FAQs
How do I register/sign up?
Go to www.emailaprisoner.com.au, select Sign Up enter your first and last name, your email address and choose a password.
Read the Terms and Conditions and confirm that you agree with them by ticking the box.
Tick the box next to “I’m not a robot” then select Sign Up.
On the next screen enter your full residential address (PO Boxes will not be accepted).
You will then receive an activation link to your email address and we will also send a security code to your residential address before you can send your first message.
How the Identity Checking Process works
You have the option to upload ID to complete the identity verification process or you can request a letter to be delivered via post.
If you are choosing to upload your ID you must upload at least 100 points. Below is the 100 point checklist:
Primary Documents (70 points each)
• Australian Citizenship Certificate
• Bank Statement (less than 6 months old)
• Concession Card
• Driver's Licence (front and back)
• Full Birth Certificate (not birth certificate extract)
• Medicare Card
• Passport
• Visa Document
Secondary Documents (40 points for the first upload and then 25 Points thereafter)
• Aviation / Maritime Security Identification Card
• Council Rates Notice
• Marine Licence - Government Issued
• Payslip
• Superannuation Statement
• Utility Bill (less than 6 months old)
• Veteran Healthcare Card
• Working With Children / Teachers Registration Card
Tertiary Documents (25 points each)
• Australian Tax Office Assessment
• Birth Extract
• Insurance Document
• Motor Vehicle Registration Document
• Private Health Care Card
• Professional or Trade Association Card
• Proof of Age Card - Government Issued or Keypass
• Property Insurance
• Property Lease / Rental Agreement
• Seniors Card
How much does it cost to send a message?
It currently costs AUD$1.00 per message, an additional AUD$0.75 if you request a reply from your recipient and AUD$0.65 per photo uploaded*
You may write a maximum of 2,500 characters and up to 50 lines per page. It will cost AUD$1.00 for each additional page. There are counters below the message to help you keep count and a total cost of the message will be displayed.
*Photo Attachment service is only available in participating establishments. A maximum of 4 photos per message can be attached. See more information on our locations page here
Why am I charged to send messages?
Unilink Software Ltd charge for messages because we also have to maintain the software and hardware that makes the service possible. We also provide a support team, in order to help you use the service.
We do not receive any government funding however, despite this we still manage to operate the service at a lower cost to you than traditional methods of communication.
How long does it take for my messages to be delivered?
Please see our How it Works page.
Do Recipients have to pay for the messages?
The Email a Prisoner service is free of charge for the Recipients and the Correctional Centres.
If you request a reply (by ticking the box when you are writing your message), credit is deducted from your account upon pressing send.
How do I receive replies?
When you pay for a reply (by ticking the box when writing a new message), a single-use reply sheet is given to your recipient along with your message. It is then up to your recipient to write their reply.
The reply may be censored by the Establishment. The reply will then be sent to your Email a Prisoner Inbox and notification will be sent to your registered email address notifying you of the reply.
If your recipient is at an establishment where they use Kiosks or other smart-devices, then the Reply button will become available on the screen for them to write their reply.
Can the Inmate (person receiving the message) see my address and email address?
All ingoing correspondence, emails and letters alike, must have the sender's address clearly visible, therefore we automatically add your physical address and name details to your message when it is sent. Your email address will not be publicised on any of the messages which you send.
How do I add credit to my account?
Credit is deducted from your account once you press Send Message; if you have no credit on your account, your message will stay in your Drafts folder within your Email a Prisoner account.
To purchase credit, once you are logged into your Email a Prisoner account, select Buy Credit from the menu.
You can choose to pay by Credit/Debit Card, Money Order/Cheque/Cash or Bank Transfer/Overseas Payment
There is no processing fee for Email a Prisoner credit so if you purchase AUD$10.00 credit, then you will receive the full AUD$10.00 on your account.
Credit/Debit Card
You must have a valid VISA or MasterCard to use this option use this option.
Enter the amount you wish to purchase (min amount AUD$5.00 if using a credit/debit card). Select Credit/Debit Card as the method, confirm your address details and then select Continue to Checkout
You will be taken to a secure page to enter your card details. Enter the details and select Submit Payment.
Bank Transfer/Overseas Payment
If you do not have a VISA or MasterCard you can purchase credit by completing a bank transfer.
