How to Set Up Inmate Email: Step-by-Step Guide for Families

Before creating any account, confirm which messaging platform your loved one facility uses. The fastest way is to search our facility directory - find the facility by name and the provider information will be listed on the facility page.

You can also call the facility directly and ask which electronic messaging provider they use. Have the inmate full name and ID number ready before you call. Facility reception staff can usually confirm the messaging provider quickly.

If your loved one is in a federal Bureau of Prisons facility, the answer is always CorrLinks. No other messaging platform is approved for BOP facilities. If they are in a state prison, JPay is the most common but not universal. If they are in a county jail, ConnectNetwork or GettingOut are the most likely options.

Go to jpay.com. On the homepage, find the sign up section and enter the state where your loved one is incarcerated along with their correctional ID number. Select your loved one from the search results to link their profile to your account.

Enter your personal information including your full name, email address, and create a password. Agree to the terms of service and complete registration. Account creation is free. You will receive a confirmation email - click the link to verify your account.

After your account is verified, log in and go to the email section of your dashboard. Click buy stamps to purchase messaging credits. Each message requires one stamp. Stamp prices vary by state and bundle size but typically cost between $0.09 and $0.47 each.

Once you have stamps, click compose to write your first message. Type your message, preview it to confirm the stamp cost, and click send. Your message will enter the facility review queue and typically arrive within 24 to 48 hours.

Download the free JPay app for iOS or Android to manage your account from your smartphone. The app provides the same features as the website and is often more convenient for checking messages on the go.

CorrLinks works differently from all other platforms. You cannot start the process yourself. The inmate must first log in to a TRULINCS terminal at the facility, enter your name and email address, and submit a contact request. CorrLinks will then send an invitation email to you.

Check your inbox for an email from CorrLinks. It may take several hours to arrive. Check your spam folder if you do not see it within 24 hours. Do not delete this email - it contains the link you need to create your account.

Click the link in the invitation email. You will be directed to the CorrLinks registration page. Create a username and password and complete your account profile. Account creation is completely free for outside contacts.

Once your account is created, accept the contact request from the inmate. After both sides confirm the connection, you can begin exchanging messages. There is no cost to send or receive messages as an outside contact. The inmate pays a usage fee on their end.

Enable email alerts during account setup so you receive a notification at your personal email address whenever the inmate sends you a new message. Without alerts, you would need to check CorrLinks manually to know if you have received a message.

Go to connectnetwork.com and click create account. Enter your full name, email address, and phone number and create a password. Account creation is free. Verify your account through the confirmation email.

After logging in, go to My Facilities and select the state and facility from the dropdown menus. Add the facility to your account. Then go to My Inmates and search for your loved one by name or inmate ID number. Add them to your account.

Once your loved one is added, your dashboard will show the services available at their facility. If messaging is available, you will see it as an option. Purchase messaging credits through the platform and compose your first message.

ConnectNetwork also has a free mobile app for iOS and Android. Download the app and log in with your account details to access messaging and other services from your smartphone.

GettingOut is common at county jails and uses an invitation model similar to CorrLinks at some facilities. The inmate may need to add you as a contact first, or you may be able to create an account and search for them directly depending on the facility.

Go to gettingout.com or download the GettingOut app. Create a free account with your name, email, and phone number. Search for your loved one by facility name and inmate ID or name. If the facility requires the inmate to initiate contact, you will need to wait for their invitation.

Once connected, you can send messages and in some cases schedule video visits through the same account. GettingOut is known for its mobile app which is generally well-reviewed and easy to use.

Using the wrong inmate ID is the most common problem. The ID used for messaging accounts is the facility-assigned inmate number, not a court case number, booking number, or social security number. Confirm the correct ID directly with your loved one or the facility before creating your account.

Not receiving the CorrLinks invitation email is a frequent issue. Ask your loved one to confirm the exact email address they submitted. One wrong character means the invitation goes to a non-existent address. If the address was correct, check your spam folder before asking them to resubmit.

Your loved one not appearing in a platform search usually means you are on the wrong platform for their facility, or you are searching with incorrect information. Double-check the facility name and the inmate ID before concluding they are not in the system.

Stamps or credits not working after purchase is often caused by a delay in account verification. Make sure your account email is verified before purchasing credits. If stamps disappear without sending a message, contact the platform customer service with your transaction confirmation number.

The most common problem during account setup is not receiving the invitation email from CorrLinks. Before asking the inmate to resend the invitation, check your spam and junk mail folder thoroughly. Add web@corrlinks.com to your email contacts or safe sender list to prevent future emails from being filtered. If the invitation is not in spam, ask the inmate to confirm the exact email address they entered, including any numbers or punctuation. A single wrong character means the invitation was sent to a non-existent address.

On JPay, a common setup problem is not being able to find the inmate after creating an account. The most frequent cause is selecting the wrong state. Confirm the state where the inmate is currently housed, not the state where they were convicted or the state where you live. Also confirm the inmate ID number directly with the facility or the inmate rather than using a court case number, which is a different identifier.

GettingOut uses two different connection models depending on the facility. At some facilities you can search for the inmate directly after creating an account. At others, the inmate must send you an invitation from the facility kiosk before you can connect. If you cannot find the inmate after creating a GettingOut account, contact the facility to confirm which connection model they use before assuming something is wrong with your account.

The safest approach for any new platform is to create the account, verify it, add your contact, then make one small initial purchase and send one short test message. Once you confirm the test message is delivered, you can scale up purchases and messaging frequency. This approach prevents the common mistake of loading a large balance on the wrong platform or an account that is not correctly configured.

JPay updated its mobile app interface in late 2025. Users setting up accounts in 2026 may notice different button labels and navigation than older guides describe. The core process remains the same: select state, enter inmate ID, create your profile, verify your email, then purchase stamps before composing your first message. If the app interface looks different from instructions you have seen elsewhere, look for equivalent functions under different labels rather than assuming something is broken.

Avoid switching between the JPay app and the JPay website during your first purchase. Users report that switching mid-transaction can cause the stamp purchase to fail or to be charged without the stamps appearing in the account. Complete the entire purchase process within one interface before switching.

Some JPay facilities require the inmate to approve you as a contact before messages go through. After sending your first message you may see it show as sent but not delivered. Check whether the facility requires inmate contact approval as a first step. If approval is required, the inmate needs to accept your contact request from the facility kiosk before your messages can be received.

Credit card transactions on JPay may be classified as cash advances by some card issuers, triggering additional fees that JPay does not always disclose upfront. Use a debit card for JPay stamp purchases and money transfers to avoid unexpected cash advance fees from your card issuer.

If you try to send a CorrLinks message and receive a notification that the inmate is unavailable or does not have access to messaging, there are several possible reasons. The inmate may have lost messaging privileges due to a disciplinary action at the facility. They may have been transferred to a different facility and are in the process of re-registering in the TRULINCS system at the new location. Their TRULINCS access may also be temporarily suspended during a facility lockdown or administrative review.

When a federal inmate transfers to a new facility, they typically need to re-register in the TRULINCS system at the new location. During this re-registration period, which usually takes a few days to a week after arrival, your connection may show as unavailable even though the underlying contact relationship remains active. In most cases you do not need to submit a new contact request. The connection resumes automatically once the inmate completes re-registration.

If the unavailable status persists for more than two weeks after a confirmed transfer, contact the new facility records office to confirm that the inmate has TRULINCS access at that location. Not all BOP facilities have identical TRULINCS configurations and some program levels have restricted computer access. If TRULINCS access is permanently restricted at the new facility, physical mail becomes the primary communication option.