Embodiments are provided for managing notification of residents of a controlled-environment facility of pending messages awaiting retrieval by such residents. In one embodiment, a messaging system is provided in which a party external to the controlled-environment facility may record a message intended for a resident of the controlled-environment facility. A notification controller receives notification of the pending message for the resident and determines an appropriate communication device to use for notifying the resident of the pending message. In certain embodiments, a wireless location tracking system, such as a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system, is employed to determine a communication device that is in the vicinity of the resident, wherein the notification controller directs notification of the pending message to the determined communication device.