How to Send Letters, Photos, and Kids’ Drawings to Someone at Lackawanna County Prison (Exact Address & Checklist)

Since June 1, 2022, Lackawanna County Prison no longer accepts incoming mail at the facility itself. Send a letter directly there, and it comes right back to you. To get letters, pictures, and kids' drawings delivered, you need to address everything to the prison's third-party mail vendor, ViaPath, using their processing address.

Use this exact address format. Put the incarcerated person's name and booking number on the front of the envelope or postcard: Lackawanna County Prison INMATE NAME & BOOKING NUMBER P.O. Box 247 Phoenix, MD 21131 This is the vendor processing address for personal mail. Anything sent directly to the prison gets returned.

What Counts

• ✓ Letters
• ✓ Pictures
• ✓ Children’s drawings
• ✓ Other personal correspondence that is not legal or privileged correspondence

1. Put the inmate’s full name and booking number on the front. General incoming mail must include both.
2. Address it to the vendor processing center. Use: Lackawanna County Prison, P.O. Box 247, Phoenix, MD 21131.
3. Add your full return address with your first and last name. The prison requires a full return address that shows the sender’s first and last name.

Why the extra step? Lackawanna County Prison switched to this system to help block drugs from entering the facility and keep inmates and staff safe. All personal mail now routes through ViaPath's processing center before reaching the prison.

Troubleshooting

• ✓ You mailed it to the prison instead of the vendor address, re-check that the envelope is going to P.O. Box 247, Phoenix, MD 21131.
• ✓ The inmate’s full name or booking number is missing, confirm both are written on the front of the envelope or postcard.
• ✓ Your return address is incomplete, make sure your full return address includes your first and last name.
• ✓ The address block is formatted wrong or incomplete, confirm the recipient line includes “Lackawanna County Prison” plus “INMATE NAME & BOOKING NUMBER,” and the P.O. Box 247 address in Phoenix, MD 21131.

Checklist

• ✓ Write the inmate’s full name and booking number on the front.
• ✓ Address the envelope to: Lackawanna County Prison, P.O. Box 247, Phoenix, MD 21131.
• ✓ Include your full return address, and make sure it shows your first and last name.
• ✓ Confirm what you’re sending is “general mail,” such as letters, pictures, or children’s drawings (not legal or privileged correspondence).

If your mail comes back, double-check the envelope first. Did you use the vendor address (P.O. Box 247, Phoenix, MD 21131)? Is the inmate's name and booking number on there? Did you include your full name and return address? If everything looks right and it still got returned, contact the prison or ViaPath directly. Mention that you're sending general mail through the processing center address.