Newbie - question re the first contact by email

[dunne.ciara]

Hi Everyone

I've just signed up in the last week to the forum. I've been thinking about writing to an inmate for a couple of years and have finally 'bit the bullet' (excuse the pun).
I'm just wondering...if I use the first contact by email feature on the site and add in my name and address in the required fields, is my intended correspondent given this information or should I put my name and address in the text of the email also?

I've been looking at a few threads on the forum and can't find one that answers my query.

Thanks in advance
Ciara

[DAI]

You should include your name and address within the text of the mail too, if you really wish to use this feature. And only push Send once (!) no matter how slow it may appear to be.

However. Mail from here appears to be rather slow from what I have been reading recently, and is not e-mail as we know it. The mails are printed out twice a month and then sent, so writing a postal letter to your chosen inmate could not only be quicker but also less stressful and easier. Remember: they do not have e-mail in the vast majority of cases, and will be writing back by snail mail anyway.

[dunne.ciara]

Hi DAI

Thanks for your quick response it's much appreciated.
Yes I had read about the twice monthly printing and sending to inmates and as the 20th is on saturday and I'm writing from Ireland I thought it was a good idea to try the email feature. Perhaps I can email and also send a snail mail but wouldn't like to pester anyone!

[DAI]

I don't think you'd be pestering anyone at all, not by just sending one mail and one letter! The advantage of a letter is, of course, the ease with which you can include additional things - such as a photograph if you wanted to - and I suspect that, even though the twentieth is on Saturday, a letter written and posted this weekend would get there first. But try both and ask your chosen PP: perhaps you can then let us know what happens when a mail and a letter go out at the same time!

[dunne.ciara]

Great idea

I can ask him/her which they received first (provided they want to write back to me that is )

[sjc]

Hi DAI

Thanks for your quick response it's much appreciated.
Yes I had read about the twice monthly printing and sending to inmates and as the 20th is on saturday and I'm writing from Ireland I thought it was a good idea to try the email feature. Perhaps I can email and also send a snail mail but wouldn't like to pester anyone!

Dai is right! Who doesn't like receiving mail? I think it's a great idea to send both and see when each arrive.

[Craigt708]

Hey there Ciara, My Name is Craig, i am new and from South Africa... i emailed an inmate and never added my postal details in the letter, and i was wondering if that would be a problem. I was under the influence that the response would also be sent to me by email... Sorry new at this and i am not quite sure how it all works can anybody help?

Regards
Craig Thomas

[DAI]

[...] I was under the influence that the response would also be sent to me by email... Sorry new at this and i am not quite sure how it all works can anybody help?[...]

Yes, you should always include your name and address in the body of the mail as this is the section printed out and forwarded to the inmate. No, most inmates do not have access to the Internet or mail programmes, so they will probably answer by post. That said, there are some who do have access through Corrlinks, but this is a paying service which many would not be able to afford and which is often financed by the person outside. Where e-mail is available, such as through Corrlinks, inmates will usually mention it in the profiles.

[Jakob1944]

Dai is right! Who doesn't like receiving mail? I think it's a great idea to send both and see when each arrive.

I mark my calendar when I posted and when I received......One kinda bets that the inmate will quickly reciprocate at most the next day upon receipt......my turn around has been one week to ten days.......again, as pointed out, lack of material/postage comes into play.......

[dunne.ciara]

So the 20th has come and gone and I didnt get to post my hand written letter yet! Will post tomorrow evening when I can get to the post office for stamps. But it'll only be 2 days in between so we can still check out timelines if he respond.

Hi Craig
Yeah I wasnt sure if the body of the email as well as the mailers details were sent to the inmate so I think from now on if I'm sending a first email I'll include details in the body.
Try again with another inmate as I know you cant send an email a second time to the same inmate.