How to Mail Someone at Howard R. Young (Las Vegas PO Box, what to send directly to the prison, and a rejection checklist)

Since April 15, 2024, non-legal mail for Howard R. Young Correctional Institution (HRYCI) goes through a centralized mail-scanning process. Here's how it works: your mail gets opened and scanned into a digital color copy. That printed copy is what actually reaches the prison - the original stays at the processing center for a while, then gets destroyed. You won't get it back. The system is designed to reduce mail contraband, and materials indicate electronic scans are shared with DOC within 48 hours of receipt.

Send regular, non-legal mail to the centralized P.O. Box in Las Vegas: PO Box 96777, Las Vegas, NV 89193. Include facility code 1202 so it routes correctly to Howard R. Young.

When Direct

• ✓ Legal mail from attorneys - send directly to the HRYCI facility (not through the Las Vegas scanning P.O. Box)
• ✓ Official government documents (for example: passports, birth certificates, Social Security cards, driver’s licenses) - mail directly to: PO Box 9561, Wilmington, DE 19809
• ✓ Printed materials that come directly from a publisher - mail directly to: PO Box 9561, Wilmington, DE 19809
• ✓ Newspaper and magazine subscriptions - mail directly to: PO Box 9561, Wilmington, DE 19809

Mail Format Checklist

• ✓ Use a white envelope (legal mail is the exception)
• ✓ Put a clear return address on the envelope
• ✓ Include the incarcerated person’s name
• ✓ Include the incarcerated person’s SBI number or date of birth
• ✓ Write your letter on paper no larger than 8.5" x 11"
• ✓ Use an envelope no larger than 4" x 9.5"

• ✓ Send commercially produced greeting cards made of standard card stock
• ✓ Skip anything battery-operated
• ✓ Avoid non-standard card paper
• ✓ Don’t include embellishments or glued-on items
• ✓ Don’t send multi-fold cards

• ✓ Limit photos to 10 at a time when sending through the central Pigeonly processing

Once your non-legal mail arrives at the central processing site, it's opened and scanned. The electronic scan goes to DOC for screening within 48 hours of receipt. After that, the mail is printed and shipped to the prison via USPS Priority Mail. The original paper version stays at the central facility for 45 days, then gets destroyed. Treat anything you send as a copy you won't get back.

Mail usually gets held up for two reasons: it doesn't meet formatting rules, or it raises a contraband concern during screening. One thing that catches families off guard - the original paper you mailed never reaches your loved one. Only the printed copy does. The original is kept for 45 days, then destroyed. You won't get it back. Following the envelope, size, card, and photo limits is the fastest way to avoid delays.

1. Use a white envelope - Legal mail is the exception; regular personal mail should be in a white envelope.
2. Write your return address clearly - Put your full return address on the outside.
3. Add the incarcerated person’s identifying info - Include their name and SBI number (or date of birth).
4. Address it to the Las Vegas P.O. Box with the facility code - Use PO Box 96777, Las Vegas, NV 89193 and include facility code 1202.
5. Keep the paper and envelope within size limits - Letter paper up to 8.5" x 11"; envelope up to 4" x 9.5".

1. Pick a standard, store-bought card - It must be commercially produced on standard card stock.
2. Keep it simple - No batteries, no glued-on decorations, no extra embellishments, and avoid multi-fold designs.
3. If you include photos, cap it at 10 - When photos go through the central processing, the limit is 10 at a time.

Sending something beyond a basic letter, card, or a few photos? Pause and confirm the right address. Official government documents, publisher-sent printed materials, and subscriptions should go directly to HRYCI - not the central scanning P.O. Box. Also, while the process is described as sharing electronic scans with DOC within 48 hours of receipt, real-world timing can vary, especially during high-volume periods. If you're mailing something time-sensitive, verify the current turnaround with the facility or the mail-processing vendor before counting on a strict deadline.