Questions, answered
If your question isn't here, email us and we'll add it.
Writing a letter
Does my letter actually reach the person on the profile?
Yes. The address shown on a profile is the facility's real mailing address, with the inmate's ID number included. Your letter goes straight to that facility's mailroom — the same mail channel the facility uses for everyone held there. We do not relay, scan, screen, or forward mail; we are a directory, not a middleman.
Do I need to create an account to write someone?
No. Browsing and letter-writing are fully anonymous. You read a profile, copy the address, and mail a letter. We do not ask for your name, email, or any sign-up. Accounts on Inmate Outpost exist only for the families who list a loved one and for our moderators.
Is there a fee to write a letter?
No. There is no charge to browse the directory, read profiles, or write to anyone listed. Listings are paid for by the inmate's family. The only cost on your end is postage.
Do I have to be 18 to write?
Yes. Writing to someone through Inmate Outpost is for adults 18 and older. By mailing a letter to an address found here, you confirm you meet that age requirement.
Can I send photos or money?
Photos are usually allowed in small numbers — but no instant or Polaroid prints, nothing laminated, and no nudity. Money is never sent in an envelope: each facility uses its own approved deposit process, often a third-party service such as JPay, GTL/ViaPath, or Access Corrections. Search the facility's name plus "inmate deposits" to find the correct one. Mail policies vary by state and institution, so always check the specific facility's rules before sending anything beyond a plain letter.
What will the person inside know about me?
Only what you choose to put in your letter, plus the return address on the envelope (most facilities require one). We never share any information about letter-writers with the people they write to — we do not collect any in the first place.
How long until I get a reply?
It varies. Replies depend on facility mail schedules, lockdowns, and how much someone inside can spend on postage and paper. A few quiet weeks is normal and is not a rejection. We cannot guarantee that anyone will write back.
Listing a loved one
How do I list an incarcerated loved one?
Use the list-an-inmate wizard. It takes about 15 minutes: you add one to three photos, write a short bio in your loved one's own voice, enter the facility's mailing address, and start the listing subscription. A moderator reviews the submission before it goes live.
Who is allowed to submit a profile?
An immediate family member or close personal contact of the incarcerated person, submitting with that person's knowledge and consent. One listing per inmate. Profiles of anyone convicted of crimes against children, or currently barred by their facility from correspondence, are not permitted.
What does a listing cost?
Two tiers, billed as a subscription you can pay yearly or monthly. Standard is $35/year or $4/month; Featured is $59/year or $6/month. The subscription renews automatically until you cancel, and you can cancel anytime from your listing's billing portal. Standard publishes the profile in the public directory with up to three photos and full search and filter visibility. Featured adds homepage rotation, priority placement at the top of state and filter results, and a Featured badge on the profile card.
How long does review take before a profile goes live?
A person reviews every submission, typically within 48 hours. We check for prohibited content, confirm the facility address looks valid, and make sure the photo has not been taken from another site. We may contact you if something needs clarifying before approval.
Can a profile be edited after it is published?
Yes. Email us from the address used to submit the listing with the change you need — a corrected address, an updated bio, a photo swap. Address and facility corrections are a priority for us, since an out-of-date address means letters do not arrive.
What happens when a listing ends or I cancel?
Listings are subscriptions, so they renew automatically — yearly or monthly, depending on the plan — and the profile stays live as long as the subscription is active. You can cancel anytime from your listing's billing portal; when you cancel, the profile stays up until the period you've already paid for ends, then comes down from the public directory.
Can I get a refund?
To stop future charges, cancel the subscription anytime from your listing's billing portal — the profile stays live until the period you've already paid for ends. We generally do not refund a period that has already been published, but if we remove a profile for cause, or in other cases at our discretion, we may issue a full or partial refund. Refunds are reviewed individually — contact us and we will look at your situation.
How are profiles reviewed and moderated?
Every profile is read by a person before publication and can be removed afterward if it breaks our terms or a facility's mail rules. We do not write or edit bios — what you read is the family's own words, published as submitted.
How do I get a profile removed?
Email us from the address that submitted the listing, or include the profile URL along with proof that you are family of the person listed. We remove profiles on a verified request from the family.
Last reviewed June 2026 · Inmate Outpost