Email is one of the most important lifelines for families with incarcerated loved ones. It's cheaper than phone calls, faster than letters, and it lets you send photos — something a landline phone never could. But here's the catch most families hit immediately: you can't just use Gmail. Prison email systems are separate from the public internet, and every message you send goes through a contracted provider that charges per-message fees.
This guide covers every major platform — JPay, GTL, Securus, Access Corrections, and CorrLinks — with real pricing, setup steps, and the free option that families should know about. By the end you'll know exactly how to get a message to your loved one, what it's going to cost, and where you can avoid fees entirely.
Free option: YardLink lets families send messages and photos to incarcerated loved ones at no cost — no per-message fees, ever. If your facility supports YardLink, you can skip the JPay charges. Join YardLink free →
How Prison Email Actually Works
When someone says "email an inmate," they're talking about a kiosk or tablet system inside the facility — not a standard email inbox. The incarcerated person receives messages on a prison-issued tablet or through a dedicated terminal. They're not checking Gmail on a laptop. Every message you send gets routed through the facility's contracted provider, reviewed by staff for security compliance, and then delivered — usually within 1–4 hours, sometimes longer on weekends.
The fees you pay go to the provider (JPay, GTL, etc.), not to the facility. You can only message people in facilities that your provider covers — there's no cross-platform messaging. If your loved one moved from a JPay facility to a GTL facility, you need a new account on the new platform.
What you need to get started:
- The inmate's full legal name as it appears in the facility system
- Their inmate ID number (DOC number or booking number depending on the facility)
- The facility name and state
- A debit or credit card for payment (some platforms accept PayPal or prepaid cards)
The Major Providers: What You're Actually Dealing With
JPay (Now Part of Securus)
$0.25–$1.00 per text messageCoverage: ~35 states, primarily state prisons. JPay was acquired by Securus in 2022, so you'll see the Securus name increasingly in some states. The platform and pricing haven't fundamentally changed — it's still JPay's system under a larger corporate umbrella.
How it works: Create an account at jpay.com. Search for the inmate by name and state. Compose and send messages from your account dashboard. Photos are sent as attachments at higher per-message rates.
Cost breakdown: Text messages typically run $0.25–$0.50 per message depending on the state. Photo attachments add $0.50–$1.00 per message on top of the base rate. Incoming messages from family members cost the sender; the inmate pays to reply from their trust account.
Best for: Families with loved ones in JPay-contract states (California, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, and many others). Most widely available of all providers.
GTL (Getting Out)
$0.25–$0.75 per text messageCoverage: GTL contracts with a different set of states and facilities than JPay — significant overlap in some regions, exclusive contracts in others. Also handles federal CorrLinks (more on that below).
How it works: The consumer-facing product is called "Getting Out." Accounts at gettingout.com. Messages sent through the platform are delivered to the inmate's GTL tablet or kiosk.
Cost breakdown: Similar to JPay — text messages around $0.25–$0.50, photo attachments at a premium. Some states offer monthly subscription plans (~$9.95/month) for unlimited text messages within the platform. Not available in all GTL-contract states.
Best for: States where GTL holds the DOC contract and JPay doesn't. Check your facility's specific provider before creating an account.
Securus
$0.25–$0.50 per text messageCoverage: State and county facilities, primarily in the southeastern and midwestern US. The post-JPay-acquisition reality means that many former JPay facilities now operate under the Securus branding while using the same underlying infrastructure.
How it works: Securus has its own separate platform (securuscorrections.com) distinct from the JPay site. If you're logging into jpay.com and it's not finding your facility, check Securus instead — the facilities may have migrated.
Cost breakdown: Comparable to JPay. The acquisition created some pricing consolidation, though regional variation persists by state contract.
Best for: Facilities that have migrated from JPay to Securus post-2022, or states where Securus holds the primary contract.
Access Corrections
$0.25–$0.75 per text messageCoverage: County jails and some state facilities, particularly in the western US. Significant county jail coverage that JPay often doesn't touch.
