How to Send Mail to Someone at Vermilion County Jail (Checklist for Success)

As of 10/25/2023, physical mail sent to incarcerated individuals at Vermilion County is scanned and delivered digitally to a terminal or tablet. Your letter won't be handed over as original paper in most cases. Instead, it's turned into a scanned image your person reads on a device. Mail that can't be scanned cleanly is more likely to get sent back to you.

Address your envelope to the Securus Digital Mail Center. Include your person's full name and their ID number. Use this format: Incarcerated Individual Full Name + ID Number c/o Securus Digital Mail Center PO Box 22968 Tampa, FL 33622

• ✓ Write the incarcerated individual’s FULL first and last name
• ✓ Include their Jail or DOC ID number
• ✓ Put your complete return address on the envelope
• ✓ Do not use the Digital Mail Center PO Box as your return address

Anything that can't be scanned gets returned to sender. That includes paper larger than 8.5 x 14 inches, all non-paper items, and items smaller than 4 x 6 inches. Skip packages entirely. All packages and certified mail sent to detainees will be returned to the sender. Stick to standard letters on plain paper.

Certain categories of mail can't go through the scanning process. This includes all legal mail (anything with an attorney or law firm address) and privileged mail containing medical or financial documents. On top of that, "extras" in personal mail can get your letter rejected because they don't scan well. If something looks bulky, layered, or attached with tape or glue, leave it out.

• ✓ Greeting cards with die-cuts or pop-out designs
• ✓ Sparkles or glitter on cards or paper
• ✓ Post-it notes
• ✓ Anything attached using tape or other adhesives
• ✓ Stapled pages
• ✓ Paperclips or any other binding agent holding pages together

Original newspaper and magazine clippings can't be scanned as-is. If you want to share an article, print or photocopy it onto standard 8.5 x 11 paper and include that copy inside your letter. It'll process just fine that way.

Want your personal mail returned if it can't be scanned? Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with your letter. Without one, you may not get the original back if it's rejected. This is most useful when you're including something that could be rejected, like pages that are the wrong size. It doesn't change the rule that packages and certified mail get returned regardless.

1. Prepare a self-addressed envelope - Address it back to you, using your full mailing address.
2. Add postage - Stamp it like regular outgoing mail so it can be mailed back without delays.
3. Place the SASE inside your original mailing - Include it with the personal letter you are sending for scanning.
4. Keep your main mailing scannable - Items that cannot be scanned can be returned to sender, and the SASE is what makes “returned” possible for personal mail.

Writing Paper Tips

• ✓ Do not write with felt tip pens
• ✓ Do not use markers
• ✓ Do not use Sharpies
• ✓ Avoid wax or oil-based mediums (for example, crayons or art supplies)
• ✓ If you use notebook paper torn from a spiral notebook, trim the torn fringe (“chads”) before mailing

If your envelope comes back, check the most common reasons first: the contents couldn't be scanned (paper larger than 8.5 x 14, non-paper items, or other non-scannable additions). Fix the issue and resend to the Securus Digital Mail Center address. Want the original letter back if something goes wrong next time? Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with your next attempt so it can be mailed back to you.