How to Write a Letter to Someone Who is an Inmate in Jail

Prison and initials related to prison always fascinate ordinary people. But what interests them more is how to write a letter to someone in jail.

Being incarcerated is never an easy option for someone, irrespective of their heinous deeds. So, writing letters to prisoners is a self-relief for the guilty and his family members both. But do you know that writing letters to inmates can cost you just the opposite if you are not conscious? Or if you don’t know the proper rules?

Well, this whole thing is a mess until you don’t know much about prisoner letters. Don’t worry yet as you are already reading this article! We are here to get you a walkthrough of these critical queries and guide you to the best writing options you can afford.

How do you cheer someone up in jail?

“Jail”- this name frightens us, as well as mesmerizes us when we think of what goes on there. So, just imagine what would be the condition of that isolated person who lives there in real life? So, they have the right to expect some cheerful bliss in their life, right?

On the other hand, inmates get only 4 hours of visiting time as per the law. Having in mind their living schedule, you can do the following things to cheer up their minds-

1. Never Judge

No matter if the prisoner is your friend, enemy, or just an unknown person, it’s never wise to judge someone. Only because you don’t know their situation, you can’t tell a person how he is. That’s why this is our first step in ensuring the prisoners’ truthful mindset.

2. Show them love and Importance

A prisoner has felt enough hatred, disrespect, and insult from the moment he was put into jail. What he lacks is love and respect for himself. To do this, you can share your joyous days with him and tell him that this is not the end yet!

3. Entertain the at your best

We all know how mournful the ambiance inside the prison is. So, if you can, try to entertain them. You can send pictures to inmates, send mails or even write a letter to a prisoner.

Jail Letter Format-  How to write a letter to someone in jail?

A letter is something we are used to writing from an early age in our life. But is sending a letter to an inmate and format of that JANINA as your earlier format? Well, certainly not!  

You’ll be astonished to know that a simple mistake in your letter might express just the opposite of what you intended. Following rules are the mandatory steps to follow if you don’t want to be on that faulty side-

1. Visit the website of the prison where you want to send your letter. Each prison has specific and different rules regarding authorization.

2. After checking the rules, go straight up to the “contact us” selection. There, you’ll find the proper address (physical).

3. Envelope should be adorned with this basic information-

a) 1st line- Name of the inmate (first and last name both must include). The ID number of the prisoner.

b) 2nd line- Proper address of the jail.

c)3rd line- ZIP code of that jail, city, state, and lastly, country.

d)Add your contact details or sender address. In that case, you must include your first and last name, address, city, or state and ZIP code of your area.

Don’t ever forget to add those details in the upper left corner of your envelope.

How to Address a Letter to Someone in Prison?

It seems so soothing in the first place to write an inmate a letter but gets complicated if you are writing letters to inmates without proficiency. We have gathered some collective yet important guidelines for you to make your writing precise-

1. Purchase Embossed Envelopes

Embossed envelopes are accepted throughout the jails of the whole U.S.A- it’s like an unwritten rule of acceptance. As the postage is already stamped, there is no use adding extra stamps too!

2. Addressing the Envelope

Well, this is the most mandatory step I would say. Not because it contains a lot of rules, but because a small one can lead to a major occurrence.

3. Mention your return Address

On the other side, it’s a must to add your address. But if you are concerned about security concerns, you may add your office address too.

4. Greet properly

As we know, greeting someone with proper greetings makes their day. And for prisoners, it’s worth mentioning. So, try to include words like- Dear, My beloved, My dear.

5. Always comfort him

Asking the inmates when you write to a prisoner makes them feel important. Share details of your family and about the outer world. Thus, he will feel more connected.

What should you not Include in the letter?

First of all, never mention anything that is clearly prohibited in the jail rules. Where some prisons allow letters, some don’t allow pictures. There are some common things like- Jewellery, DVDs, Drugs, flowers which are restricted all over.

So, before sending any, do check the rule once.

Conclusion

Sending a letter to an inmate is the only option left to his family to communicate. So, you don’t want to ruin this option, right? We have included all the major formats and rules to help you as a whole. So, before you start writing, do check on the above quotation!