What You Can and Can't Mail to Someone at JPCC: Complete, JPCC-Specific List
Mail rules at JPCC are strict—a lot of items people try to send get rejected. Use the lists below to avoid wasting money and to make sure your loved one actually receives what you mail.
All incoming mail at JPCC is opened and searched by JPSO correctional employees. Even normal-looking envelopes get inspected before delivery. If you're sending something borderline, assume it will be reviewed closely - JPCC screens mail specifically to keep prohibited items out.
Heads up: Anything that violates JPCC contraband rules can be seized and disposed of.
Quick Not Allowed Checklist
- ✓ Mail from other inmates (from JPCC or any other penal institution)
- ✓ Commissary items
- ✓ Tobacco
- ✓ Blank stationery, stamps, and envelopes
Reminder: If you send prohibited items, JPCC can seize them and dispose of them - so it’s usually not “returned to sender.”
Good news: JPCC allows inmates to receive pictures, so you can send family photos or updates from home. One format rule to know - Polaroid instant photos aren't allowed. Stick with standard printed photos instead.
Not allowed: Pictures with provocative or lewd images will be disposed of by JPCC.
Want to send reading material? JPCC inmates can receive paperback books and approved magazines, but only when purchased and shipped directly from a publisher or bookstore. Don't mail your own used copy from home - it needs to come straight from the seller.
There's a limit on books: JPCC allows a maximum of four. Keep that cap in mind before placing an order or sending multiple shipments close together.
Banned at JPCC: Newspapers and any newsprint media are not allowed because they’re considered a serious fire hazard.
- Write the inmate’s details clearly - Include the inmate’s name (as it was at the time of incarceration), their CCN number, and the dorm number plus cell/bed number if you know it.
- Use JPCC’s inmate mail address - Send it to: JPCC Inmate Housing Area, P.O. Box 388, Gretna, LA 70053 (with the inmate’s name/CCN on the envelope).
- ✓ For books and magazines, purchase and ship directly from a publisher or bookstore.
- ✓ Don’t include blank stationery, stamps, or envelopes in your mailing.
Last check: If it breaks JPCC contraband rules, it can be seized and disposed of - so double-check your envelope before you send it.
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