Mailing Letters to Allegheny County Jail: What’s Allowed, Why Mail Gets Returned, and Legal-Mail Rules

Print the recipient's name and full address (including ZIP code) inside the blocked address area in the center of the envelope. Keep everything contained within that block - it's how the jail processes mail properly.

Letters are limited to three pages max. Got more to say? Send multiple letters instead of one long one.

Photos have limits too. Each person can receive up to two photos per week, and each photo must be 4x6 inches or smaller.

Prohibited Items

• ✓ Any drawings, artwork, or markings outside the designated areas on the envelope

The jail is strict about envelope markings. Anything written or drawn outside the designated areas can trigger an inspection, and your envelope may come back stamped "R.T.S." (Return to Sender). Keep it clean and plain - address only where it belongs.

Legal mail gets special treatment. Mail from public officials, courts, judges, or attorneys won't be opened for contraband inspection unless the incarcerated person is present.

Incoming mail gets sorted into official and regular categories. If the person you're writing to has been transferred or released, the jail forwards that mail back to you unopened.

Regular mail (not official, not being forwarded) goes through a simple process: it's opened, examined, photocopied, and the copies are delivered to the incarcerated person.

Mail moves quickly once it arrives. Barring weekends, holidays, or emergencies, letters shouldn't be held longer than 24 hours. Packages get up to 48 hours.

If Returned Fixes

• ✓ Rewrite or reprint the addressee’s name and full address so it stays entirely inside the blocked address area in the center of the envelope
• ✓ Remove any drawings, artwork, or markings outside the designated areas before you resend
• ✓ Keep the envelope plain - no extra markings outside the allowed areas, even if they seem harmless

• ✓ Re-send the letter at three pages or less
• ✓ If you’re including photos, keep them 4x6 or smaller and stay within the two-photos-per-week limit

Sending legal mail? Pay attention to the return address. It must come from a lawyer's office - not a residential address, not handwritten. Anything else gets returned.

Here's one rule that catches families off guard: correspondence between incarcerated individuals at Allegheny County Bureau of Corrections (including alternative housing sites) is prohibited. Don't try routing inmate-to-inmate mail through your address - it won't be allowed.