How to Send Personal Mail to Someone at Montana State Prison (Deer Lodge)
Sending a letter to someone at Montana State Prison is simple once you know the right address. The key thing: personal mail doesn't go directly to the prison.
Montana State Prison uses an off-site scanning process for personal mail. Your letter gets scanned at a separate location, then delivered digitally to the inmate's tablet. Because of this setup, personal mail sent directly to the prison won't be forwarded - it gets returned to you.
- Address the envelope to the vendor PO Box - Use: PO Box 247, Phoenix, MD 21131.
- Write the full facility name - Put “Montana State Prison” (the full facility name) on the address so the vendor knows where to route it.
- Use the inmate’s full name - Include the inmate’s full first and last name.
- Add the AO number - Put the inmate’s AO number on the envelope; it’s part of what gets the mail matched correctly.
- Double-check every line before you mail it - The facility name, inmate name, and AO number all need to be on the envelope for delivery.
Reminder: Personal letters must go to the vendor PO Box for scanning. If you mail personal correspondence to Montana State Prison instead, it will be returned to you.
Send a personal letter to the prison instead of the vendor PO Box? Expect it back in your mailbox. Montana State Prison returns personal mail that arrives at the facility since all personal correspondence goes through the off-site scanning process.
Money and personal letters follow different routes - mixing them causes problems. If you're sending funds by check, money order, or cashier's check, mail that separately to the prison's street address. Don't include a personal letter in the same envelope. For checks, money orders, or cashier's checks, address the envelope like this: Montana State Prison, Attn: Mail Room Staff, Inmate's Name, AO Number, 700 Conley Lake Road, Deer Lodge, MT 59722.
Warning: If you include a personal letter in the same envelope as a check, money order, or cashier’s check, all items will be returned to the sender.
If mailroom staff censor or reject incoming mail - whether non-scanned, scanned, or electronic - the inmate gets notified on their tablet. Within 10 business days of the facility receiving the mail, they'll get a rejection notice, information about their right to appeal, and an appeal form.
You'll also hear about it if your mail is censored or rejected. The notice comes by postcard or electronically (depending on the situation) and includes the specific reason for rejection plus your option to request a review.
Practical Checklist
- ✓ Use the vendor address for personal letters: PO Box 247, Phoenix, MD 21131
- ✓ Put “Montana State Prison” (full facility name) on the envelope
- ✓ Include the inmate’s full first and last name
- ✓ Include the inmate’s AO number
- ✓ Don’t mail personal letters to the prison - those are returned to sender
- ✓ If you’re sending funds by check, money order, or cashier’s check, use: Montana State Prison, Attn: Mail Room Staff, Inmate’s Name, AO Number, 700 Conley Lake Road, Deer Lodge, MT 59722
- ✓ Never combine a personal letter with checks/money orders/cashier’s checks in the same envelope (everything will be returned)
Quick tip: Before sealing the envelope, double-check the address line by line. Personal letters go to the vendor PO Box; checks and money orders go to the prison's Deer Lodge address.
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