How to Mail Letters and Packages to Someone at Dallas County Jail (format, contraband rules, and what to expect)
Getting mail to someone at Dallas County Jail in Adel requires the right address format and knowing what's allowed. Use the exact format below, and keep things simple so your letter clears screening.
Address the envelope exactly like this, with each item on its own line: Inmate's Full Name Inmate's Arrest Number Inmate's Cell Number P.O. Box 187 Adel, Iowa 50003-0187
Include both IDs: The arrest number and cell number are both required. Missing either one can delay delivery or get your mail rejected.
Mail is delivered to inmates Monday through Friday. Letters sent late in the week or around holidays will take longer than typical home delivery.
Every piece of incoming mail gets opened and searched for contraband. That includes items that seem harmless in regular mail.
- ✓ Cash (money in any form)
- ✓ Personal checks
- ✓ Inappropriate photos
- ✓ Matches
- ✓ Lighters
- ✓ Cigarettes
- ✓ Jewelry
- ✓ Chewing gum
Money is contraband: Do not mail cash or personal checks. Money in any form will not be delivered to the inmate.
Certain mail qualifies as "privileged correspondence." At Dallas County Jail, this includes letters from the inmate's attorney, a judge, the governor of Iowa, the citizen's aid office, and state or federal legislators. These are handled differently than regular personal mail.
Privileged mail handling: Privileged correspondence may be opened only in the inmate’s presence to check for contraband, and it may not be read by staff.
Dallas County Jail won't accept mail from anyone who was incarcerated there within the past six months. If that applies to you, have another approved person send the letter so it doesn't get rejected.
Don't send cash or personal checks. The jail treats money in any form as contraband, and it won't be delivered as physical cash.
If money does arrive through the mail, it won't be handed to the inmate. Instead, the jail posts it to their account.
Send something that's not allowed, and it won't get passed along. Unauthorized items are either placed in the property room or disposed of, depending on what they are.
Items that aren't disposed of get held until the inmate is released. If you want to make sure they receive something while they're there, stick to basic letters and cards. Avoid anything that could be treated as property.
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