Terms of Service

1. Who we are

InmateForum ("InmateForum," "we," "us") operates InmateForum.com, a community forum for the families, friends, and loved ones of people incarcerated in U.S. federal prisons. We are an independent site and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) or the U.S. Department of Justice.

2. Age requirement

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account or use this site. By creating an account, you confirm that you are 18 or older. We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 18, and any account we learn belongs to a minor will be removed.

3. Your account

Accounts on InmateForum are pseudonymous -- your username, not your real name, is what other members see. You're responsible for keeping your login secure and for anything posted from your account. One account per person; don't create multiple accounts to evade a ban or moderation action.

4. Content you post

You keep ownership of anything you post, but by posting it you give InmateForum a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to display, distribute, and store it as part of operating the site.

Do not post:

• Content that harasses, threatens, or doxxes another person
• Spam, scams, or solicitation unrelated to the forum's purpose
• Someone else's private information without their consent
• Anything that violates a facility's mail or communication rules in a way meant to smuggle in contraband or coordinate a crime
• Sexually explicit content involving a minor, or any other content that's illegal to publish

We may remove content, and suspend or ban an account, at our discretion when we believe these rules have been broken. See the report links throughout the site if you come across something that shouldn't be here.

5. Facility information

Facility details (addresses, phone numbers, visiting information, etc.) are drawn from public sources such as bop.gov and Wikipedia and are provided for convenience. Facility policies change -- always confirm current rules directly with the facility or the official BOP inmate locator before relying on anything here for a visit, a call, or mail.

6. Pen Pal profiles

Pen Pal profiles are entered by InmateForum staff on behalf of an incarcerated person, based on what they've shared with us by mail or another indirect channel -- inmates don't have direct internet access and can't create or edit a profile themselves. We do our best to confirm identity and facility details against the official BOP inmate locator before publishing, but we cannot independently verify every claim a profile makes about itself. Use ordinary judgment before sending money, personal information, or anything of value to anyone you meet through a Pen Pal profile, and report a profile using the link on that profile's page if something looks wrong.

A profile's legal name and BOP register number are published intentionally -- that information is already public record via the federal inmate locator, and publishing it is what allows someone to actually verify and look up who they're writing to.

7. No legal, medical, or financial advice

Guides and forum discussion on this site are for general informational and emotional support purposes only, shared by other community members or written by our editorial team. Nothing on InmateForum is legal, medical, or financial advice. For anything that affects a real case, a real sentence, or real money, talk to a licensed attorney or the appropriate professional.

8. Disclaimer and limitation of liability

InmateForum is provided "as is," without warranty of any kind. We don't verify, endorse, or take responsibility for the accuracy of user-submitted content, including forum posts and Pen Pal profiles. To the fullest extent permitted by law, InmateForum is not liable for any loss, damage, or harm arising from your use of the site or from your interactions with anyone you contact through it.

9. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms as the site evolves. Continuing to use InmateForum after a change means you accept the updated terms.

10. Contact

Questions about these terms? Email support@inmateforum.com.