Mail, photos, and central processing: where to send items and exceptions

Mail rules in Florida vary a lot depending on where someone is housed. The first question is always: does this facility accept personal mail directly, or does it route it somewhere else first? Taylor County Jail, for example, only accepts legal mail at the jail itself. Personal mail goes to a specific PO Box, must include a return address and a stamp, and mail without a return name and address will not be processed.

Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (Duval County) announced a central processing change for personal mail. Effective October 1, 2024, personal mail normally delivered by USPS must be mailed to a centralized processing center using an addressing format that includes the inmate's name and a 10-digit booking number. Legal mail is not affected and must still go to the facility where the inmate is housed. Authorized reading materials, including magazine and newspaper subscriptions and paperback books, are also not affected and must still be mailed to the facility.

If your loved one is in a federal facility, mail is sorted by type. The Federal Bureau of Prisons describes general mail (opened and inspected by staff) and special mail (opened in the inmate's presence, after being properly marked, and still inspected for contraband). For packages, the BOP states inmates cannot receive packages from home without prior written approval, with narrow exceptions such as release clothing and authorized medical devices.