How to Mail Someone at Mobile Metro Jail — Metered Postcard Rules & Return Policy
Mobile Metro Jail has strict rules about personal mail—only metered postcards are accepted. Get the format and addressing right, and your mail should go through without issues.
Mobile Metro Jail requires all incoming non-privileged mail to be sent on a metered postcard. Regular stamped mail won't be accepted. Neither will letters in envelopes - even plain ones. To get your message through, use a postcard with metered postage, not a stamp.
Size matters too. Your postcard must be rectangular and no larger than 4 x 6 inches. Oversized cards, jumbo postcards, and anything resembling a letter (like folded paper tucked inside) will likely be rejected.
Note: Any mail not clearly marked as legal mail will be opened and inspected before delivery. Padded envelopes aren't accepted.
Use the inmate's full legal name - no nicknames. If you know their date of birth, add it in this format:
Include a complete return address on your postcard: your full name, street address, city, state, and ZIP code. Put it where return addresses normally go - upper-left corner of the address side. The jail needs this if they have to send your mail back.
Prohibited Items
- ✓ Envelopes (including regular letter envelopes)
- ✓ Padded envelopes
- ✓ Mail with postage stamps (stamped mail) instead of a metered postcard
The jail opens and inspects all incoming mail unless it's clearly marked as legal correspondence. This is why they limit personal mail to metered postcards and reject padded envelopes - extra packaging makes screening harder.
If your postcard arrives after the person has been released, the jail sends it back. It'll be stamped "Return to Sender, No longer here" and mailed to your return address.
If contraband arrives through the mail and it's not a criminal matter, the jail holds it for ten (10) calendar days.
Practical Tips
- ✓ Send only a metered postcard for non-privileged mail (no stamped mail)
- ✓ Keep it rectangular and 4 x 6 inches or smaller
- ✓ Address it with the inmate’s full legal name (no nicknames) and add DOB if you know it (example: “DOB: 01/01/90”)
- ✓ Write a full return address: your name, street address, city, state, ZIP code
- ✓ Skip envelopes entirely - padded envelopes aren’t accepted, and non-legal mail will be opened and inspected
Tip: The jail doesn't say where to buy metered postcards. Check your local post office or an office-supply store before mailing anything. Make sure you're getting a postcard with metered postage - not a regular stamp.
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