Ameelio - The Easy Way to Send a Letter
As a kid, I started to keep the letters my father sent me while in prison in a little licorice tin. I always wanted to write him letters back but as if going to the post office and paying for the letter was not enough, the stringent requirements for mail had most of my hand-drawn letters sent back to me, never to make it in his hands.
I was ecstatic when I heard there was an easier way for me to mail letters, photos, and more back to my dad in prison through the Ameelio app. My dad told me over the phone and walked me through the simple process. To utilize Ameelio, follow these simple steps:
Create an account with Ameelio imputing your name and address in case the items you mail need to be returned.
Talk to your incarcerated loved one and get their contact information to put in the app. You will need their first and last name, resident number, facility name, facility address, facility city, facility state, postal code, facility phone, and the unit number or dorm if needed.
Then buy tokens in that are used to purchase the items you wish to mail.
You can then write your letter and send it away digitally.
Ameelio is wonderful because you can simply create a digital copy of a letter or a postcard you wish to send and they do all the heavy lifting as they print the card and mail it to the facility you addressed it to. They are a technology nonprofit “who works with departments of corrections and other stakeholders to achieve our shared rehabilitative missions.” They do a lot more than just provide the Ameelio App which allows for seamless communication between you and your incarcerated loved ones and you can check that out here.
