How to send mail, photos, and approved reading material

Mail rules vary widely from county to county in Kansas. Your safest first step is confirming whether your loved one's general mail is processed on-site or routed to an off-site address. In Johnson County, non-privileged mail is processed off-site and delivered digitally through password-protected kiosks or tablets using the MailGuard service. Their rules specify a Smart Communications P.O. Box address format that must include the inmate's name and CFN. Other counties may deliver mail directly to the jail's local address (Seward County, for example, notes that inmates can receive mail at the same address listed for the law enforcement center).

Packages and reading materials are another area where you need the facility's exact rules before spending money. One Kansas county jail policy says packages mailed to inmates will not be accepted and will be returned to sender unopened. Another policy allows approved paperback books to be mailed by the publisher or subscriber, with those books donated to the inmate library. In Johnson County, pre-approved non-privileged packages, newspapers, and magazines have a separate addressing method that uses the detention center street address and includes CFNs for both sender and recipient.

1. Confirm the correct mailing address. Ask whether general mail is sent to an off-site processor or to the jail’s street address.
2. Address everything exactly as required. Some facilities require an inmate identifier like a CFN on the envelope.
3. Do not assume packages are allowed. Some jails refuse mailed packages entirely, while others allow only pre-approved items or specific book and magazine sources.