Write a Prisoner
Send mail to jail and at any county, state, or federal correctional facility. We take all of the work of packaging letters for you – making it a quick, easy process. Write an inmate right from your phone, tablet or computer.
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Send letters & connect with your inmate
Sending letters to your loved ones in prison or jail has never been easier. We take all of the work out for you – make it a quick, easy process. Send mail right from your phone, tablet or computer.
Add Letters to your Pigeonly plan.
How it Works

Search
Search and find your recipient with our easy inmate locator tool.

Write
Type a quick message on your phone, tablet, or computer.

That’s it
Click send and we’ll take care of the rest.
Sending Your Inmate a Letter Just Got Easier!
To most people, their bills come in the mail every day and that’s the extent of it. To your incarcerated loved one, getting mail is the highlight of their day. Here at Pigeonly, we know that receiving a letter from your loved one also makes your day. We wanted to make this process as easy as possible for you, as we understand first hand how chaotic the lines, trips to the post office, remembering stamps and envelopes and everything else can be. We’ve removed all of that for you – all you have to do is upload/type your letter, and we’ll do the rest for you! We will print and ship your letter the same day. Our process is prison-approved.
Sending Mail to an Inmate
Most of us do not look forward to receiving mail. Usually, it is a bill, or something just as unexciting. However, to inmates, receiving a letter can be the highlight of their week. Thoughtfully written letters provide inmates with updates on their family, friends, and other events going on in the outside world.
Mail is a chance for you to express your feelings to your loved ones. Unlike a phone call, a letter can be read over, and over again.
Unfortunately, sending jail mail can be a complicated process.
If you want to write a prisoner something personal, there are lots of rules and regulations to follow to ensure it is delivered to the recipient.
If you make one little mistake, then there is a high chance your letter will be rejected and discarded by the authorities. This means your inmate will never receive your written communication and will make them feel even more lonely and isolated.
The Rules of Mailing Letters to Prison
The rules for sending mail differ slightly from facility to facility, so you must always ensure you find out what these are before you attempt to send a letter. However, the general rules are:
- The full name and ID number of the prisoner must be written on the letter
- Include the date of writing the letter
- Your name and return address must be stated on the envelope
- No decorations, perfume, or any other embellishments are permitted
- You must use the correct paper and envelope size
- Plain white paper and envelopes only
- Do not write anything that could be interpreted as an escape plan, a threat of violence, or an intent to commit a crime.
- Do not include anything racist, homophobic, etc., or anything sexually explicit.
- Also, take care not to include anything incriminating
Letters should typically be about general day-to-day life or family events. You can include the following in your letter:
- General information about happenings in daily life
- Information about specific events
- Open-ended questions to the inmate
- Declarations of love and feelings without being sexually explicit
How to Send Mail to an Inmate the Easy Way
It is stressful trying to remember everything you can and cannot do when sending mail to inmates. Thankfully, there is a much easier way. Pigeonly is an affordable service allowing you to keep in close contact with your loved one.
First, we provide a free federal inmate locator tool. This allows you to perform an inmate search to find who you are looking for.
To correctly use the inmate locator, enter their full name into the inmate lookup search bar. You will then be asked for the inmate’s ID number and the facility in which they are being held. If you do not know this information, it is still possible to find them using only their name.
Once you have located your inmate, you can set up an account with Pigeonly. This will then allow you to take advantage of the many available services, including writing letters.
All you need to do is type your letter, upload it to Pigeonly, and they take care of the rest. Pigeonly will ensure it conforms to all the rules, print it, and send it according to the correct specifications. That means no stress for you and no standing in line at the post office. It really could not be easier.
How Much Does the Pigeonly Letter Service Cost?
Pigeonly makes staying in touch extremely affordable. After a free one-week trial, you pay a single monthly fee of $11.66. There is no contract either, so you are free to cancel any time you like.
Even better, the fee grants you access to all of Pigeonly’s services, so in addition to easily sending letters, you can also do all of the following:
- Use of the free inmate locator tool
- Add money to the inmate’s Commissary and pre-paid calling accounts
- Enjoy the lowest possible calling rates
- Send unlimited greeting cards, postcards, and photos
- Send unlimited web and news articles
- Enjoy excellent customer support to help connect with your loved one
- The ability to connect with as many inmates as you like (for an additional fee per inmate)
Pigeonly makes it possible to send a letter each, and every day if you so wish. Imagine giving your inmate something to look forward to on a regular basis? Prison is extremely tough and boring, so having a letter to read is exciting and allows inmates to feel closer to their family and friends. If you would like to understand more about how Pigeonly works, contact us today.