Enter the amount you wish to purchase, select Bank Transfer/Overseas payment as the method, and select Continue to Checkout.
The next screen will provide you with a reference number, record the reference number and the bank details which are shown. Login or go to your bank and make the payment into our account using the details provided and also, quoting the reference number*
*IMPORTANT: The reference number is what Unilink use to allocate funds to the correct Email a Prisoner account. It may take between 2-4 working days for credit to be applied to your account via this method. You will receive an email once the credit has been applied. If you do not provide the reference number you will need to contact us so your credit can be applied.
Money Order/Cheque/Cash
If you are not able to add credit to your account using a debit or credit card or bank transfer (overseas payment) then you can send us a cheque or money order via the post. We are also able to accept cash however we strongly advise only sending cash if you cannot use any other method and ONLY by registered mail.
Enter the amount you wish to purchase. Select Postal Order/Cheque/Cash as the method and then select Continue to Checkout
The next screen will provide you with a reference number that you must include along with your full name and address when you send you cheque/cash/money order. Please post to
Unilink Software Limited
PO Box 3455
Port Adelaide SA 5015
AUSTRALIA
Can I get a refund?
We are unable to offer refunds of purchased credit, so to avoid disappointment we urge you NOT to add more credit to your account than you will use. However, this does not affect your rights under Australian Consumer Law.
How do I change my email address?
Please send an email to us from your currently registered email stating the email address currently registered and the email address you would like to change it to.
How do I change my password?
Login at www.emailaprisoner.com.au, select Change Password in the menu, enter a new password of your choice in the boxes provided and then select Change Password.
My recipient has been moved, how do I change the location of where my messages are being delivered?
Login at www.emailaprisoner.com.au, select My recipients from the menu, select Edit next to your recipient’s details, change the location and then select Save Changes OR when you write your next message change the details on the screen before pressing Send Message.
How do I change my recipient's ID number?
Login at www.emailaprisoner.com.au, select My recipients from the menu, select Edit next to your recipient’s details, change the ID number and then select Save Changes OR when you write your next message change the details on the screen before pressing Send Message.
I am having problems logging in, what should I do?
If you are having problems logging on to your account, it may be because your computer/device has picked up cookies. Cookies can cause our website not to work properly.
Try using a different browser e.g. Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, if that does not work please clear your cookies and history and try again.
The email I have sent to my recipient was late/not delivered, why is this?
The Email a Prisoner system operates in such a way that once you press Send Message, the message(s) are delivered directly to the establishment of choice once each day.
We are still at the Correctional Centres mercy (as with all correspondence) on censoring messages and how quickly the messages are given to the recipient. Some establishments do not deliver emails on the weekend or Public Holidays.
Please allow 3 working days for your message to be delivered to the recipient, if you are aware that the emails have not been delivered please contact us here.
I wish to contact a prisoner but I don't know where they are or what their ID number is, can you assist?
Due to privacy and data protection we do not hold any information about recipients. Please see the applicable state government corrections website for more information about locating a recipient.
Can I cancel a message once it has been sent?
Unfortunately, we cannot cancel or stop a message from being delivered after you press Send Message. This is because once you press send, the message is delivered directly to the selected Correctional Centre.
Can I book a visit?
You cannot book visits via Email a Prisoner, you must contact the Correctional Centre directly.
Can I send attachments?
At this time, we do not offer a document attachment service. Participating establishments allow photo attachments to be sent.
Can I send photos?
Participating establishments allow up to 4 photos to be sent per message.
Images will be delivered along with your message and may be black & white depending on the equipment available at the establishment.
Why was my Photo Attachment rejected, can I get my money back?
Each attachment is automatically scanned by the Email a Prisoner system for inappropriate content. If a photo is rejected, you will receive an email to your registered email address informing you of this.
If you believe an image was rejected erroneously, please contact our support team here. The Support Team will manually review and send the attachment on if it is deemed appropriate.
If it is deemed by the support team that the attachment was inappropriate for sending, no refund will be offered and the image will not be sent to your recipient.
How do I cancel my account?
If you wish to cancel your account, please email the support team from your registered email address requesting for your account to be cancelled. Our email address can be found here
Legal Professionals and Organisations
Please note - Legally sensitive material/communications sent via this website are not subject to the usual privileged handling arrangements afforded privileged mail. We recommend sending sensitive materials through the traditional channels.
