How to Contact a Federal Inmate — Email, Phone, Mail & Visiting

Federal prisons run on Bureau of Prisons rules, and the rules are the same at every BOP facility — whether it's an FCI, FDC, USP, FPC, or FCC. This guide covers every way you can stay in touch: CorrLinks email, phone calls, physical mail, photos, visits, and sending money to commissary. All information is verified from BOP.gov.

In This Article

CorrLinks Email — Text Messaging for BOP Facilities
Phone Calls — Outbound Only, 300 Minutes Per Month
Physical Mail — Letters and Cards
Sending Photos to a Federal Inmate
In-Person Visits — How Approval Works
Sending Money to Commissary
Frequently Asked Questions

CorrLinks Email — Text Messaging for BOP Facilities

CorrLinks is the only way to send email to someone in a federal BOP prison. It’s free for you to use, and the inmate has to invite you first — you can’t start the connection from your end.

Here’s how it works: the inmate logs into TRULINCS (the BOP’s internal messaging system) and adds your email address as a contact. You receive an invitation from CorrLinks. You create a free account at corrlinks.com, accept the request, and start exchanging text messages.

Messages are monitored. Every CorrLinks message — in both directions — is subject to review by BOP staff. Both you and the inmate agree to this when you set up your accounts.

A few things to know before you start:

The cost for you is zero — CorrLinks accounts are always free. The inmate pays approximately $0.05 per minute of TRULINCS time from their commissary account while composing or reading messages. If their balance hits zero, they lose TRULINCS access. Keeping their commissary funded keeps the conversation going.

Messages are text only. You can’t attach photos, files, or documents through CorrLinks. Each message can be up to 13,000 characters. The CorrLinks mobile app (iOS and Android) works the same as the website.

Full CorrLinks setup guide: Step-by-step instructions, what to do if no invitation arrives, what happens when they transfer facilities, and more — see our Complete CorrLinks Setup Guide.

Phone Calls — Outbound Only, 300 Minutes Per Month

Federal inmates can call you, but you can’t call them. All calls are outbound from the facility. Every inmate gets 300 minutes per month, with a 15-minute cap per call. Calls are monitored and recorded.

For a call to reach you, the inmate must first add your phone number to their approved contact list through TRULINCS. This happens on their end — there’s no form for you to fill out. Once they add your number, calls can start coming through.

Calls are paid from the inmate’s commissary account. The per-minute rate varies depending on whether it’s a local, long-distance, or international call. Keeping their commissary funded means they can keep calling. See the sending money section below for the three approved methods.

A few things that can interrupt phone access: disciplinary sanctions, a facility lockdown, or a zero commissary balance. If calls stop without explanation, check their balance first, then try reaching the facility directly.

Physical Mail — Letters and Cards

Physical mail is one of the most meaningful ways to stay connected. Letters, cards, and drawings from family members are allowed at every BOP facility, and many incarcerated people say getting mail is the highlight of their week.

Every facility has a specific mailing address for inmate mail — it’s almost always a P.O. Box, not the street address. Address the envelope to the inmate’s full legal name, followed by their 8-digit register number (formatted XXXXX-XXX), and then the facility’s P.O. Box.

What's Allowed	What's Not Allowed
Standard letters and cards (no glitter, no stickers, no raised designs)	Cash, stamps, or postage included in the envelope
Plain drawings or printed photos (see photo rules below)	Padded envelopes or packages (without prior approval)
Books and magazines, mailed directly from a publisher or approved retailer like Amazon	Books or magazines sent from your home address

Each facility page on our site lists the exact mailing P.O. Box for that location. Use the inmate search tool to find the facility, then click through to their mail guide.

Sending Photos to a Federal Inmate

You can send standard print photos through the mail — but CorrLinks does not support photo attachments. Photos must go by physical mail.

BOP allows standard photo prints, generally up to 4x6 inches. No Polaroids, no instant film, no gloss finishes with raised textures, no photos with stickers or writing on the back that violates content rules. Photos must come from you directly — they don’t need to be sent through a photo service, but they do need to follow the facility’s specific mail rules.

1 Print your photos at standard size (4x6)

Any standard photo print service works — Walgreens, CVS, Walmart Photo, Amazon Prints. Standard matte or glossy is fine. No Polaroids, no instant film.

2 Address the envelope to the inmate's P.O. Box

Include their full legal name and 8-digit register number. Use the facility's P.O. Box — not the street address. Most BOP facilities have a separate mailing P.O. Box for inmate correspondence.

3 Keep the content appropriate

Photos are reviewed before delivery. Avoid any content that violates BOP mail policies — explicit material, gang imagery, or anything that could be flagged as a security concern.

Pigeonly can also print and mail photos directly to your loved one, with pre-checked compliance for BOP facilities. See our photo mailing service for details.

