How to send messages, photos, and packages
Jefferson County Jail uses Smart Communications' SmartInmate system for phone deposits, electronic messaging, photo uploads, and remote video visits. Remote video visits from home cost $0.20 per minute, booked in 15- or 30-minute blocks. On-site video visits at the facility are free. To add funds or schedule a visit, set up an account at www.smartinmate.com or call Smart Communications Customer Care at (888) 253-5178. You can deposit online, through a live operator (7:00am–12:00 Midnight EST), at a lobby kiosk, via automated operator, or by mailing payment to Smart Communications' Deposit Center. Processing fees vary by method, and SmartInmate requires a minimum $5 deposit. Every Saturday, two electronic messages are free. After that, messages cost $0.50 each and electronic photos cost $1.00 each.
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
Sending personal mail to someone in Jefferson County custody? The process changed on June 16, 2025. Here's what's different, what gets accepted (and what doesn't), and how to format your mail so it actually arrives.
Jefferson County uses MailGuard for most personal mail, which means you'll see two different mailing addresses. The right one depends on what you're sending—regular letters and cards go to one place, while legal mail, books, and money orders go somewhere else.
Remote video visits from home cost $0.20 per minute and are scheduled in 15- or 30-minute blocks. Local/on-site video visits at the facility are free.
Create a SmartInmate account at www.smartinmate.com or call Smart Communications Customer Care at (888) 253-5178 to add funds. You can deposit online, through a live operator (7:00am–12:00 Midnight EST), at a lobby kiosk, via an automated operator, or by mail to Smart Communications’ Deposit Center.
Yes. Online, kiosk, and automated operator deposits have a $3.00 processing fee, and live operator deposits have a $5.95 processing fee; mail deposits aren’t subject to that processing fee. SmartInmate also lists a minimum $5 deposit and a $1.50 per-deposit processing charge, plus two free electronic messages every Saturday (then $0.50 each) and $1.00 per electronic photo.
Send regular personal mail (letters, postcards, and greeting cards) to MailGuard’s processing center in Seminole, FL (effective Aug. 1, 2019). Include the inmate’s full name and ID number, plus your return address.
Yes, but only if the books are shipped directly from a book publishing company. Send publisher-direct books to the Jefferson County Correctional Facility street address in Beaumont, TX (not the MailGuard processing center).
After release, they can download photos, messages, and scanned postal mail for free at smartjailmail.com. They’ll need their inmate number and password.
Setting up an attorney-client video visit at LaSalle — Jefferson County Downtown Jail is straightforward once you have the right contacts and know which scheduling rules apply.
Scheduling a visit is straightforward once you know the rules. At LaSalle — Jefferson County Downtown Jail in Beaumont, on-site visits require an appointment, and a few timing details can catch people off guard.
Your first visit goes smoother when you treat it like booking an appointment. Jefferson County Correctional Facility requires visits to be scheduled ahead of time, so start with a quick phone call.
