Rhode Island: pen pal rules and how to send mail
We found no rule in this department's published policies that stops people here from being listed on a pen-pal site. Normal mail rules still apply, and no one may ask pen pals for money.
Personal letters go to the person at their prison's mailing address, with their full name and ID number. They are opened and inspected; the letter itself is delivered, and the person receives your original letter.
Checked against the department's own pages . How we check, and corrections
Pen pal listings
We found no rule in this department's published policies that stops people here from being listed on a pen-pal site. Normal mail rules still apply, and no one may ask pen pals for money.
Sending mail to someone in Rhode Island
Personal letters go to the person at their prison's mailing address, with their full name and ID number. They are opened and inspected; the letter itself is delivered, and the person receives your original letter.
“Mail for inmates should be sent to the post office box for the specific facility the inmate is currently residing in.” Department source
“Effective October 1, 2012 , per policy, all incoming mail for inmates must be in a white envelope, with the exception of manila envelopes from attorneys.”
Source: Rhode Island mail page, read 2026-10-07. Rules change; the department's page is the final word.
See also: prison mail rules and your first letter.
Prisons in Rhode Island (6)
How to write to someone at each one: the mailing format, mail rules and messaging, from the department's own pages.
Find someone in Rhode Island
Official Rhode Island inmate locator
We check every profile's name and ID number against this locator within a day of it going live.