How to Address a Letter to Someone at Sutter County Jail (with SC#)

Sutter County Jail only allows specific items written on the envelope: the incarcerated person's name, their SC# (incarcerated person number), the jail's mailing address, and your return address. That's it. Keep the envelope plain beyond those basics. Extra notes, messages, or any other writing on the outside can get your mail rejected.

Use the format below for the "To" address. Write each piece on its own line so the name and SC# are easy to read. Put your full return address in the top-left corner (this is one of the few things allowed on the envelope besides the recipient info). Name of Incarcerated Person SC#-XXXXX (Sutter County Number) c/o Sutter County Jail 1077 Civic Center Blvd. Yuba City, CA 95993

• ✓ Incarcerated person’s full name
• ✓ SC# written in the “SC#-XXXXX” format
• ✓ “c/o Sutter County Jail” on its own line
• ✓ 1077 Civic Center Blvd.
• ✓ Yuba City, CA 95993
• ✓ Your full return address (your name and mailing address), with no extra writing on the envelope

Always include a complete return address. It's permitted on the envelope, and it matters for processing. If the person you're writing to is no longer in custody, first-class mail will be returned to the U.S. Post Office for forwarding. Without a proper return address, your letter has fewer paths to reach the right person.

What Not to Write

• ✓ Extra writing anywhere on the envelope (notes, “please deliver,” messages to staff, nicknames, etc.)
• ✓ Drawings or decorative markings on the outside of the envelope
• ✓ Stickers or labels that add writing or markings beyond the required addresses and names
• ✓ Hearts, symbols, or other “art” on the envelope, even if it feels harmless
• ✓ Any other non-address text, since correspondence is inspected for contraband and the jail limits what can be written on the envelope

1. Check the envelope for extra markings: At Sutter County Jail, only the name, SC#, the mailing address, and the sender/return address should be written on the envelope.
2. Rewrite the “To” address using the jail’s exact format: Use the line-by-line template (Name, then SC#-XXXXX, then “c/o Sutter County Jail,” then the street address and city/state/ZIP).
3. Make sure your return address is complete: A full sender name and address is allowed and helps if the mail needs to be routed back through USPS.
4. Resend with a plain envelope: All correspondence is inspected for contraband, so keeping the outside clean and standard can prevent avoidable hang-ups.
5. Consider custody changes: If the person is no longer in custody, first-class mail will be returned to the U.S. Post Office for forwarding.