Frequently Asked Questions About YardLink

What is YardLink?

YardLink is a free messaging platform that connects incarcerated people with their families. Families outside create an account, find their loved one's profile, and send messages and photos through a tablet or kiosk the facility has approved. The incarcerated person reads your messages on their device; you see replies and can keep building the conversation. It works like a social network built specifically for this — not a per-message email portal.

Who is YardLink for?

YardLink is built for two groups: family members on the outside (parents, partners, adult children, siblings, friends) who want a reliable, low-cost way to stay in touch with someone who is incarcerated, and incarcerated people whose facility has approved YardLink on its tablets or kiosks. It's not for legal correspondence (use your lawyer for that), emergency contact (call the facility), or visits (those still need to happen in person).

How does approved-contact messaging work?

Every incarcerated person on YardLink has to be on their facility's approved-contact list — the same list that lets them receive mail, calls, and visits. If you're already approved for phone calls and letters to them, you're eligible to message them on YardLink. The facility sets who is on this list; YardLink cannot add anyone. Once approved, you can send messages immediately. Approval status does not change pricing or features.

What does YardLink cost?

YardLink is free for families. There are no per-message charges, no stamp bundles, no deposit fees, no inactivity fees, and no photo surcharges. The facility covers the cost of the platform; family members on the outside pay nothing to use it. The optional credit system inside YardLink is for in-app recognition (likes, boosting posts) — it is not required for messaging, photos, or any normal communication.

How is data and privacy handled?

Messages on YardLink flow through the facility's review process the same way mail and phone calls do — facility staff can read every message before delivery. That is true of every approved prison messaging platform and is not specific to YardLink. On the outside, your account information is stored encrypted, never sold, and never shared with third-party advertisers. Photos and posts you upload are visible only to your approved contacts. We do not run background checks on families; we do not sell your data.