Why Your Letter to Montana State Prison Goes to Maryland (and What to Send to Deer Lodge)
Montana State Prison uses a two-address system that catches people off guard. Personal mail goes to an off-site scanning center, where it's digitized and delivered electronically. Send a personal letter directly to Deer Lodge? It's coming right back to you.
For personal letters, address the envelope with the full facility name and state, the person's full first and last name, and their AO number. Then mail it to: PO Box 247, Phoenix, MD 21131. Yes, Maryland - that's where personal mail gets scanned before digital delivery.
- ✓ Put your full name and return address in the top left corner (missing sender info can get the mail returned)
- ✓ Write the inmate’s full first and last name and AO number
- ✓ Include the full facility name and state on the address
- ✓ Use the off-site scanning address for personal letters: PO Box 247, Phoenix, MD 21131
Note: Missing your full return address or improper formatting? The envelope comes back to you instead of reaching its destination.
Money works differently. Cashier's checks and money orders go to the actual prison in Deer Lodge - not the Maryland scanning center. Address them to: Montana State Prison, Attn: Mail Room Staff, Inmate's Name, AO Number, 700 Conley Lake Road, Deer Lodge, MT 59722.
- ✓ Use an accepted payment type: cashier’s check or money order
- ✓ Put the inmate’s name and AO number on the payment
- ✓ Address it to: Montana State Prison, Attn: Mail Room Staff
- ✓ Mail to: 700 Conley Lake Road, Deer Lodge, MT 59722
Important: Never combine a personal letter with a check, money order, or cashier's check in the same envelope. The whole thing gets returned.
Most returned mail comes down to a few fixable mistakes: no return address, mixing personal letters with payments, or failing to include the person's full name and AO number. Get any of these wrong and your envelope heads back to you.
- Confirm the inmate’s details - use their full first and last name and AO number.
- Pick the right destination - personal letters go to PO Box 247, Phoenix, MD 21131; payments go to 700 Conley Lake Road, Deer Lodge, MT 59722.
- Write your return address clearly - put your full name and address in the top left corner.
- Mail letters and payments separately - don’t include personal letters with checks, money orders, or cashier’s checks.
- Use the right process for books - books must come directly from a vendor, not from a personal address.
Books have their own rules. Montana DOC requires them to ship directly from the vendor - Amazon, for example. You can't mail books from your home address.
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- ✓ Personal letter (goes to the scanning address):
- ✓ Full Facility Name and State
- ✓ Inmate Full First and Last Name, AO Number
- ✓ PO Box 247
- ✓ Phoenix, MD 21131
- ✓ (Return address in top left: your full name and address)
- ✓ Payment (mailed to Deer Lodge):
- ✓ Montana State Prison
- ✓ Attn: Mail Room Staff
- ✓ Inmate’s Name, AO Number
- ✓ 700 Conley Lake Road
- ✓ Deer Lodge, MT 59722
- ✓ (Return address in top left: your full name and address)
Final reminder: Keep payments and personal letters in separate envelopes. Personal mail goes to Maryland for scanning - send it to Deer Lodge and it bounces back.
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