Smart Communications (SmartInmate): Digital Mail, MailGuard & Video Guide (2026)

Who Smart Communications Is

Smart Communications is a Florida-based corrections technology company that introduced MailGuard — the practice of converting inmate postal mail into electronic copies — to the industry in 2016. Since then it has become one of the most common digital-mail providers in county and regional jails, and it bundles that with a full SmartInmate communications suite: telephone service, messaging, photos, and video visitation.

Unlike the two giant telecom vendors, Smart Communications is best known for its mail-digitization niche, though many facilities use it as their all-in-one provider. If your facility contracts with Smart Communications, you'll interact with it through the consumer site smartinmate.com.

How MailGuard Digital Mail Works

MailGuard is a contraband-reduction system. Instead of letters arriving at the jail, they are routed to a Smart Communications processing center, opened, scanned, and delivered to the inmate electronically on a kiosk or tablet. The physical original is usually stored or destroyed per the facility's policy.

1. Use the MailGuard address. Mail letters and photos to the specific processing-center address the facility publishes — not the jail's street address. Mail sent to the jail may be returned or delayed.
2. Label it correctly. Include the inmate's full name and ID/booking number exactly as the facility requires.
3. Expect a scanning delay. Digital delivery takes time for processing and review; it is not same-day.
4. Know the limits. Restrictions on pages, photos, and content still apply, and certain items (cash, contraband, some greeting cards) are rejected.

SmartInmate Services

Setting Up & Funding an Account

1. Confirm the facility uses Smart Communications. Check the jail's inmate-services page for "SmartInmate," "Smart Communications," or "MailGuard."
2. Create your account. Register free at smartinmate.com with your name and email.
3. Locate your facility and inmate. Search by facility, then by the inmate's name or ID.
4. Add funds. Load money with a debit or credit card to send messages/photos and schedule video visits.
5. Schedule or send. Book a SmartVisit session or send a message; watch for the facility's review/delivery times.

Getting Your Mail & Messages Delivered

• Always use the MailGuard processing address, not the jail address, when it applies.
• Write the inmate's full legal name and ID number on every item.
• Avoid banned content — stickers, glitter, cash, and some cards are commonly rejected.
• Send photos and letters electronically through SmartInmate for faster delivery.
• Test your device and internet before a scheduled SmartVisit.

For broader help, see our guides on sending mail to an inmate and setting up a video visit.

Costs, Timing & What to Expect With Digital Mail

Digital mail changes the rhythm of staying in touch, so it helps to set your expectations. Because every letter is routed to a processing center, opened, scanned, and reviewed before it reaches the inmate's kiosk or tablet, there is always a built-in delay — often several days — that you can't shortcut by paying more. If you need to get a message through quickly, an electronic message or photo sent directly through SmartInmate usually arrives faster than a physical letter, since it skips the mailing step even though it still passes facility review.

On cost, understand what you're paying for. Sending electronic messages and photos, and scheduling SmartVisit video sessions, generally draw from a funded balance, while incoming postal mail that goes through MailGuard is handled as part of the facility's contract. Keep messages within the facility's content rules — glitter, stickers, certain inks, cash, and some greeting cards are common reasons an item is rejected — and write legibly, because a hard-to-read letter produces a hard-to-read scan.

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It's also worth knowing that digitized mail is stored and searchable by the facility, so treat anything you send as reviewable rather than private, and never include sensitive personal or financial details. If your loved one is transferred, confirm the new facility's mail process before sending anything, since the MailGuard address and even the vendor may change.

• Expect a multi-day delay on scanned postal mail; use electronic messages for speed.
• Fund your balance to send messages, photos, and video visits.
• Avoid glitter, stickers, cash, and banned cards to prevent rejection.
• Treat all mail as reviewable — don't include sensitive details.
• Re-confirm the MailGuard address and vendor after any transfer.

Frequently Asked Questions