How to Send Mail to Someone at Johnson County Jail (and why the Phoenix, MD address is confusing)

Personal mail at Johnson County Jail doesn't get handed over as paper anymore. Instead, it's delivered digitally to your loved one through the GettingOut tablet system. What this means for you: send something that can be processed for electronic delivery. Clean addressing and sticking to personal mail items matters more than fancy stationery or bulky enclosures.

Here's where people get tripped up. The Johnson County jail page contains two statements that don't match. One section says that after a certain date you "will have to send your physical mail to" PO Box 247 in Phoenix, MD 21131. It even shows an example format with the facility name and state, the incarcerated person's name and identifier, and the Phoenix P.O. Box. But elsewhere on the same page? A clear instruction: "DO NOT send to the Phoenix, MD address." Both can't be right. Treat the Phoenix address as a potential point of failure until you've confirmed what Johnson County actually wants.

When mail gets processed for electronic delivery, addressing details do the heavy lifting. The jail's instructions say to use the complete facility name with the state (no abbreviations), plus the incarcerated person's full name and identifier. Your return address matters too - include your full name and a physical address. Think of it like routing information. Missing any of these pieces, especially the full facility name/state or the inmate identifier, and your letter or photos are more likely to get delayed or rejected during processing.

• ✓ Complete facility name and state (no abbreviations)
• ✓ Inmate’s full name
• ✓ Inmate identifier
• ✓ Sender’s full name
• ✓ Sender’s physical address
• ✓ Example format shown on the jail page: “Johnson County Jail, TX” + “John Smith” + “SO#11111”

For the digital mail setup, keep it simple: letters, pictures, and drawings. If what you're sending fits that description, you're aligned with what the jail says can be delivered electronically to the GettingOut tablet.

Not everything goes through the digital process. Attorney-client privileged mail is handled separately, and so are packages and parcels - those aren't delivered digitally and should go directly to the facility. Sending legal mail or any kind of package? Don't treat it like regular personal mail meant for tablet delivery.

Seeing mixed instructions? Or your loved one says nothing is showing up? Pause before sending more. Since Johnson County states personal mail is delivered digitally via GettingOut tablets, the "right" process is whatever the jail currently uses to get paper mail into that system. Start by re-checking the jail page. Make sure your envelope includes the exact elements they call for: full facility name/state, the inmate's full name and identifier, and your full return address. If the problem seems to be the address itself - especially that Phoenix, MD contradiction - hold off on mailing anything else until you've confirmed which instruction Johnson County wants followed right now.

1. Read the jail page closely - you’ll see one section that directs senders to PO Box 247, Phoenix, MD 21131, and another that says “DO NOT send to the Phoenix, MD address.”
2. Treat the Phoenix address as unconfirmed - because the instructions conflict, don’t assume the P.O. Box is correct just because it’s printed in an example.
3. Wait to mail physical items until you’ve verified the current rule - once you’ve confirmed which instruction is active, send your personal mail using the required name/ID and full facility name/state formatting.

Short Checklist

• ✓ Use the complete facility name and state (no abbreviations), plus the inmate’s full name and identifier
• ✓ Put your full name and physical return address on the envelope
• ✓ Send only personal mail items meant for digital delivery (letters, pictures, drawings)
• ✓ Do not send attorney-client privileged mail or packages/parcels through the personal-mail digital process - those should go directly to the facility
• ✓ If you’re unsure about the Phoenix, MD P.O. Box, verify the current instruction before mailing