Sending Mail to Inmates in Kentucky
Incoming mail for Kentucky inmates is delivered Mondays through Fridays excluding holidays. Usually incoming mail is received by the inmate within 48 hours of it reaching the facility, but certain emergency situations such as a lockdown can delay internal delivery. If an inmate is transferred to a new facility or released will have their mail forwarded for a period of 30 days. All inmates can send outgoing mail. Offenders who have no funds to purchase postage and stationary, and are considered indigent can, upon request, send up to two letters per week.
All incoming mail must have a complete return address on the envelope or it will be returned to sender or destroyed. All mail is opened, inspected and may be read with the exception of privileged mail which includes legal mail. Kentucky prisons also have instant mail which is provided by JPAY. Refrain from using obscene language and never include anything else with the letters (with the exception of photos). If you mark or embellish the letters or envelopes in anyway such as with stickers, markers, glitter, lipstick, perfume etc. it may result in the correspondence being rejected.
Offenders are also allowed to receive 4"x6" photos. Photographs cannot be Polaroid, as they pose a security risk. Photos you send cannot contain nudity, sexually suggestive material and should not display illegal activity or hand gestures/tattoos as these could be construed as gang symbols.
When you send correspondence to your inmate you should always put your complete return address on the envelope and 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 Kentucky Inmates
Inmates in Kentucky are also allowed to receive new paperback books, magazines and newspapers that come directly from a publisher like Amazon.com. Books may not be hardcover or spiral bound, they must be paperback and must be new. Magazines and newspapers can also be ordered through Amazon.com and sent to an offender. No publications can contain nudity, incite violence or hate, contain maps, or describe how to make weapons, explosives or contain anything that could put the safety and security of the prison at risk. If you want to learn more about sending publications to an inmate you can read about it here.
Sending Money to Kentucky Inmates
Inmates in Kentucky may receive funds from friends and family members that will be deposited into their commissary account. An offenders commissary account works similar to a bank account. The inmate has access to their funds to purchase various items from the commissary such as stationary, stamps, envelopes, foods, hygiene items, clothing and more.
You can send funds through a company called JPAY. Funds can be sent in three different ways, by walk in, by internet, and over the phone.
In order to send money to an inmate 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 (CVS or Walmart). You will need to use the receive code 1232. The fee to deposit by walk-in is a flat rate of $3.95. Some institutions have a kiosk in the lobby of the prison that you can also use to deposit funds.
Deposit by Internet
You can also deposit money to an inmate's account online through JPAY. There is a fee associated with sending the funds online that varies depending on the amount you are sending.
Deposit Funds Over the Phone
Deposit funds to a Kentucky inmate's trust fund account over the phone by calling JPAY at 1-800-574-5729. The fee amount will depend on how much you are sending.
For more information on sending funds to an inmate, read our guide here.
Kentucky Inmate Phone Calls
Inmates are allowed to make outgoing collect calls only. At no time can you make an incoming call to an inmate. Calls may be recorded and monitored with the exception of phone calls between an attorney and their client. Emergency calls to an inmate includes death of an immediate family member, serious illness, or impending disaster to the inmate's property. In any of these instances you can call the institution and speak with the appropriate staff member, usually the chaplains office, and explain the circumstances as well as give them numbers to contact and verify the situation. Once the emergency has been verified the inmate will be allowed to call you.
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.