Where to Mail Letters to Inmates at Shawnee County Adult Detention Center (and why some mail goes to Florida)
Shawnee County uses two different mailing paths. Personal mail goes through Smart Communications at a Florida PO Box, while legal mail and money orders go directly to the detention center in Topeka. Getting the address right is what keeps your letter from being delayed or returned.
Before you seal that envelope, know which category your mail falls into - Shawnee County routes personal and legal mail to completely different places. Personal mail for adult inmates (anything that isn't legal correspondence, a money order, or a publication) goes to Smart Communications at a PO Box in Seminole, Florida. Yes, Florida - even though the jail is in Kansas. That's just how their processing system works. Legal mail and money orders skip Florida entirely and go straight to the Shawnee County Adult Detention Center in Topeka. Two types of mail, two different addresses. They don't interchange, so double-check before you send.
Note: Legal mail is opened and inspected in the inmate’s presence. Also, don’t send cash through the mail - it isn’t allowed, and it will be returned to the sender (or put into the general commissary fund if there’s no return address).
For personal mail to an adult inmate, address your envelope to Smart Communications - not the Topeka jail. Include the inmate's full name and booking/ID number. Here's the format Shawnee County provides: Smart Communications / Shawnee County Jail Inmate Full Name #Booking/ID Number PO Box 9215 Seminole, FL 33775-9195 That Florida PO Box is standard for personal mail here. It's part of how Smart Communications handles incoming correspondence.
- ✓ Inmate’s full name
- ✓ Inmate’s booking/ID number (clearly printed on the outside of the envelope or postcard)
Legal mail and money orders go directly to the jail in Topeka - not the Florida PO Box: Shawnee County Adult Detention Center 501 SE 8th Ave Topeka, KS 66607
Legal mail gets special handling. At Shawnee County Adult Detention Center, staff open and inspect it while the inmate is present. One more thing that catches families off guard: don't mail cash. It's not allowed. If money shows up in an envelope, it gets returned to the sender. No return address? The funds go into the general commissary fund - not your loved one's account.
All incoming inmate mail must come through the U.S. Postal Service. No exceptions. Make sure anything you send goes via USPS so it can be processed normally.
- ✓ Address the envelope legibly
- ✓ Keep the outside of the envelope clean: only the inmate/resident’s name, sending address, and return address should appear (no other markings)
Shawnee County uses SmartInmate (Smart Communications) for communication and account services. Signing up for SmartInmate is free.
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