# Getting a Message to a Prisoner **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 29, 2022, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-message-to-a-prisoner/958634 "2022-01-29T16:18:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-message-to-a-prisoner/958634/1 "2022-01-29T16:18:50Z")
My dad is dying, his brother is doing life. I think that Uncle Jeff deserves to know that his brother is dying, but I’m not any list of approved people whom he can contact – I doubt there’s any such list, as the entire family abandoned him. Anyway, can I just call up the prison and say, “Hey, can someone please let inmate Jeff Smith know that his brother is dying, please and thank you?”? Or is there more to it? ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-message-to-a-prisoner/958634/2 "2022-01-29T16:26:46Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > … I’m not any list of approved people whom he can contact … Does this mean he also can’t receive mail from his nephew? ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-message-to-a-prisoner/958634/3 "2022-01-29T16:30:39Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > Does this mean he also can’t receive mail from his nephew? I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-message-to-a-prisoner/958634/4 "2022-01-29T16:43:37Z")
This would be a good question for @Qadgop_the_Mercotan to answer. He works as a prison M. D. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-message-to-a-prisoner/958634/5 "2022-01-29T16:47:06Z")
True, though it also is going to depend on the rules of the prison system in which the OP’s uncle is incarcerated. I don’t know for certain, but I might suggest that the chaplain’s office at that prison might be a good place to start, if the OP themselves are not permitted to make direct contact. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-message-to-a-prisoner/958634/6 "2022-01-29T16:59:21Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > it also is going to depend on the rules of the prison system in which the OP’s uncle is incarcerated Illinois, state. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-message-to-a-prisoner/958634/7 "2022-01-29T18:12:45Z")
Contact the prison he’s at; they can guide you. Check out the state corrections website, it’ll have info as to what to do. Or if he’s in Federal prison, check out the federal BOP website. Generally arrangements can be made, tho these days a zoom meeting is probably the best you can hope for. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-message-to-a-prisoner/958634/8 "2022-01-29T18:29:24Z")
I’ve been retired for several years. But the procedure when I was working (in New York) was that you called up the prison where your relative resided and told them there was somebody critically ill in the family. You would most likely initially be talking to somebody in the security department (like me) but we would take down the contact information and you would receive a call back from a chaplain or counselor, who would then notify the prisoner of the situation. They would also be a discussion of a deathbed visit (or a funeral visit if it comes to that). This would depend on the relationship but a sibling would qualify. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2022, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-message-to-a-prisoner/958634/9 "2022-01-29T18:42:21Z")
If you use JPay, you can typically contact almost any inmate you want, regardless of whether you are on their approved visitors list or not. I was able to contact inmates completely out of the blue, with no relation to me, when doing prison ministry. That was 3 years ago, though, so rules may have changed. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2022, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-message-to-a-prisoner/958634/10 "2022-01-31T11:10:20Z")
Contact the prison Chaplain. He should be listed online. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2022, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-message-to-a-prisoner/958634/11 "2022-01-31T20:07:14Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > My dad is dying Very sorry to hear that. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2022, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-message-to-a-prisoner/958634/12 "2022-01-31T20:14:21Z")
Does he have a lawyer? ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2022, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-message-to-a-prisoner/958634/13 "2022-02-02T14:10:37Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > Very sorry to hear that. Thank you. I’m not, but that’s a story for another thread.