How it works: Accounts at accesscorrections.com. Delivery is to the facility's managed tablet or kiosk system. County jail messaging can sometimes be slower than state prison systems due to staffing and review processes.
Cost breakdown: Roughly in line with JPay's pricing. Photo attachments carry a premium. Monthly subscription tiers available in some facilities.
Best for: County jail inmates. If you can't find your facility on JPay or Securus, Access Corrections is often the alternative for county custody.
CorrLinks (Federal BOP)
$0.05–$0.08 per text messageCoverage: Federal Bureau of Prisons facilities only. Federal inmates do not use JPay, GTL, or any state-contract platform.
How it works: CorrLinks is operated by GTL (same parent company as Getting Out) but operates on a separate network for federal facilities. Accounts at corrlinks.com. Messages go through BOP security review — typically 1–2 hours, sometimes longer.
Cost breakdown: The cheapest per-message rate of all major providers — $0.05–$0.08 per message. Photos cost more per message than text-only. This is the one area where prison messaging is genuinely affordable.
Best for: Federal inmates. If your loved one is in BOP custody, CorrLinks is the only option — and it's the cheapest one at that.
Per-Message Cost Comparison
| Platform | Text Message | Photo Message | Subscription Option | Cost Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CorrLinks (Federal BOP) | $0.05–$0.08 | $0.15–$0.25 | None | Lowest |
| Access Corrections | $0.25–$0.50 | $0.50–$0.75 | ~$9.95/month (some states) | Medium |
| GTL / Getting Out | $0.25–$0.50 | $0.50–$1.00 | ~$9.95/month (some states) | Medium |
| JPay | $0.25–$0.50 | $0.50–$1.00 | None | Medium |
| Securus | $0.25–$0.50 | $0.50–$1.00 | Varies by contract | Medium |
| YardLink | Free | Free | Free | Free |
Step-by-Step: Setting Up JPay Email
JPay is the most common provider for state facilities, so here's a complete walkthrough for first-time setup. If your facility uses GTL, Securus, or Access Corrections, the process is similar — create an account on the provider's site, find the inmate, compose, and send.
- Go to jpay.com and create an account — You'll need your full name, email address, and a password. JPay may ask you to verify your identity with a phone number or government ID for larger messaging volumes.
- Search for the inmate — Use the inmate lookup tool. Enter the full legal name exactly as it appears in the state's DOC system, plus the state of incarceration. If the search fails, double-check spelling or try the inmate's DOC number instead. Many states have exact-match requirements.
- Fund your account or add a payment method — JPay lets you attach a debit/credit card directly to the messaging service, or you can load funds into a JPay account wallet. Direct payment per message is simpler; wallet funding is sometimes cheaper for larger amounts but adds a layer of complexity.
- Compose and send your message — Navigate to "Compose" or "Send a Message," select the inmate from your contacts, type your message, and attach a photo if needed. JPay shows the per-message cost before you confirm — read it. A photo message costs more than text-only.
- Wait for delivery — JPay's system holds messages for security review. This typically takes 1–4 hours on weekdays. Weekends and holidays can mean longer waits. The inmate sees your message on their tablet or kiosk when it clears review.
- Inmate replies — The inmate's reply comes back through the same system and appears in your JPay inbox. Each reply costs the inmate money from their trust account — something to be aware of when you're asking them to write back.
Watch for the photo fee trap: Attaching a photo costs significantly more per message than sending text. If you're on a budget and your message doesn't need a photo, skip the attachment. Some families send text-only messages frequently and save photo messages for special occasions to manage costs.
Federal vs. State vs. County: What Changes
Federal Facilities (BOP) — CorrLinks Only
If your loved one is in federal prison, you're using CorrLinks — and that's it. JPay, GTL's state product, Securus, and Access Corrections don't operate in federal facilities. CorrLinks has the lowest per-message costs in the prison email industry, which is something the BOP actually deserves credit for negotiating. Create your account at corrlinks.com, find the inmate by name and BOP register number, and start messaging.
