Mailing a Letter to Someone in an Indiana Prison: Address format and vendor/shipping rules
Getting mail into an Indiana prison comes down to formatting and sourcing. If the name, DOC number, facility name, or address isn't written correctly—on both the envelope and the letter—your mail can be rejected or delayed. Same goes for packages from the wrong type of shipper.
Write the required details on both the envelope and the letter itself. If anything gets separated during processing, staff can still match it to the right person. Include the incarcerated individual's full name and DOC number, the facility name, and the facility's street address or PO Box with the correct city and ZIP code.
- ✓ Incarcerated individual’s full name
- ✓ Incarcerated individual’s DOC number
- ✓ Facility name
- ✓ Facility street address or facility PO Box, plus city and ZIP code
Tip: Put the DOC number on both the envelope and the letter. It’s one of the quickest ways to prevent mix-ups and delivery delays.
Indiana prisons don't accept packages sent through third-party fulfillment services. Ordering through Amazon? The item must be both sold by Amazon and shipped by Amazon - not a third-party seller using Amazon's marketplace. If it doesn't meet that "sold and shipped by Amazon" requirement, expect it to be turned away.
- Check the listing details - look for the fields that show who the item is sold by and who it ships from.
- Confirm both say Amazon - you want “sold by Amazon” and “shipped from Amazon,” not a marketplace seller.
- Re-check before placing the order - verify those details again during checkout so the shipment meets the rule.
Warning: Packages shipped through third-party fulfillment services can be rejected by the facility.
Photos and videograms count as "printed matter" under Indiana DOC rules. Anything you send in these categories has to meet the Offender Correspondence policy requirements for printed matter, or it won't be accepted.
Before you send: Double-check the printed-matter requirements in the Offender Correspondence policy so your pictures or videograms match the permitted formats and rules.
If your mail or package gets rejected, check the most common problem areas first: address format (full name, DOC number, facility name, and the facility street address or PO Box with city and ZIP), whether the package came through a third-party fulfillment service, and whether any pictures or videograms meet the printed-matter requirements. Once you've identified what likely triggered the rejection, contact the facility for guidance on what can be corrected and resent.
- Re-check the addressing on both pieces - make sure the full name and DOC number are written on the envelope and on the letter.
- Confirm the source of any package - if it came through a third-party fulfillment service, it may not be accepted.
- Follow up with the facility - ask what specifically caused the rejection so you can fix it before you resend.
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