Sending Mail to Inmates in Georgia
Offenders incarcerated in Georgia are allowed to receive and send mail to anyone they wish, wish the exception of other inmates and victims. The only exception for inmate to inmate mail is if you are an immediate family member, that is father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister. All incoming mail is opened, inspected and read to prevent the introduction of contraband and to ensure the safety of the facility. Privileged mail, or mail from government officials, courts, or attorneys cannot be opened unless in the presence of the inmate. Privileged mail can be inspected while sealed, and put through a variety of tests to ensure it does not contain anything illegal without the inmate being present.
In Georgia, mail to inmates is considered a privilege not a right. If the inmate has behavioral or disciplinary actions against them, they could have their mail revoked and be unable to send or receive any mail, with the exception of privileged mail from attorneys, government and media officials, that kind of mail by law must always be delivered to inmates.
Inmates can also receive 3-5 photos at a time from friends and family members that are no larger then 4"x6". The photos must not contain nudity, which is defined as male or female genitalia, buttocks, or female breasts that are exposed. Written and visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct is also not allowed. Inmates can have no more than ten photos in their possession at one time.
When sending mail to your inmate, you should format their address on the envelope as follows:
Inmate Name, ID Number
Facility Name
PO Box or Street address
City, State, zip code
How to Send Books and Magazines to Georgia Inmates
Inmates in Georgia can also receive books, magazines and newspapers, but they must come directly from an approved publisher such as Amazon.com. When ordering from Amazon.com be sure you only send new paperback books, hardcover and spiral bound books are prohibited. Any books or magazines that contain nudity or sexually explicit writings/depictions are also prohibited (this means you cannot send a magazine like Playboy, but may get away with sending a Maxim subscription). Any books, newspapers or magazines that contain maps, incite violence, depict illegal activity, or put the safety and security of the institution in jeopardy will be rejected. When sending these items through Amazon.com be sure you mail them to the inmate's mailing address and include the inmate's name as well as ID number. If you want to learn more about sending these items to an inmate read this.
Sending Money to Inmates in Georgia
Inmates are given a personal trust account, that works similar to a bank account. Friends and family members are able to send funds to their inmates in a variety of ways, the inmate then in turn can use these funds to purchase items from the commissary. The commissary is like a small store within the institution that sells stationary items (paper, writing instruments, stamps, envelopes), hygiene items (soap, shampoo, shavers, deodorant), clothing items (towels, shoes, socks, underwear, shirts), food and snack items, and sometimes small entertainment items like books, puzzles, games, cards, televisions, radios and other electronics. Inmates may have a small portion of the deposits removed to pay outstanding fines and court imposed restitution. Also, if inmates are found guilty of disciplinary infraction, an administrative fee of $100 will be imposed.
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
You can visit any Money Gram location (CVS and Walmart) utilizing the Georgia DOC Receiver Code 6857. This method allows you to utilize cash to fund an inmates account. All other methods require a debit card, or credit card with the exception of sending funds through the mail (read below). The inmate account number will be the inmates GDC number followed by the last name, do not put a space between them, for example if the inmates name and ID was John Smith, 12345 you would put 12345Smith.
Deposit Over the Internet
You can also deposit money to an inmate's account online through several different companies. JPAY, and Money Gram (available at CVS and Walmart, use Georgia DOC Receiver Code 6857). Each of these companies charges slightly different fees to send the funds, and allows you to use a debit or credit card to pay.
Deposit Funds Over the Phone
Deposit funds to your Georgia inmate's trust fund account over the phone by calling JPAY at 1-800-574-5729. This company charges a fee for sending the funds.
Deposit Funds Through the Mail
The least expensive way of sending funds is by getting a United States Postal Money Order, printing a payment voucher through the Georgia DOC website here, and mailing the voucher and money order to:
JPay
P.O. Box 246570
Pembroke Pines, FL 33024
Please note: Sending the funds through the mail may be the least expensive option, but it also takes the longest amount of time for the funds to be available to the inmate.
Check on a Deposit Made to an Inmate's Account
To check the status of a deposit made to an inmate's account visit the DOC payment receipt portal here. You will need the inmate's ID number.
Read more on sending money to an inmate in Georgia here.
Georgia Inmate Phone Calls
Upon incarceration, inmates are asked to submit and establish a list of up to twenty (20) people to place on their call list. These people do not need to be on the visiting list. To be placed on the call list, the inmate will need to provide some basic information about each person including the telephone number, full name and address. The inmates telephone list can be updated once every six months, but the process must be initiated by the inmate.
Inmates can make outgoing collect calls and pre-paid calls only. At no time can an inmate receive an incoming call. If there is a family emergency such as a death, you should contact the facilities Chaplain, who may relay the message to the inmate.
All calls have a set limit on the amount of time the conversation can last, usually it is either a 15 minute maximum, or a 30 minute maximum. Calls can be placed Monday-Friday during non-working hours, and on weekends and holidays all day long. Call forwarding, three way calling, and call waiting are not allowed and may cause the call to terminate.
The phone service provider for inmates in Georgia is Securus Technologies.
Securus Technologies 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.