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Must read Terms of Service & Privacy Policy and be at least 18

 
pearless

Hi everyone,

I am slightly confused. I've sent a message via WAP (the version where they print and send it for you) to an inmate and today I received an email that he added me on CorrLinks. I wasn't aware he could do that, I was just expecting a letter back, but after reading a little bit about it, it sounded like a decent option as well.

This page states that there is only a fee for inmates. I'll quote:

"3) Is there a fee to use CorrLinks?
Yes, there is a nominal fee to inmates to use the email function on CorrLinks. There is also a small fee to print the messages if they desire. There is no fee to you as a member of the public to use this service. Just keep in mind that it does cost the inmate to use it."

But when I went to say Hi to my inmate, CorrLinks stated the following:

"Message Cost:$0.25

Current Balance:$0.00

Balance after Sending:-$0.25"   I thought there was no fee to me as a member of the public? Or am I misunderstanding something here?   It may not seem like a lot of money, but it feels a little scammy when you're promised there'd be no cost. I know CorrLinks isn't a scam, but it still feels weird. Maybe I did something wrong?   Grateful for your thoughts on this one. Thanks in advance.   Pearless  

 

 

 
pearless

*two weeks
(Why is there no edit button tho)

 
pearless

Hey ST4s,
thanks for your reply! You're gonna become my personal Corrlinks mentor at this rate.

Everything you said is pretty profound and helpful. You're probably right, I'll have to be patient.
It's just that I found out last week that my application from more than two years ago went through and now I'll be taking a plane in exactly to weeks to study in another country. My pp knows about it and he's excited for me, but of course we would have liked to spend as much time as possible (via calls) before I leave the country because we don't know what the situation will be like then. I've just gotten used to our current time difference of 9 hours and soon it'll be 16.
Anyway, that's something I'll have to deal with somehow, because I'm not willing to let our correspondence go to waste just because some people decided to sit on my application for more than two years. (That wasn't entirely the case, but I'll word it like that for the sake of humor and privacy.)

I think I'll try to set up a recurring phone date/appointment for my time abroad. Maybe we won't get to talk several times a week, but once or twice a month is better than not talking on the phone at all, I'd say.

Thanks for your advice, I'll set my mindset to marathon, even though everything else in my life is more like a sprint right now. It's a good challenge.

 
ST4s

Hey pearless, glad to hear it’s working out… sort of. I’ve found message delivery timeframes are facility-dependent and highly variable, so, no one-size-fits-all answer. I did speed tests with one of my buds once, just out of curiosity, where we’d jot down the local time right before hitting the “send” button. The average point-to-point, at the time, was around 90 minutes. Then again, expecting CorrLinks to run like a Swiss train is kind of pointless.

Re: the whole pen-pal gig: it requires/forces a patience all its own. Throwing modern-life expectations at it (like instant-delivery emails, texts, etc. that we have out here) is likewise pointless, because prison time is a thing unto itself; it runs differently, like it’s dilated somehow. Something one of my buds told me continues to ring true. He said, “this isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon.”

Re: setting a phone date/appointment, I get that entirely. For my buds with phone privileges, we’ve set up a standing window, recurring and predictable, which takes variability out of the equation. At the same time, they all know if I can’t get to the phone within that window not to take it personally.

 

 
pearless

I have another question regarding Corrlinks.

I've been using the app for about two weeks now and my pp and I are enjoying our correspondence very much, we heven got to talk on the phone three days ago and we would like to do it again.
Now my question: How long does it usually take for messages to go through Corrlinks?
I've noticed quite a delay, it's starting to interfere with the flow of communication and even kept three phone dates from happening because the messages seem to be several days behind sometimes. I would appreciate some opinions from people who are more experienced with Corrlinks.

Thanks in advance!

 
pearless

Hi ST4s,
thank you for your input as well.

It was just a lot of confusion on my part and I also didn't want to let my pp wait too long after he added me, so I figured it would be best to just ask for help here, and it did help. So that's great.

5¢ per minute sounds brutal. It always takes me relatively long to compose and type a message, so I'd be broke in no time if I was an inmate in that scenario! And with the suggested self-imposed limit I'm also confident that Corrlinks is a good option to keep in touch. Like you said, a postage stamp isn't free either, but maybe a hand-written letter would be a nice change for Christmas or birthdays etc. :) But for now I'll see how the contact with my pp goes, one step at a time.

I feel like I wanted to add one more thing, but I can't seem to remember...

Anyway, thank you and have a good day!

 
pearless

Hi Petra,
thank you for your reply, it helped clearing things up for me.
I didn't realize there was a difference when it comes to federal prisons etc.
My pp is the first inmate I've ever written to so this whole thing is all new to me, but you learn something new everyday, right? :)

And I'll do as you say, set myself a limit. I charged my account with 15$ for now (+3$ for living outside of the US) and now I'm just curious and excited how the contact with my pp will develop.

I was just thinking that I must have done something wrong because I was convinced it was free (assuming that maybe they get money through ads then or something), so I wanted to make sure before writing my first message.
In the end my pp was quicker than me and sent the first message, but my reply came soon after, so the first steps have been taken. Maybe I'll talk to him whether he prefers to use Corrlinks only or maybe wants to receive a physical letter every once in a while.

In any case, thanks for your help!

Have a good day. :)

 
ST4s

Hi pearless, what Petra said.

I use CorrLinks to keep in touch with my buds in both state and federal facilities and use the premium version as well. It avoids the login/I’m-not-a-robot step for every incoming message and sends notifications to your mobile device the moment one arrives. Pretty convenient.

Re: “free” messages to the feds, well, somebody always pays, right? In this case, the inmate pays 5¢/minute to log into a kiosk to read or compose messages – which adds up, especially when someone has zero income.

Re: 25¢ messages, I look at it this way: it’s still cheaper than a postage stamp, and a heck of a lot faster than snail mail, though I do both as well – CorrLinks for quick hellos and time-sensitive info, and snail mail for maximum unhurried hangout time (your mileage may vary).

But hey! Good on you for writing!

 

 
Petra Swiss Miss

Hi pearless

That page refers to the FED. CorrLinks works a bit different in Federal and State Prisons. I'm not sure what the newest developments/rules are at FED. (But I believe, you need an invitation code from the inmate)

I use CorrLinks with my pp at a State Prison. Both of ushave to pay. It's $0.25 per email (max 13.000 characters, that's about two pages) And yes, you still have to pay with the Premium Account. (I could not even add my pp before I put some money in) For me, it's worth the money. I have the app on my cell and tablet and don't have to log in everytime. I only use the computer to put money into my account (plus, the interface looks prehystoric. lol) But it's working really well and seems to be less problematic than what you hear about other providers.

My pp has a tablet. So unless the prison wifi is off, he could write and receive 24/7 ;o) If the inmate has to use a kiosk it's different. And you can set yourself a limit, on how much you're willing to spend.

We do snail mail and emails and it's a good mix.

 

Hope that helps. Happy writing

Petra

 

 
pearless

Also, if I got the premium version (6 bucks a year), would the messages cost nothing anymore?