How to send messages, photos, and packages
Western Tidewater Jail uses GettingOut for digital communication. You can send messages, share photos, and schedule video visits through the GettingOut app or at www.GettingOut.com/sign-in. Phone calls are outgoing only—debit or collect—and each call is capped at 15 minutes to keep access fair. All calls are monitored and recorded. Phone privileges aren't available between 10:45pm and 10:00am. Attorney calls are permitted on a collect basis using the housing-area phone system. For emergencies, incoming calls go to the Shift Commander, who verifies the situation before notifying the inmate. The jail doesn't pass along general messages. TTY-TDD service is available, and vendor support numbers are provided for kiosk/phone issues and blocked-number complaints.
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
Western Tidewater Regional Jail has two different mailing addresses—one for personal mail, one for legal mail. Send to the wrong one, and your letter may be delayed or mishandled. Here's how to get it right.
Western Tidewater now delivers personal mail digitally. Letters and photos from family and friends show up on your loved one's tablet through the
Western Tidewater Jail now routes personal mail through a centralized P.O. Box, then delivers it digitally to inmates on a tablet. If your letters have been coming back or taking longer than expected, the address format—especially the jacket number—is usually why.
Sending personal mail to someone at Western Tidewater Regional Jail? Use the P.O. Box address in Phoenix, Maryland. Format the envelope exactly like this — and don't forget the five-digit jacket number: Western Tidewater Regional Jail Inmate Name Inmate Jacket# (five digit # must be included) P.O. Box 247 Phoenix, MD 21131
Western Tidewater uses a digital mail system for personal letters. Once you understand how it works, getting your message to your loved one is straightforward.
Use the GettingOut mobile app or the GettingOut website (www.GettingOut.com/sign-in) to send messages, share photos, and schedule video visits.
Inmates can place outgoing debit or collect calls only, and calls are limited to 15 minutes. Calls are monitored and recorded, and phone use is not allowed between 10:45pm and 10:00am. Attorney calls are permitted on a collect basis using the housing-area phone system.
For kiosk issues, call 1-800-306-2957; for inmate phone-system issues, call 1-877-856-3184. For complaints about blocked numbers, call 1-888-610-7079—Western Tidewater Jail can only unblock numbers it blocked, and the number owner may need to request a carrier/vendor unblock.
Send personal letters and photos to the facility's designated P.O. Box in Phoenix, MD. They're processed and delivered electronically to the inmate's tablet through the
Mail attorney or court correspondence directly to Western Tidewater Regional Jail at 2402 Godwin Blvd., Suffolk, VA 23434. Staff will distribute legal mail to the inmate.
No. Inmates can’t receive packages from outside sources, and most property isn’t accepted—don’t enclose money or prohibited items in letters. A limited exception applies for prescribed nonmetal glasses and contact lenses, which may be dropped off at the jail lobby.
Commissary timing and limits can be confusing—especially when someone's case status changes fast. Here's how ordering works at Western Tidewater, including weekly caps, delivery schedules, and what happens if your loved one is released before an order arrives.
Commissary orders at Western Tidewater Jail can be placed any day except Monday. If you're timing an order around paydays or visits, keep that no-order day in mind so you don't miss the week's window.
When your loved one is released or transferred to another facility, one question comes up fast: what happens to the money in their inmate account? Here's how Western Tidewater handles payouts and transfers—and how to avoid delays.
