Wire of Hope’s Prison Pen Pal Program provides many resources about prison correspondence, including tutorials to help you navigate through the different steps of the process of writing a prisoner online.
You will find below the tutorials for the Prison Email System GettingOut.
• To write a prisoner online with GettingOut, you will need to create an account on the GettingOut website. Scroll down and click the “Create an Account” button.
• Fill out the form with your account information and make sure to agree to their terms and conditions. Click the “Submit” button at the bottom of the page.
• Go check your emails and click the “Activate Account” link provided in their email, to complete your account setup.
• After clicking the “Activate Account” link provided in their email, you should be directed to their sign-in page. Enter your email and password, and click “Sign in.”
• You will be requested to enter your birthday or last social number 4 digits. This step is optional. Click “Skip” if you’d rather not share this information for now.
• On the “Welcome to Telmate Deposits” page, click “Log In“.
• Agree to GettingOut terms of service by checking the two checkboxes, and click “I Agree” to proceed.
• You will be requested to provide a 6-number PIN to secure your account. This step is optional. Click “Skip” if you’d rather not provide this number for now.
• To get verified on GettingOut, click the “Confirm Number” button. This step is optional. Click the checkbox and the “Continue” button to proceed without confirming your number.
• You should now be logged in your account.
• To be able to send messages on GettingOut, you will have to deposit funds on your account. The cost of a message varies from one state and facility to the next. Click the “View my Account” button to proceed.
• Click the “Make a Deposit” button at the end of the line with your phone number.
• Select the state and facility of the person you would like to reach out to. Note that the list of facilities is very long, and sometimes is entered with the Department of Corrections’ name or acronym before the facility. Click “Continue” when you’re done.
• Select the amount you would like to deposit on your account (minimum is $10). Scroll down and acknowledge the fees associated with the transaction by checking the checkbox. Click the “Next” button when you are done.
• Follow the steps on the screen to submit your payment.
• Your funds will now show by your phone number in your account. Click the “Send a Message” button to go to the Contacts & Messages Dashboard.
• Click the “Contacts” tab on your dashboard.
• Pick the facility of your contact (note that the list of facilities is very long, and sometimes is entered with the Department of Corrections’ name or acronym before the facility, like “CDCR” for California state prisons) and enter either their first or last name (or both) or correctional ID number. Click the “Search” button when you are done.
• Click the contact card of the contact you would like to add.
• Click the “Add Contact” button. Your new contact has now been added to your account.
• Click the “Messages” tab on your dashboard.
• Click the “Send New Message” button and pick the contact you would like to write to.
• Write the message for your contact and click the “Send” button when you’re done.
• Your message has been sent! Allow a couple of days to one week for the mail room to process your email and forward it to your contact (electronically and/or by printing out a copy). If this is your first time writing a new prison penpal, don’t forget to include your mailing address in your email! Some inmates do not have the possibility to reply electronically.
