Learn How to Send Email to an Inmate the Easy Way
Messages through electronic mail or email have become a common communication platform for most individuals, whether in business or at home. These days, emails are also used to help inmates stay in touch with their families and friends.
How do you send an email to an inmate? What topics are you allowed to discuss with an inmate? How much does it cost to send an email to an inmate?
This article discusses ways to send an email to an inmate. It includes how much it costs and what you are allowed to email to an inmate.
If you want to write to an inmate with a similar interest as you but do not know how or where to start, you may visit Lookupinmate.org.
How to Send an Email to an Inmate
Inmates are grateful to receive letters from the outside world. They appreciate encouraging words and having someone to talk to.
There are several ways to communicate with an inmate. With the advancement in technology, you can now send a message to an inmate via email.
There are authorized service providers that prisons cooperate with if you want to send a prisoner an email. These service providers will require you to create an account and deposit credit to be able to send an email.
Let us look at some popular inmate email messaging services with their features and limitations.
TRULINCS
The Trust Fund Limited Inmate Computer System (TRULINCS) lets you send an email to inmates using a smartphone app.
Inmates have an hour to send an email via TRULINCS. To start sending messages, both parties must be online at the same time.
TRULINCS has its limitations. For instance, there is an hour of delay for direct emails to an inmate.
You and the inmate both need to get approval to use TRULINCS.
Inmates using TRULINCS are under the supervision of jail officers while using the app. They cannot use the internet for anything other than TRULINCS. Messaging of photos is not allowed using the platform.
JPay
You can also use JPay to communicate with an inmate. Photos are allowed using this platform. Other features include video conferencing, email services, and VideoGram.
However, Jpay has a 48-hour delay in sending emails.
Jmail
Jmail lets you save message drafts and create an address book. Photos are also allowed using Jmail, but it takes two to three days for your emails to reach the prison via Jmail.
What Are You Allowed to Email to an Inmate?
There are various reasons people write inmates in prisons and jails.
Some individuals write to their loved ones. Victims or relatives and friends of victims communicate with offenders, too. Others write to an inmate to get to know them.
Before you start writing a message to your imprisoned friend, family member, or spouse, it is crucial to know what you can message them.
If you and the inmate have known each other for a long time, you may send a message about your good memories together.
If you are yet to introduce yourself to the inmate, you may send a message about yourself and your interest.
Some inmates have backgrounds in graphic design. In prison, inmates join programs to learn graphic design and three-dimensional (3D) animation. They may talk about their time as a graphic designer or the opportunity to become one.
In your email, mention some of your family members and friends and talk about them. You may also send them a joke or anecdote to make things lighter. An email about encouragement and words of comfort is a good idea, too.
Talk to inmates about your interests and ask about theirs. You and the inmate might have similar interests or hobbies.
You may also talk about the moments and events they missed.
While incarcerated, there may be news in the city, state, or international news that they might have missed that you can tell them about.
You can also talk about each other’s lives. Listen to their story and tell them about your everyday life in response.
There are messages you want to avoid when sending an email to an inmate.
For instance, threatening an inmate is prohibited. Encrypted messages are also not allowed. It is also important that you do not send messages that negatively talk about jail officials.
Sending a message describing an escape plan idea or a crime is also prohibited.
If you want to customize your emails visually to make them more engaging, you may want to think twice before you do it. Messages with drawings are not allowed as they may contain coded messages. Sexual photos and sexual messages are forbidden, too.
Reference
- Stay in touch
https://www.bop.gov/inmates/communications.jsp