How to send messages, photos, and packages
Mail to and from Ventress Correctional Center is opened and inspected for contraband and security issues—assume non-legal letters will be reviewed by staff. Some Alabama facilities use third-party vendors or scanning systems, meaning your letter may be scanned and delivered electronically instead of in its original paper form. To avoid delays, address every envelope with the incarcerated person's full legal name and any required ID or booking number, plus your complete return address. Mail missing this information may be returned or destroyed. For sending funds, ADOC offers online deposits, phone deposits, CashPay walk-ins, and mail money orders. Send money orders and deposit forms to Access Corrections, P.O. Box 12486, St. Louis, MO 63132. Packages and specialty items like footwear are typically ordered through approved vendors—confirm permitted vendors and ordering steps before you buy.
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Ventress Correctional Center doesn't handle incentive packages directly. Instead, the Alabama Department of Corrections authorizes Union Supply to process property and hygiene package orders for state facilities. Footwear is a separate program—Union Supply Direct is ADOC's exclusive footwear provider.
ADOC lists several options: online deposits, phone deposits, CashPay walk-ins, and mail money orders. If you’re mailing a money order, send it (with any required deposit form) to Access Corrections, P.O. Box 12486, St. Louis, MO 63132.
Packages and specialty items like footwear are ordered through approved vendors rather than mailed directly. Union Supply is listed as a vendor with online, phone, fax, and mail ordering options. Confirm Ventress's approved vendors and item rules before purchasing.
Put the inmate’s full legal name and any required ID or booking number on the envelope. Also include your full return address—mail that isn’t labeled correctly or lacks a return address may be returned or destroyed.
Sending money shouldn't mean a returned money order, surprise fees, and a week of waiting. Double-check the details below before you mail anything.
- **Online (Access Corrections)** — deposit with a debit/credit card through Access Corrections. - **By phone (Access Corrections)** — call in a card deposit any time, 24/7. - **Cash walk-in (CashPayToday)** — register first, then pay cash at participating retail locations. - **Mail a money order** — use the Alabama DOC Money Order Deposit Form and mail it to the Access Corrections processing address.
The first couple of weeks after someone arrives at Ventress can feel quiet and confusing from the outside. Inside, though, a lot is happening—reception, medical screening, classification. These steps can slow down communication at first.
