How to Address Mail and Send Books to an Inmate at Montgomery County Jail (so it isn't returned or destroyed)
Getting mail to someone at Montgomery County Jail (Mac Sim Butler Detention Facility) requires exact formatting. Include the inmate's full legal name - no nicknames - along with their booking number and the facility's P.O. Box. Miss any of these, and your mail gets returned. Use this address on the last lines: MCDF P.O. BOX 4599, Montgomery, AL 36103.
Copy/paste template: [Inmate Full Legal Name] (No nicknames) Booking# [print booking number] MCDF P.O. BOX 4599 Montgomery, AL 36103
Every piece of non-privileged mail needs a complete return address on the outside. The jail requires your full name, street address, city, state, and ZIP code - no shortcuts. Skip the "just a name" approach or incomplete P.O. Box format. Use standard mailing format to give your letter the best shot at getting through.
Warning: Mail without a return address gets destroyed. Include your full return address every time - it's the only way to get something back if there's a problem.
Envelopes that aren't labeled correctly get returned. Common mistakes: using a nickname instead of the full legal name, forgetting the booking number, or writing the address so the booking number is hard to spot. Print the booking number clearly - it's required, and sloppy handwriting can delay processing.
Pay full postage before you send anything. Mac Sim Butler Detention Facility won't cover "postage due" on incoming mail, so underpaid postage means your letter may not make it through.
If your loved one gets released and mail arrives afterward, the jail stamps it "Return to Sender, No longer here" and sends it back - but only if you included a return address. Without one, the mail is destroyed. Always add your return address, even if you're sure they'll still be there. It protects you if they transfer or get out earlier than expected.
Montgomery County Jail generally doesn't allow inmates to receive magazines or books through the mail. The one exception: books not already in the library can be sent directly from the publisher. Not a seller - the publisher. Don't mail a used book yourself, and avoid shipments from retailers or third-party sellers.
Families can sometimes purchase reading material for inmates - up to two publications every six months - but only with prior approval from Administration. The jail doesn't spell out exactly how to get that approval, so reach out and confirm before you spend any money.
Tip: Sending a book? Use the publisher-direct option, not a retailer. Want to purchase publications for someone inside? Get administrative approval first - the limit is two publications every six months per inmate.
Pre Mail Checklist
- ✓ Address it with the inmate’s full legal name (no nicknames) and clearly printed booking number
- ✓ Use the facility mailing address exactly: MCDF P.O. BOX 4599, Montgomery, AL 36103
- ✓ Include your full return address (full name, street address, city, state, ZIP)
- ✓ Prepay postage (don’t send anything postage-due)
- ✓ Don’t send magazines or hard-copy books
- ✓ If sending a book under the exception, have it shipped directly from the publisher (not from a seller)
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