How to Send Mail to Someone at Monterey County Jail (New Smart Communications Address & How Mail Is Scanned)
Monterey County Jail changed how it handles personal mail starting December 4, 2024. The address you use—and the booking number you include—determines whether your letter or money order actually reaches the right person.
As of 12/4/2024, personal postal mail for anyone at Monterey County Jail goes to a new address: Smart Communications - Monterey County Jail, P.O. Box 9199, Seminole, FL 33775-9199.
Heads up: Any personal mail received at the Monterey County Jail facility after 12/4/2024 will be returned to sender.
Under the Smart Communications system, regular postal mail - postcards, letters, greeting cards - doesn't arrive as paper anymore. Instead, everything gets scanned and made available for incarcerated people to view on kiosks inside the facility.
Money orders and cashier's checks work the same way now. If you're depositing funds to someone's account, send them to: Smart Communications - Monterey County Jail, P.O. Box 9199, Seminole, FL 33775-9199. This applies to anything mailed after 12/4/2024.
What this means for you: Your letters get scanned and viewed on kiosks - not delivered as paper. Money orders and cashier's checks also go through Smart Communications.
Books and magazines are the exception. These still go directly to the jail: Incarcerated Person Name, Booking Number, 1410 Natividad Rd, Salinas, CA 93906.
Clear addressing keeps your mail from getting lost. Include the person's name and booking number, formatted like this: Smart Communications - Monterey County Jail, Attention To: Incarcerated Person Name #Booking Number, P.O. Box 9199, Seminole, FL 33775-9199. The booking number is how the system matches mail to the right person's account.
Don’t skip the booking number: The name and booking number must be clearly printed on the outside so the mail is posted to the right account.
Common Mistakes Tips
- ✓ Mailing personal letters or postcards to the jail facility address after 12/4/2024 (those are returned to sender)
- ✓ Leaving off the incarcerated person’s booking number, or writing it in a way that isn’t clear on the outside of the envelope/postcard
- ✓ Using the wrong address format instead of Smart Communications - Monterey County Jail, P.O. Box 9199, Seminole, FL 33775-9199
Since mail gets scanned and viewed on kiosks, keep things simple. Write the name and booking number clearly on the outside. Stick to standard items - letters, postcards, greeting cards. Sending a money order or cashier's check? Mail it separately to the Smart Communications P.O. Box. All payments go through that system now.
Before mailing anything - especially money - double-check your address. Personal mail now goes to Smart Communications at P.O. Box 9199 in Seminole, Florida. Anything sent to the jail facility after 12/4/2024 gets returned. If you're working from old paperwork or mixed instructions, make sure you're following the current policy.
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