How to Mail Letters, Books, or Packages to Someone at Johnson County Jail (and What Will Be Rejected)

Mail inmate letters to Johnson County Jail at: Inmate's Full Name PO Box 2540 Iowa City, IA 52244 Use the incarcerated person's full name. Always include your full return address on the outside of the envelope. Without a clear return address, the jail may not be able to send the letter back if it can't be delivered.

The jail's street address is 511 S. Capitol St., Iowa City (2nd floor). That's useful for directions, but don't use it for mailing inmate letters. For mail, stick with the PO Box listed above.

Rejection Reasons

• ✓ Stickers on the envelope or on anything inside
• ✓ Lipstick marks (on the letter or the envelope)
• ✓ Perfume or scented sprays
• ✓ Any other “foreign substance” applied to the letter or envelope

Johnson County Jail does not accept packages mailed to inmates. If you send one, expect it to be refused, not delivered.

The jail also doesn't accept property for inmates, with limited exceptions. Cash and prescription medication are the only items allowed. Everything else will be turned away.

Books and magazines have one strict rule: they must come directly from the publisher. You can't mail a used book from home. Instead, place an order so the publisher ships it straight to the jail.

Practical Tips

• ✓ Write the incarcerated person’s full name clearly on the envelope
• ✓ Put your full return address on the outside of the envelope
• ✓ Keep mail plain, no stickers or decorative seals
• ✓ Do not add perfume, lipstick, or any other substance to the envelope or the paper inside

If your mail gets returned or never arrives, call the jail and ask what caused the rejection. Once you know the reason, resend a clean, plain copy that follows the rules above.