How to Address and Send Mail to an Inmate at Western Virginia Regional Jail (Phoenix P.O. Box + What Gets Rejected)

All regular (non-legal) mail to Western Virginia Regional Jail must go to the Phoenix, Maryland P.O. Box address, effective January 18, 2024. Print the inmate's full name and inmate ID number clearly on the outside of the envelope. Mail missing either one will be returned to sender. Use this template: Western VA Regional Jail Inmate Name, Inmate ID Number P.O. Box 247 Phoenix, MD 21131 Include your own return address clearly so the post office or jail can send the letter back if it can't be delivered.

• ✓ Western VA Regional Jail
• ✓ Inmate Name, Inmate ID Number (clearly printed)
• ✓ P.O. Box 247
• ✓ Phoenix, MD 21131
• ✓ Your full return address (so it can be returned if rejected)

Legal or privileged mail does not go to the Phoenix P.O. Box. It must be sent to the jail's physical address and clearly marked as legal/privileged. Address legal mail like this: Inmate Name 5885 West River Rd. Salem, Virginia 24153 The envelope needs to clearly show it's from an attorney, court, Department of Corrections, or the Parole Board.

Incoming mail cannot weigh more than 1 ounce. Anything over that gets returned to sender. This weight limit does not apply to legal/privileged mail.

Your letter also has to meet paper requirements. Use white paper only, and keep each page no larger than 8 1/2 x 14 inches. Colored paper, decorated stationery, or oversized pages will likely cause delivery problems.

• ✓ Keep it under 1 ounce for non-legal mail, or it will be returned to sender
• ✓ Use white paper only
• ✓ Keep each page at 8 1/2 x 14 inches or smaller

If you mail photos, your loved one will receive a photocopy, not the original. Western Virginia Regional Jail photocopies each photo, stores the original in the inmate's property, and delivers the copy. The jail also offers GettingOut for sending messages and photos digitally. One thing to know: credits purchased for GettingOut are not refundable once purchased, so add funds carefully.

The jail can reject or seize mail that raises safety or security concerns. That includes materials containing obscenity, sexually explicit content, blackmail, contraband, or threats. Anything involving escape plans, criminal activity (including maps or plots), or content encouraging disruption inside the jail (strikes, riots, fights, racial or religious hatred, or other prohibited acts) can also be rejected. If contraband is found in an inmate's mail, the item gets seized. Both the inmate and the sender are notified of what was taken and why.

1. Mail is screened - If contraband is discovered, it is seized.
2. The inmate is notified - The jail notifies the inmate what was seized and why.
3. The sender is notified - The jail also notifies the sender of the seized item and the reason for seizure.

Don't mail money to Western Virginia Regional Jail for an inmate account. Since January 1, 2018, the jail no longer accepts cash, certified checks, or money orders through the mail for inmate accounts. If you send them anyway, they'll be returned to sender.

To add funds to an inmate's account, you have two options: deposit at the WVRJ lobby kiosk (cash or credit card) or make an online deposit through GTL ConnectNetwork.

Quick Checklist

• ✓ Use the Phoenix, MD P.O. Box 247 address for regular mail, and clearly print the inmate name and inmate ID number
• ✓ Write on white paper only, with pages no larger than 8 1/2 x 14 inches
• ✓ Keep non-legal mail under 1 ounce, or it will be returned to sender
• ✓ Do not mail original photos you cannot replace (originals go into property, photocopies are delivered)
• ✓ Expect photo mail to be photocopied, not delivered as an original