LetterAgent
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Every correctional facility sets its own mail rules, and those rules decide everything: start by reading that facility's published mail policy before you write a word. The near-universal requirements: the inmate's full legal name and ID number on the envelope exactly as the facility specifies, plain white paper and envelopes, and no stickers, glitter, perfume, or anything scented.
Prison mail isn't like normal mail. Every letter is opened and inspected by staff before the inmate sees it, and each facility: federal, state or provincial, county jail: publishes its own list of what's allowed. One facility accepts greeting cards; the next one rejects anything that isn't a plain white envelope. One allows printed photos; another photocopies them. The rules even differ between units inside the same prison. There is no standard set of rules to memorize, which is exactly why the facility's own published mail policy is the only source that counts.
The single most rejected-letter mistake is the ID number. Facilities sort incoming mail by inmate ID, not name: names get misspelled and duplicated, ID numbers don't. The federal Bureau of Prisons uses a register number; state systems use their own formats (New York uses a DIN, for example). Put the full name and the ID number on the envelope, in the order and placement the facility asks for. A letter with the right name and the wrong number, or no number: may be returned or sit unprocessed.
The banned list is longer than most people expect, and it's all about contraband screening. Anything that could hide drugs or carry coded messages goes: stickers and labels (they can conceal substances underneath), glitter and confetti, perfume or scented paper, lipstick kisses, crayon or marker drawings in some facilities, staples and paper clips, tape, and Polaroid-style photos with thick backings. Many facilities limit or ban greeting cards because of their layered construction. Cash, stamps, and blank envelopes are routinely confiscated rather than delivered: never send money by mail; use the facility's approved deposit system instead.
Here's the one that surprises first-time senders: an increasing number of facilities no longer deliver your original letter at all. They photocopy or digitally scan all incoming mail and hand the inmate the copy, destroying or storing the original as a drug-interdiction measure. That means anything irreplaceable: original photos, a child's drawing, anything with sentimental value: may never reach them in its original form. Keep your originals; send copies where the facility only delivers scans.
| Rule of thumb | Why |
|---|---|
| Plain white paper, plain white envelope | Colored or decorative stock is rejected at many facilities |
| Full name + ID number on the envelope, exactly as specified | Mail is sorted by ID number; wrong or missing numbers stall delivery |
| No stickers, glitter, perfume, lipstick, tape, staples | Anything that could conceal contraband or coded messages |
| Never send cash, stamps, or originals you can't replace | Cash is confiscated; many facilities only deliver photocopies or scans |
| Read that facility's published mail policy first | Rules vary by facility and even by unit: no universal standard exists |
Most facilities require a full return address with your real name: anonymous mail to inmates is typically rejected or destroyed. Some also require that the sender's name match a name on the inmate's approved correspondence list, though many facilities don't maintain such lists for general mail. Again: the facility's policy is the authority.
LetterAgent prints single-sided on standard white letter paper and mails in a plain double-window business envelope with no stickers, inserts, or decoration, which matches the plain-paper requirement most facilities share. The key is the address block: give your assistant the inmate's full legal name and ID number exactly as the facility requires, plus the facility's mailing address, and confirm against the facility's published mail policy first. Because some facilities only deliver photocopies or scans of incoming mail, don't send anything through any service where losing the original would matter to you.
Ready to mail it? Send your letter with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and it's printed and mailed.
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