Why Seminole County Jail Stopped Accepting Postal Mail (and what that means for families)
If you've tried sending a letter, photos, or a package only to have it returned, you're not alone. Seminole County's jail mail rules changed in a way that catches many families off guard—especially if you're going by older advice.
The John E. Polk Correctional Facility (Seminole County Jail) stopped accepting postal mail for inmates on December 21, 2018. Traditional letters sent through the post office? They don't work here anymore.
There was also a hard cutoff: any postal mail received after January 16, 2019 gets returned to sender. If you mailed something during that transition - or you're still trying the old way - expect it to come back.
The facility also changed its rules on packages and books. Starting July 1, 2018, the John E. Polk Correctional Facility stopped accepting these items entirely - they get returned to sender. This applies whether you're shipping through publishers, Amazon, USPS, or any other delivery service.
Note: Care packages are not accepted at this facility.
Magazine subscriptions might still be allowed - but only if they meet the facility's decency standards. Think of it as conditional approval. Content that doesn't pass muster won't make it through.
Want updates on your mail's status? The facility directs families to MailGuardTracker.com. You can get notices when mail is received, reviewed, and viewed by the inmate - helpful for confirming something made it into the system and tracking where it is in the review process.
Next Steps
- ✓ Don’t send postal letters to the John E. Polk Correctional Facility expecting them to be delivered the traditional way (effective December 21, 2018).
- ✓ If you mailed something and it didn’t arrive, remember that postal mail received after January 16, 2019 is returned to the sender - plan for returns rather than delivery.
- ✓ Skip sending packages or books; the facility stopped accepting them effective July 1, 2018, and they’re returned to the sender.
- ✓ Don’t send care packages - this facility doesn’t accept them.
- ✓ Use MailGuardTracker.com if you want notices when mail is received, reviewed, and viewed by the inmate.
- ✓ If you’re considering reading material, magazine subscriptions may be allowed only if they meet the facility’s decency standards.
Warning: If you send postal mail past the cutoff, or you send packages/books/care packages, you should expect it to be returned to you rather than delivered.
Set up status updates through MailGuardTracker.com so you're not left guessing. And if you want to try a magazine subscription, keep it conservative - anything borderline is more likely to get rejected.
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