What You Need to Know Before Mailing a Letter to Alleghany Regional Jail

If you’re sending non-legal mail to someone at Alleghany Regional Jail, it doesn’t go straight to the jail. It must be mailed to the scanning/processing center at PO Box 18247, Greensboro, NC 27419, and you’ll need to use Facility ID 5004 so it routes correctly.

• ✓ Facility Name (Alleghany Regional Jail)
• ✓ Inmate’s full name
• ✓ Inmate ID number
• ✓ Facility ID: 5004 (if this is missing, the mail will NOT be scanned)

Keep each envelope to 10 pages or less. If you have more to say, split it into multiple envelopes so it meets the scanning center’s limit.

Stick to standard paper: each page must be no larger than 8.5" x 11". If you’re printing something that comes out bigger, resize it before you send it so it doesn’t get rejected.

Don’t put money in the envelope. Cash, personal checks, and money orders are not allowed to be mailed to the processing center, and including them can stop the whole mailing from being accepted for scanning.

The good news is your everyday letter materials are generally fine: typed or handwritten pages, photos, drawings, and greeting cards are allowed. The big photo exception is Polaroids - those are specifically not allowed. Also skip anything that makes the mail “crafty” or bulky. Glitter, glue, tape, 3D elements, and any electronic components (like cards with lights, music, or animation) are prohibited.

Even if the envelope looks fine, the content can still get it rejected. Mail that contains, depicts, or relates to sexually explicit activity, gang-related content, illegal activity, violence, or drug/alcohol use is prohibited and won’t be accepted for scanning.

Anything that’s scanned is also reviewed for safety and security issues. Facility personnel inspect scanned mail for threats, escape plans, coded language, gang symbols, and other concerns. If scanned mail is considered illegal or a security breach, it can be turned over to the proper authorities for investigation. That can carry real consequences, including possible criminal charges.

When your envelope meets the requirements and is accepted, it’s handled as scanned mail. That’s why the outside details matter so much - if the Facility Name, the inmate’s full name, the inmate ID number, and Facility ID 5004 aren’t all there, the mail will not be scanned for delivery.

After release, inmates can request digital copies of their scanned mail by emailing todd.tyler@co.alleghany.va.us.

• ✓ Alleghany Regional Jail Facility ID
• ✓ Inmate’s full name
• ✓ Inmate’s ID number
• ✓ Email address (where the copies should be sent)

Pre Mail Checklist Embedded

• ✓ Mail non-legal letters to: PO Box 18247, Greensboro, NC 27419 (Facility ID 5004)
• ✓ Put on the envelope: Facility Name, inmate’s full name, inmate ID number, and Facility ID 5004 (missing info = not scanned)
• ✓ Keep it to 10 pages or less per envelope
• ✓ Use pages no larger than 8.5" x 11"
• ✓ Don’t include cash, personal checks, or money orders
• ✓ OK to include typed/handwritten pages, photos, drawings, or greeting cards - but no Polaroids
• ✓ No glitter, glue, tape, 3D elements, or electronic components (lights/music/animation)