In-Person Visits — How Approval Works

Visiting a federal inmate requires advance approval. You can’t show up at a BOP facility without first being on the inmate’s approved visitor list. The approval process takes time, so start it early.

The inmate submits your name and information to the facility using a visitor request form (BOP Form BP-A629, the Visitor Questionnaire). Staff then run a background check. Felony convictions or other factors may result in denial. Once approved, your name stays on the visitor list — you don’t resubmit for each visit.

Visiting days and hours vary by facility and sometimes by housing unit. Call the facility directly to confirm the current schedule before you make the trip. Most BOP facilities require government-issued photo ID for all adult visitors.

Standard visiting room rules: no cell phones, no outside food or drinks, no large bags. Many facilities have vending machines in the visiting room. Children are welcome but must be accompanied by an approved adult at all times.

Check our individual facility guides for exact visiting hours at each location. Use the inmate search to find the right facility.

Sending Money to Commissary

The inmate’s commissary account funds everything — phone calls, CorrLinks email time, extra food from the commissary store, and hygiene supplies. Keeping it funded matters.

BOP accepts money through three channels: MoneyGram, Western Union, and mailed money orders. No cash, no personal checks, no direct transfers.

MoneyGram

Use Receive Code 7932. Payable to "Federal Bureau of Prisons." City: Washington DC. Account number: the inmate's 8-digit register number followed immediately by their last name (no spaces, no hyphens). Deposits typically post within 2–4 hours.

Western Union Quick Collect

Code City: FBOP DC. Same account number format — 8-digit register number followed immediately by last name. Same 2–4 hour posting window when submitted during BOP processing hours (roughly 7 AM to 9 PM EST).

Mailed Money Order

USPS money orders only, made out to "Federal Bureau of Prisons." Mail to: Federal Bureau of Prisons, [Inmate Name & Register Number], P.O. Box 474701, Des Moines, IA 50947-0001. Allow 7–14 days for processing. Do not mail to the facility address.

The monthly commissary spending limit at most BOP facilities is $360. Unused balance rolls over.

Frequently Asked Questions

QHow do I contact a federal inmate for the first time?

Start with physical mail — it's the one method that doesn't require the inmate to set anything up first. Write them a letter at the facility's mailing address with their full legal name and register number. From there, they can add you on CorrLinks email and add your phone number for calls. Use the Pigeonly inmate search to find the correct facility address.

QCan you email a federal inmate directly?

Not by regular email. The only way to send messages to a BOP federal inmate is through CorrLinks (corrlinks.com), which connects to the BOP's TRULINCS system. The inmate has to add you as a contact from inside first — you'll then receive an invitation to create your free CorrLinks account.

QWhat is CorrLinks and how does it work?

CorrLinks is the public website (corrlinks.com) that lets families exchange text messages with people in BOP federal prisons. Inside the prison, inmates use a system called TRULINCS. CorrLinks is the door on your side. Messages are text only, monitored by BOP staff, and limited to 13,000 characters. The inmate pays about $0.05 per minute from commissary; your account is always free. See our full CorrLinks guide for the complete setup process.

QCan you send pictures through CorrLinks?

No. CorrLinks does not support photo attachments of any kind. To send photos to a federal inmate, you mail standard print photos (4x6 max) to the facility's P.O. Box, addressed to the inmate with their register number. No Polaroids, no instant film, no photos with stickers or raised textures.

QHow often can federal inmates make phone calls?

BOP federal inmates are allowed 300 minutes of phone calls per month. Calls are limited to 15 minutes each. All calls are outbound only — you can't call the inmate directly. Calls are paid from commissary, monitored, and recorded. The inmate must add your number through TRULINCS before calls can reach you.

QHow do I find a federal inmate's register number?

Use the BOP Inmate Locator at bop.gov/inmateloc/ — search by name and it returns the 8-digit register number (formatted XXXXX-XXX), current facility, and projected release date. You can also use the Pigeonly inmate search. The register number is required for CorrLinks, sending money, and addressing mail correctly.

QDoes CorrLinks work at all federal prisons?

Yes. TRULINCS and CorrLinks are BOP-wide systems. They work at every BOP facility type — FCIs, FDCs, USPs, FPCs, FCCs, FMCs, and Satellite Camps. CorrLinks does not work for state prisons, county jails, or ICE detention — those facilities use different systems.

QWhat happens to mail and calls when an inmate transfers to a new facility?

CorrLinks connections carry over automatically — you stay on each other's contact list and don't need to reconnect. Phone numbers approved in TRULINCS also carry over. For physical mail, update the address to the new facility's P.O. Box. Track their location in real time at bop.gov/inmateloc/ — it updates when they move.

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Information verified from BOP.gov — Inmate Communications. Last updated June 10, 2026.