Penmate Inmate Support Guides
coleman-digital-mail-explainer

Sending Mail to an Inmate at Coleman Unit: The New Digital Mail Process and Exceptions

Mailing someone at the Coleman Unit? Here's the big change: most personal mail no longer goes directly to the prison. Since September 6, 2023, TDCJ routes personal letters, greeting cards, and photos through its Digital Mail Processing Center, where they're scanned and uploaded to the inmate's secure tablet.

• 2 min read • tdcj.texas.gov
Sending Mail to an Inmate at Coleman Unit: The New Digital Mail Process and Exceptions

TDCJ launched its digital mail platform on September 6, 2023. For inmates at the Coleman Unit, personal mail, greeting cards, and photos go to the TDCJ Digital Mail Processing Center first. Staff there sort and scan everything, then upload it to the inmate's secure tablet. The original paper never enters the unit - inmates view their mail electronically instead.

For personal mail going through the digital process, use this address format: Texas Department of Criminal Justice Inmate's Full First and Last Name + TDCJ Number PO Box 660400 Dallas, TX 75266-0400 Include the inmate's full first and last name along with their TDCJ number - missing details can cause delays.

Exceptions

  • ✓ Legal mail - send directly to the unit (not the Digital Processing Center)
  • ✓ Media mail - send directly to the unit (not the Digital Processing Center)
  • ✓ Books, magazines, packages, and other subscriptions from verified publishers - send directly to the unit (not the Digital Processing Center)

Certain mail categories bypass the digital scanning process entirely. Send these to the Digital Processing Center, and you'll likely face delays or have your item handled incorrectly. For anything on the exception list - legal mail, verified-publisher materials, and similar items - address it directly to the Coleman Unit using standard unit mail rules, not the Dallas PO Box.

Sending Mail to an Inmate at Coleman Unit: The New Digital Mail Process and Exceptions
  1. Start by sorting what you’re sending - personal letters, greeting cards, and photos go through digital processing; legal mail, media mail, and books/magazines/packages/subscriptions from verified publishers do not.
  2. Use the Digital Processing Center for non-exceptions - address it with the inmate’s full first and last name + TDCJ number, and mail it to PO Box 660400, Dallas, TX 75266-0400.
  3. Send exceptions directly to the unit - if it’s legal mail, media mail, or a verified-publisher item, address it to the Coleman Unit per unit requirements, not the Digital Processing Center.

Before you mail: Most personal mail for Coleman Unit inmates gets digitized, but legal mail and verified-publisher items are exceptions. Check which category your mail falls into before sending - wrong address means delays or misrouting.

Find an Inmate at Coleman Unit

Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.

Exact spelling helps find results faster

Free to search · Used by families nationwide
Woman using phone to connect with loved one

More from Coleman Unit

coleman-weekend-visiting-hours

Coleman Unit Weekend Visiting Hours and How Long Visits Last

Planning a weekend visit at the Coleman Unit? Two things matter most: the visiting window and how that two-hour clock actually works. Here's what you need to know.

coleman-phone-registration-and-advanceconnect

Getting Phone Calls from an Inmate at Coleman Unit: Registering Your Number and the AdvanceConnect Change

Want to receive phone calls from someone at the Coleman Unit? You'll need to register your phone number first. And heads up: starting December 1, 2025, you'll also need a funded AdvanceConnect account to pay for calls.

coleman-how-to-deposit-money

How to Put Money on an Inmate's Account (Coleman Unit): Deposit Options and the Sender Restriction

Putting money on someone's trust account at the Coleman Unit is straightforward once you pick an approved method and confirm you're allowed to send funds under TDCJ's sender rules.