books and periodicals can be supplied to some jails, but they have to be purchased directly from a bookshop or other authorized distributor. Inmates cannot directly receive books from private persons, however they can typically get new or lightly used books.
Money Orders: Money orders, which may be used to top out their commissary accounts, are a common present given to prisoners. Each institution has its own guidelines on how to transmit these, which must be sent via mail.
How to Send Gifts:
Use Approved Vendors: To guarantee that the presents fulfill the facility’s security requirements, the majority of establishments mandate that they be shipped through authorized suppliers. You may send approved food, toiletries, clothes, and other items with these sellers.
Follow the Facility’s Rules: The permitted products and rules, such as limitations on gift types, sizes, and quantities, will vary from facility to facility. When buying presents, it’s crucial to refer to the facility’s list of permitted things.
Common Gift Restrictions:
No Electronics or Cash: Cell phones, radios, and tablets are among the technological devices that most institutions would not allow. Also, cash is definitely forbidden.
Food and Drink Restrictions: Certain establishments permit the shipment of food and beverages, but only if they come from designated suppliers and are non-perishable, pre-packaged goods.
- Conclusion
One of the most important ways to stay in touch with a loved one who is jailed is to send them presents, cards, and pictures. To make sure your belongings are accepted, it’s crucial to comprehend and abide by the policies and procedures established by the particular prison.
To prevent delivery problems, always ask the facility what kinds of gifts, cards, or pictures are permitted to be delivered. You should also only utilize recognized services and suppliers. You may provide your loved one in jail much-needed emotional support while they are incarcerated and make their day better by adhering to these rules.
Official guidance
- Federal Bureau of Prisons: Communication with people in custody
- Federal Bureau of Prisons: Facility directory
- For state and local facilities, use the correctional agency’s official website and the facility’s current instructions.
This article is general information, not legal, medical, financial, or professional advice.