To contact an inmate, first confirm which facility holds them, then follow that facility’s rules for mail, phone calls, electronic messaging, video visits, or in-person visits. Every prison and jail sets its own procedures, but the framework is consistent: most channels require you to be pre-approved or registered with a service provider, and nearly all communication is monitored. Knowing how to contact an inmate is mostly a matter of working through those channels in the right order.
Find Out Where They Are
You can’t write, call, or visit until you know the facility. For federal inmates, the Bureau of Prisons runs an online Inmate Locator covering everyone incarcerated in the federal system from 1982 to the present. Search by full name or the eight-digit BOP register number. Results show the facility, its location, and a projected release date, though release dates can shift as sentences are recalculated under the First Step Act.1Federal Bureau of Prisons. Inmate Locator
Each state runs its own Department of Corrections search tool. USA.gov keeps a directory linking to every state corrections agency if you’re not sure where to start.2USAGov. State Departments of Corrections For people in local jails, the county sheriff’s office or the jail itself typically posts an online roster or takes phone inquiries. Full legal name is usually enough, but date of birth or a booking number speeds things up.
Sending Mail
Mail is the most universally available channel. Every federal and state facility accepts physical letters, and for people in restrictive housing or in facilities without electronic messaging, it’s often the only regular option besides phone calls.
How to Address It
Federal correspondence must include the inmate’s full committed name (not a nickname), their eight-digit register number, and the facility’s complete mailing address. Your own name and return address must appear on the envelope. Missing information can cause the BOP to return the item or fail to deliver it.3Federal Bureau of Prisons. Sending Funds Using USPS State facilities follow similar conventions, generally requiring the inmate’s name, ID number, and facility address. Photographs are sometimes allowed, with rules on size, quantity, and content that vary by facility.
What You Cannot Send
Federal prisons prohibit a surprising range of ordinary items. Stamps and stamped envelopes are returned to the sender. Electronic greeting cards, padded cards, and anything that can’t be inspected without being destroyed are also sent back. Cash, personal checks, and other negotiable instruments mailed directly to the facility are rejected. Anything containing drugs, weapons, or other contraband is seized and referred for investigation.4Federal Bureau of Prisons. Program Statement 5800.16 – Mail Management Manual State and local facilities keep their own prohibited-items lists, and many also ban stickers, glitter, crayon drawings, and certain paper types. Check the specific facility’s mail policy before sending anything beyond a plain letter.
Attorney-client mail gets special handling when marked correctly, so if you’re a lawyer writing your client, check the facility’s legal mail rules rather than treating it as ordinary correspondence.5Federal Bureau of Prisons. Form BP-A0493.058 – Special Mail Notice
Phone Calls
Phone calls are how most families stay connected day to day. Federal inmates place calls only to people on an approved contact list. Regulations guarantee at least one call per month, but most facilities allow far more, and the warden can restrict phone access for security reasons or as discipline.6eCFR. 28 CFR 540.100 – Purpose and Scope Call length in federal facilities is typically capped at 15 minutes.7Federal Bureau of Prisons. Program Statement P5264.08 – Inmate Telephone Regulations
Calls run either as collect or through a prepaid account. With a prepaid account, you register with the facility’s phone service provider, deposit funds by credit or debit card, and calls draw from that balance. Securus Technologies and ViaPath Technologies (formerly GTL) handle most prison phone systems. Each facility contracts with one provider, so find out which one before setting up an account.
What Calls Cost
Congress passed the Martha Wright-Reed Act in January 2023, expanding the FCC’s authority to regulate both interstate and intrastate calling rates and video communication from correctional facilities.8Federal Register. Incarcerated People’s Communication Services – Implementation of the Martha Wright-Reed Act The FCC’s 2025 order sets per-minute caps that take effect April 6, 2026, varying by facility type and size:9Federal Communications Commission. Incarcerated People’s Communications Services
- Prisons of any size: $0.11 per minute for audio, $0.25 for video
- Large jails with 1,000 or more inmates: $0.10 audio, $0.19 video
- Medium jails (350–999): $0.12 audio, $0.19 video
- Small jails (100–349): $0.13 audio, $0.21 video
- Very small jails (50–99): $0.15 audio, $0.25 video
- Extremely small jails (under 50): $0.19 audio, $0.44 video
The caps apply to intrastate, interstate, and international communications, though providers can charge extra for international calls to cover termination costs. A 15-minute call from a prison at the capped audio rate runs about $1.65.
When Calls Stop Going Through
If a call suddenly won’t connect, the usual cause is a billing issue on the prepaid account: expired card, low balance, or a failed payment. Another common problem is the system recording that you declined a call, which happens when the automated acceptance prompt times out or the wrong key is pressed. Blocked numbers generally need to be resolved with the phone service provider rather than the facility, because a third-party company runs the system.