State Prisons — JPay, GTL, or Securus
State DOCs contract with one provider (sometimes two) per state. About 35 states have JPay contracts. Some states are split between JPay and GTL depending on the institution. Securus has carved out significant territory post-JPay acquisition. When you know your loved one's state and facility, call the facility's main line and ask which messaging platform they use — that's the single most reliable way to find out.
County Jails — Access Corrections and Others
County jail messaging is often handled by Access Corrections, though some counties use JPay or local platforms. County jail messaging can be more restricted — some facilities only allow incoming messages, not outgoing replies from the inmate. Others limit the number of messages per day. If your loved one is in county, check the specific rules before assuming the standard per-message model applies.
The Free Alternative: YardLink
Here's the part the prison telecom companies don't advertise: there are free options. YardLink is a messaging platform built specifically to reduce what families spend on staying in touch with incarcerated loved ones. Families send messages and photos for free; incarcerated people receive them on supported facility tablets.
It's not available at every facility — coverage depends on which facilities have adopted the platform. But where it's available, families completely skip the per-message fees that add up to hundreds of dollars a year. The math is simple: a family that sends 50 messages a month at $0.50 each spends $300/year on JPay. With YardLink, that's $0.
If your facility is listed on YardLink's facilities page, creating an account takes minutes and the messaging is genuinely free. Compare YardLink to JPay →
Tip: Even if your facility isn't supported by YardLink yet, joining now means you'll be notified when it becomes available. Messaging platforms expand coverage regularly — it's worth having an account ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you email someone directly from a regular email address like Gmail or Outlook?
No. Prison email systems are completely separate from the public internet. To email an incarcerated person, you must use the platform the facility contracts with — JPay, GTL, Securus, Access Corrections, or CorrLinks. Regular email won't reach the inmate's kiosk or tablet, and the facility will not forward it.
How much does it cost to send an email to a prisoner?
It depends on the platform. JPay charges $0.25–$1.00 per text message and $0.50–$1.00 per photo. GTL/Getting Out is similar. CorrLinks (federal BOP) charges $0.05–$0.08 per message — the cheapest of all major providers. YardLink is completely free. The cost comparison table in this article breaks down every major provider's pricing.
Can inmates reply to emails for free?
In most systems, inmates must use funds from their trust account to send replies. On JPay and GTL, each outgoing message costs the same as incoming ones — deducted from the account you funded. On CorrLinks (federal), replies are deducted from the inmate's trust account at the same per-message rate. Free reply options exist only on platforms like YardLink where messaging is subsidized.
What is the difference between JPay, GTL, and Securus?
JPay, GTL, and Securus are three different companies that contracted separately with different state departments of corrections. In 2022, Securus acquired JPay — so in some states you may see the Securus branding on what used to be JPay. GTL operates its own network of facilities separately. Access Corrections covers county jails and some state facilities. CorrLinks handles federal BOP facilities. Coverage depends on which company your state or county contracts with.
Do federal prisoners use JPay?
No. Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) inmates do not use JPay. Federal facilities use CorrLinks for messaging — a separate platform operated by GTL's parent company. Federal inmates cannot receive JPay messages regardless of their prior state facility history.
Are prison email messages monitored?
Yes. Every message sent through JPay, GTL, Securus, Access Corrections, and CorrLinks is monitored by the facility. This is standard practice — incarcerated people have no expectation of privacy in their communications. Messages flagged by content filters can result in lost messaging privileges, disciplinary action, or investigation. Do not discuss illegal activity, gang affiliation, or escape plans in any prison communication.
How do I set up JPay email for the first time?
Go to jpay.com, create an account with your name, address, and email. Search for the inmate by their full legal name and state. Navigate to "Send a Message" or "Compose Email." Type your message and attach a photo if needed. Review the per-message fee, then confirm with your debit or credit card. The message will be reviewed by facility staff before reaching the inmate — this review process typically takes 1–4 hours.
Stop Paying Per Message
If your facility supports YardLink, you can message your loved one for free — no JPay fees, no per-message charges. Join the families who are already saving hundreds of dollars a year.
Join YardLink Free →