Sending Mail to Inmates in Rhode Island
Inmates in Rhode Island are allowed to send and receive mail. All incoming mail must be received through the United States Postal Service. You may only use white envelopes to send mail to an inmate, manila envelopes are allowed but only from attorneys. All mail must have a complete return address including your full name. All incoming mail is opened, inspected for contraband and may be read with the exception of privileged mail which can be opened and inspected in the presence of the inmate but not read. Do not include any other items with your correspondence, inmates are not allowed to receive stamps, blank paper or envelopes, these items must be purchased by the inmate from the commissary. Do not mark or embellish your letter or the envelope in any way. Spraying the letter with perfume, using glitter, stickers, lipstick etc. will result in the correspondence being returned or rejected.
Inmates in Rhode Island prisons are allowed to receive 4"x6" photos. You should always write the inmate's name and ID number in pen on the back of each photo. Polaroid photographs are not allowed as these have been used to introduce contraband to the facility and are now banned. Photographs that contain nudity or have illegal activities in them are prohibited and will not be delivered.
When sending mail to an offender in Rhode Island you should format the inmate's address as follows:
Inmate Name, ID Number
Facility Name
PO Box or Street address
City, State, Zip Code
How to Send Books and Magazines to Rhode Island Inmates
Inmates in Rhode Island are allowed to receive books and magazines sent directly from a reputable publisher like Amazon.com. All books must be paperback editions. All publications including magazines must not contain nudity or describe how to manufacture alcohol, drugs, or weapons. Limit your order to two or three books. You must ship all publications to the inmate's full name and ID number, and send it to the inmate's mailing address. If you want to learn more about sending these items to an inmate read about it here.
Sending Money to Inmates in Rhode Island
All inmates have access to a trust account setup for them by the Rhode Island Department of Correction. A monthly balance that shows all transactions can be requested by the inmate at any time. Offenders can use these funds to purchase items from the commissary including stamps, envelopes, paper, food/snack items, and electronics. To deposit funds to an inmate you must be on their approved visitation list. During the first thirty days of an inmate's incarceration the facility will allow you to put funds on their account without being on the visiting list. This grace period is given to allow the necessary period of time for an inmate to place people on their visitation list.
You can send funds to an inmate by:
- Walk In
- Internet
- Phone
Before you can send the funds you will need to know the following information:
- The Inmates Name
- The Inmates Identification Number
- The current location of the inmate
Deposit by Walk In
Friends and family members can deposit money by visiting any MoneyGram location, this includes any 7-Eleven, CVS, or Walmart. You will need to use the receive code 5558. The deposit may be made for a fee and can be paid with cash or debit card. You can also visit the John O. Pastore Government Center at 51 West Road, in Cranston Rhode Island 02920 on Monday through Friday from 9am-11am and 1pm-3pm to deposit funds in person.
Deposit by Internet
You can also deposit money to an inmate's account online through JPAY, and through Access Corrections. Both companies will charge a fee for processing and will allow you to fund the transaction with a debit or credit card.
Deposit Funds Over the Phone
Deposit funds to your Rhode Island inmate's trust fund account over the phone by calling JPAY at 1-800-574-5729, or through Access Corrections at 1-866-345-1884. Both of these companies charge a fee for sending the funds.
Deposit Funds Through the Mail
You can also deposit funds to a Rhode Island inmate's account by purchasing a United States Postal Money order. Make the money order payable to "RI Department of Corrections" and include the inmate's full name and ID number in the memo field. Mail the completed money order to:
Inmate Accounts Office
51 West Road, Bldg. 138
Cranston, RI 02920
If you send a self addressed and stamped envelope to this address they will send you deposit slips you can use for future deposits.
For more information on sending funds to an inmate, read our guide here.
Rhode Island Inmate Phone Calls
Inmates in Rhode Island are allowed to make outgoing collect calls and pre-paid calls. Pre-paid calls may offer a significant discount when compared to collect calls. Phone calls can be a maximum of twenty minutes. Inmates will establish an approved call list with a maximum of ten friends/family members and five attorney/legal phone numbers. All phone calls are recorded and monitored with the exception of legal calls. Call forwarding and three way calling is strictly prohibited, and will result in the phone call dropping (call waiting will also cause the call to drop).
The phone service provider for Rhode Island is GTL (Global Tel*Link). You can setup your account over the phone by calling 1-866-230-7761 or by visiting the GTL website here.
GTL will charge you a fee for each call, plus a rate per minute. You may be able to drastically reduce your inmate phone bill by setting up your account with a number local to the facility. Learn more about how you can save money on your inmate phone calls.