Is eMates down?
Noted 29 September 2026 · eMates / Email a Prisoner
No. eMates is not down at one prison. People who already have an eMates account say they cannot send or cannot sign in. New Personal Accounts also need photo ID, a selfie, and proof of address.
This is an announcement from eMates for the whole estate. It is not a family report, and no prison has confirmed a local change.
For new accounts
eMates says anyone signing up for a Personal Account will need an identity check.
Confirm who you are
Valid photo ID and a selfie. eMates accepts a passport, a photocard driving licence, or other government-issued photo ID.
Confirm where you live
A document that shows your current residential address.
The name and address on the eMates account need to match the documents.
Latest from eMates / Email a PrisonerAlready have an eMates account?
Say what is happening for you. This is a family report for one prison, not the announcement above.
Questions families ask
- No. eMates is not down at one prison. People who already have an account say they cannot send an email or cannot sign in. That is a family report, not an official outage.
- Email a Prisoner is eMates. It is not down at a single prison. Families report trouble sending and signing in, and new accounts need photo ID.
- If you already have an account, say what happens when you try. A refused send is not the same as the service being down at that prison.
- No prison has confirmed a local change. The notice covers the whole estate.