Electronic Messages and Video Calls
Federal prisons use TRULINCS (Trust Fund Limited Inmate Computer System) for electronic messaging. Messages are text-only, no attachments, capped at about 13,000 characters. Both the inmate and the outside contact must consent to monitoring before using the system, and every message is screened. Inmates have no internet access; TRULINCS is a closed system.10Federal Bureau of Prisons. Community Ties
State facilities contract with a patchwork of providers. Some use Securus, ViaPath, or other companies offering email-like platforms that allow text, and sometimes photos or digital greeting cards. You’ll set up an account with whichever provider the facility uses and buy credits. Per-message costs vary.
Video visits let you see the person, either from a terminal at the facility or remotely from a phone or computer. Remote video has expanded since the pandemic, though not every facility offers it. You register on the provider’s scheduling platform, look up your inmate, book an available slot, and pay at booking. Video calls fall under the same FCC caps as audio starting April 6, 2026. At the capped rate a 30-minute video call from a prison would cost no more than $7.50, and less from larger jails.9Federal Communications Commission. Incarcerated People’s Communications Services
Visiting in Person
Getting on the Approved List
You can’t just show up. In the federal system, an arriving inmate receives a Visitor Information Form, fills out their portion, and mails a copy to each person they want to add. You complete the remaining fields and send it back to the facility. The BOP runs a background check that may include contacting other law enforcement agencies. If you aren’t approved, the inmate is notified and passes that word along.11Federal Bureau of Prisons. How to Visit a Federal Inmate
Federal inmates can list immediate family (parents, siblings, spouse, children), extended relatives (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws), and up to ten friends or associates. Attorneys, clergy, employers, and parole advisors can also be approved. When an inmate has just arrived or transferred and no list exists yet, immediate family verifiable through pre-sentence investigation records may sometimes visit on a case-by-case basis. Call the facility ahead to confirm.
What Can Get You Denied
A criminal record doesn’t automatically bar you, but certain factors weigh heavily. Outstanding warrants are the biggest problem: facilities run checks and will arrest visitors with active warrants. People on probation or parole are generally barred. Felony convictions weigh more than misdemeanors, recent offenses more than old ones. In federal prisons, convicted felons are often denied when trying to visit other convicted felons, though family members can be exceptions. Inaccurate information on the application is itself grounds for denial.
On the Day
Bring a valid government-issued photo ID. Expect metal detectors and possibly further screening. Facilities set specific visiting hours and schedules, posted on their websites or available by phone. Dress codes commonly prohibit revealing clothing, clothing that resembles inmate uniforms, and offensive images. Leave valuables and electronics in your car; the facility may have lockers, but carrying less into security saves time.
Sending Money for Commissary
Inmates need funds in their commissary account to buy phone time, hygiene items, snacks, and electronic messaging credits. The federal system offers two main ways to deposit.
By mail, you can send a postal money order, cashier’s check, or U.S. government check to the BOP’s centralized lockbox in Des Moines, Iowa. The inmate’s full committed name and eight-digit register number must appear on the negotiable instrument and on the envelope. Cash and personal checks are not accepted. Non-government checks are held 15 days; foreign instruments are held 45 days.3Federal Bureau of Prisons. Sending Funds Using USPS
Faster is MoneyGram’s ExpressPayment system, which processes deposits seven days a week. Funds sent between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Eastern typically post within two to four hours. You can send from a MoneyGram location with cash, or online with a Visa or Mastercard (online is capped at $300). Use the inmate’s register number followed immediately by their last name with no spaces; the receive code is 7932.12Federal Bureau of Prisons. Sending Funds Using MoneyGram
State facilities use their own deposit systems, often through Western Union or a facility-specific online portal. Third-party services usually charge transaction fees of roughly $2 to $10 depending on the vendor and method. Check with the facility for accepted options.
Assume Everything Is Monitored
Aside from properly marked attorney mail, virtually every form of communication with an inmate is monitored. Phone calls are recorded and reviewed. Electronic messages are screened. In-person visits are supervised. The BOP posts notices on inmate telephones in English and Spanish and requires inmates to sign acknowledgments; outside contacts who register for phone or messaging accounts consent to monitoring during setup.10Federal Bureau of Prisons. Community Ties
Monitoring isn’t passive. Conversations about illegal activity, escape plans, threats, or witness intimidation can cost the inmate their communication privileges, trigger disciplinary action, or produce additional criminal charges. Facilitating illegal activity from the outside can bring prosecution too. Keep conversations personal and straightforward.