How to Send Mail to Someone at Hardeman County Corrections (exact address format and tips)

Every piece of mail needs two things on the envelope: the inmate's committed name (their legal name on record) and their TDOC identification number. Miss either one - or use a nickname instead of the committed name - and your mail could be delayed or rejected.

Always include your return name and address. If the facility can't accept the mail for any reason, that's how it gets back to you instead of being tossed.

1. Write the facility name on the first line - use the full facility name.
2. Put the inmate’s first and last name on the second line - this should be their committed name.
3. Add the TDOC ID number on the third line - include it exactly as assigned.
4. Finish with the facility P.O. Box address - use the complete P.O. Box line(s) as provided by the facility.

Before sealing the envelope, double-check the inmate's committed name and TDOC ID number. Look them up through the TDOC inmate search tools and copy the name and number exactly as it appears on file. A quick check can save you from getting a letter returned over a small typo.

Allowed Correspondence

• ✓ Photographs are allowed
• ✓ Clippings from printed materials are allowed
• ✓ Polaroid-type pictures are not allowed

Keep greeting cards simple. Homemade items, layered or heavily decorated cards, and music cards are all prohibited. Even well-meant extras like glued-on decorations can get the whole piece rejected.

Legal mail works differently. Privileged correspondence - from attorneys, courts, or legal aid clinics - should still go directly to the facility where the inmate is housed. It isn't processed under the same rules as regular personal mail.

Don't mail packages yourself - they won't be accepted. Packages can only come directly from approved contract vendors. If you're on the inmate's approved visitor list, you can purchase items through those vendors, but the shipment has to come straight from them.

Mail that poses a security risk will be returned. This includes anything with escape plans, information about unauthorized entry into the institution, or maps that could help with an escape attempt.

Practical Checklist

• ✓ Use the inmate’s committed name (not a nickname) and include their TDOC ID number on the envelope
• ✓ Include your return name and full return address on every envelope
• ✓ Follow the TDOC addressing order: facility name, inmate name, TDOC ID #, then the facility P.O. Box
• ✓ Don’t include cash, personal checks, certified checks, or money orders
• ✓ Skip homemade, layered, decorated, or musical greeting cards
• ✓ For packages (and many items beyond basic letters), order through approved contract vendors so the shipment comes directly from the vendor