Why Your Mail to a WVRJ Inmate Might Be Rejected or Seized — Rules for Paper, Photos, and Contraband

Most mail problems at WVRJ boil down to a few strict rules. Your envelope must clearly show the inmate's name and ID number - otherwise it gets returned. Incoming mail can't exceed 1 ounce. Anything flagged as contraband gets seized, and both you and the inmate receive a notice explaining why. Photos get special handling too: the jail photocopies them for delivery and puts originals into property. The facility also warns that original documents you mail may be destroyed, so never send anything irreplaceable.

As of January 18, 2024, inmate postal mail must go to: Western VA Regional Jail, Inmate Name, Inmate ID Number, P.O. Box 247, Phoenix, MD 21131. Make sure the inmate's name and ID number are clearly printed on the outside of the envelope or postcard. If either is missing or hard to read, the mail gets returned to sender.

Legal mail works differently and uses a separate address. Send it to: Inmate Name, 5885 West River Rd., Salem, Virginia 24153. Mark the envelope clearly as legal/privileged correspondence from an attorney, court, Department of Corrections, or the Parole Board. Without that marking, it may be processed like regular mail and face the same restrictions.

WVRJ won't accept incoming mail over 1 ounce. Go over that limit and your letter comes right back. If you're sending multiple pages or using heavier paper, have the post office weigh it first - better to know before it bounces.

Keep it simple. WVRJ requires white paper only, with pages no larger than 8 1/2 x 14 inches. They reject construction paper, card stock, sketch paper, and anything with coloring or markings. Newspaper and magazine clippings from outside publications aren't allowed either - skip the printed cutouts, scrapbook pages, and decorated sheets.

When you mail photos, the inmate gets a photocopy - not the original. WVRJ copies the photos, delivers the copies, and stores the originals in the inmate's property. Here's the bigger concern: the facility warns that original documents you mail may be destroyed. They specifically caution against sending marriage certificates, birth certificates, social security cards, or irreplaceable pictures. Send copies you can replace, not one-of-a-kind originals.

WVRJ can reject mail - incoming or outgoing - based on content. Grounds for rejection include obscenity, sexually explicit material, blackmail, threats, plans for criminal activity, escape plots (including maps), or anything meant to encourage disruption inside the jail. If staff find contraband in your mail, they'll seize it. Both you and the inmate get notified about what was taken and why.

1. Mail is reviewed - if it contains prohibited content (like threats, sexually explicit material, or escape/criminal planning), it can be rejected.
2. Contraband is seized - items discovered in an inmate’s mail that are considered contraband will be taken.
3. Both sides are notified - the inmate and the sender will be told that an item was seized and given the reason.

Practical-tips

• ✓ Write the inmate’s name and inmate ID number clearly on the outside of the envelope or postcard
• ✓ Keep incoming mail under 1 ounce so it isn’t returned
• ✓ Use white paper only, and keep pages no larger than 8 1/2 x 14 inches
• ✓ Don’t use construction paper, card stock, sketch paper, or paper with coloring/markings
• ✓ Expect photo prints to be photocopied for delivery, with the originals placed in property
• ✓ Send copies, not originals - don’t mail original birth/marriage certificates, Social Security cards, or irreplaceable pictures

Want to avoid delays and lost items? The fixes are simple. Weigh your letter before mailing, especially with more than a couple pages. Double-check that the inmate's name and ID number are clearly printed on the envelope. And if you're tempted to send something irreplaceable - an original document or a one-of-a-kind photo - make a copy instead. Photos arrive as photocopies anyway, and the jail warns originals can be destroyed.