How to contact a prisoner in Federal Prison?

If you're trying to contact someone in Federal Prison, this guide breaks down the three main options—CorrLinks, Parakeet Chat, and Physical Letters—. Let's find out the best method for your situation.

Comparison table:

Feature	CorrLinks	Parakeet Chat	Physical Letters
Communication Speed	Medium	Fast	Slower
Send/receive text	●	●	●
For you on the outside
Send Voice Messages	✕	●	✕
Receive Responses Directly	✕	●	●
Modern Interface	✕	●	✕
Cost per Message	-	- *	~ $1
SMS/Telegram support	✕	●	✕
For the incarcerated person
Cost per message	$0.05/min	$0.05/min**	~ $1
Chat GPT	✕	●	✕
Internet Search	✕	●	✕
Other features	✕	●	✕

* Incarcerated people still use the CorrLinks interface with Parakeet Chat. There fee to send message per minute goes to CorrLinks (not Parakeet Chat).

** Parakeet Chat monthly subscription allows anyone in the world to send unlimited messages to incarcerated individuals.

CorrLinks

CorrLinks is the default federal government corrections email system that allows approved contacts to send and receive messages with incarcerated people.

Requires using CorrLinks' poorly designed website (or extra cost mobile app) to send and read messages.
Must log in every time to read and reply, breaking natural conversation flow.
Every outsider recipient must create their own CorrLinks' account, each incarcerated person must connect to each individual CorrLinks' account that they want to contact.
No additional features, it's bare bones as it gets.

Parakeet Chat

Parakeet Chat is a next-generation service that empowers your incarcerated loved ones to stay connected with you and the world via Text and Voice Messages, AI chatbots, SMS, email, and more.

For You:

Send and receive messages directly through your phone (using SMS or Telegram).
You can include emojis in your messages ♥️
No need to log into CorrLinks every time.
Works perfectly on phones and all devices.
You can record and send voice messages for your loved one to listen to anytime.

For incarcerated people:

They can message you (or anyone else) directly via SMS, Telegram or Email (other outside recipients don't need to create a second Parakeet Chat account).
They can listen to voice messages from you anytime.
They have access to additional features in their subscription, including Chat GPT, internet search, Wikipedia, daily holoscope, song lyrics and more.
Incarcerated people still need to use CorrLinks' interface in prison(connected to a Parakeet Chat account), and they must pay CorrLinks' per-minute fee. (We're working to offer our services directly and thus removing this fee).

Physical letters

You can be old school and mail letters to your incarcerated loved directly.

You can send photos, drawings (Subject to certain restrictions, see BOP's website).
Delivery typically takes days instead of minutes.
Risk of delivery problems (Guards sometimes don't let paper letters be delivered).
Requires you to know your recipient's prison facility address.

How to Search for Someone in Prison

Which Option Is Right for You?

Choose CorrLinks if:

You don't mind using the government's website with its cumbersome login and communication process.

Choose Parakeet Chat if:

You want to communicate with your loved one like you're texting anyone else.
You primarily use your phone for communication.
You value additional features like voice messaging.
You want to give your loved ones access to AI, internet search, and helpful resources.
You're willing to pay a small monthly fee for a significantly better experience for both of you and your incarcerated loved one.

Choose Physical letters if:

You don't want to contact them very often (a single letter per month is cheaper than a Parakeet Chat subscription).
You want to send photos or drawings.
You don't need frequent back-and-forth communication.
Your loved one doesn't want internet search, AI Chatbots, and other features.