Mail Rules at Madison County Jail: What you can and can't send
Mail gets rejected at Madison County Jail for specific reasons—most of them avoidable. Follow the rules below to make sure your letter, photos, or reading material actually gets through.
Stickers and labels are prohibited on all mail - incoming and outgoing. That means no envelope seals, no address labels, no decorative stickers. If it peels off, leave it off.
Sending photos? Skip anything mounted, framed, or Polaroid-style. These formats aren't allowed, even if the picture itself is fine.
Photos must be 4 x 6 inches or smaller. If you're printing at a store or from your phone, stick with the standard 4x6 size.
Photo content rule: Photos showing lewd or sexual content, criminal behavior, or gang-related behavior or writings are prohibited.
Books must ship directly from a mainstream publisher or bookstore. The jail lists Amazon, Books‑a‑Million, and Barnes & Noble as examples - order through a major seller and have it sent straight to the facility.
Only new books are accepted. Used copies - even clean-looking ones - will likely be rejected.
Paperback only. Hardcovers aren't allowed.
Even if shipped correctly, inmates can only keep one book at a time. If they already have one, another won't go through until they're back under the limit.
Madison County Jail limits what someone can keep in their cell. Books: one at a time.
Magazines: one at a time.
Newspapers: up to three at a time.
Religious texts: one Bible or Koran at a time.
Pre Mail Checklist
- ✓ Photos are 4x6 or smaller
- ✓ No stickers or labels anywhere on the mail
- ✓ Books are shipped directly from a mainstream publisher or bookstore (for example: Amazon, Books‑a‑Million, Barnes & Noble)
- ✓ Books are new (not used)
- ✓ Books are paperback only (no hardcovers)
- ✓ Your loved one is allowed to have only 1 book at a time
- ✓ Your loved one is allowed to have only 1 magazine at a time
- ✓ Your loved one is allowed to have up to 3 newspapers at a time
- ✓ Your loved one is allowed to have only 1 Bible or Koran at a time
Before you send: No stickers or labels. No mounted, framed, or Polaroid photos. No photos showing lewd, sexual, criminal, or gang-related content.
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