Contacting a prisoner

Instructions on emailing a prisoner

You can email a prisoner by using the separate email address meant for the prisoners of the specific prison. The prisoner email addresses of each prison can be found in the contact information of the prisons.

You must write the first and last name of the prisoner in the subject line of the email and, then, write your own first and last name in the message field so that the prisoner knows who sent the message.

The prisoner will only receive the email message. The system deletes all attachments and pictures from the messages due to information security.

The prisoner cannot read the email on a computer. Instead, the prison staff delivers the message to the prisoner. You must assess yourself whether you can send the message via prison email.

Sending post to a prisoner

You can send letters or parcels to a prisoner. Do not send money or other objects, which prisoners are not allowed to have in their possession in prison.

Write the recipient’s details on the envelope or parcel in the following order:

1. name of the prison
2. prisoner’s first name and last name,
3. address of the prison.

The address details of the postal item have to be in the above order so that it is delivered directly to the prison. The prison staff do not pick up parcels sent to prisoners from the post office.

Letters and other postal items may be inspected in prison. Letters between a prisoner and an advocate may only be inspected in exceptional circumstances.

If you do not know where a prisoner is placed

According to the Act on the Openness of Government Activities, information on sentenced or imprisoned persons is mainly secret. This means that the Prison and Probation Service cannot give family members information on the placement or judgment of an adult serving a sentence in prison.

If you want to contact a prisoner, whose placement prison you do not know, you can send the prisoner a letter.

When you send the letter, use two envelopes. Put the letter meant for the prisoner to the first envelope and write the prisoner’s name and date of birth and your name and contact information on the first envelope. Then put the first envelope inside the second envelope and write the address below on the second envelope.

Send the letter to the following address:

Prison and Probation Service
Lintulahdenkatu 5
00530 Helsinki

The Prison and Probation Service will forward the letter to the prisoner. The prisoner may then contact you by telephone or a letter or arrange a visit in prison.

We cannot forward the letter if the recipient is no longer in prison.

Sending money to a prisoner

Family members can transfer money to prisoners via the joint prisoner account of the Prison and Probation Service. Cash cannot be sent to prisoners by post.

Instructions for money transfer

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