What You Can't Include When Mailing a Money Order to an Inmate in Alabama

Keep deposit mail and regular correspondence separate. Alabama DOC/Access Corrections does not allow letters in the same envelope as a money order deposit. Send your message through the normal mail process. The money order envelope should contain only the deposit form and payment so it gets processed without being pulled aside.

Don't tuck photos into a money order deposit envelope. Alabama DOC/Access Corrections lists photos as not allowed with deposits. Including them creates avoidable delays because the deposit is supposed to be handled as a payment, not as inmate mail.

Skip anything that feels like "extra help" for your loved one. Alabama DOC/Access Corrections deposit instructions say not to include stamps, and not to include notes. If you need to share information (like where the money is coming from), put it where it belongs on the deposit form, not on a separate slip of paper.

Use the ADOC Money Order Deposit Form and fill it out completely. Write or print clearly in blue or black ink. All required fields need to be filled in: deposit amount, the recipient's identifying information (recipient ID and name), and sender information. The deposit form must be included with the money order or check for the deposit to be processed. Keep the payment loose with the form. The instructions say not to staple, paper clip, fold, or tape the money order or check to the form.

Plan around the daily cap. Alabama DOC/Access Corrections states the daily deposit amount for mailed money order deposits cannot exceed $900.00. If you need to send more than that, split it across multiple days rather than putting it all in one mailed deposit.

Mailed deposits aren't instant. The deposit form warns that mail-in deposits can take up to about a week to process. If timing matters, consider a faster option through Access Corrections (online, by phone, or cash deposit) instead of mailing a money order.