Common reasons mail is delayed or rejected and how to avoid problems
Most mail issues come down to using the wrong instructions for what you're sending. Facility handbooks often separate general mail, privileged or legal mail, and packages. Each category may have different addressing and acceptance rules.
- ✓ Use the exact address format the facility provides for that type of mail (personal mail versus packages)
- ✓ Include the inmate’s full name and any required inmate ID/number
- ✓ If the instructions list a centralized processing address (such as a Digital Processing Center), send personal mail there
- ✓ If the facility has a vendor-only policy for packages, order through approved vendors and have items shipped directly from the vendor
Common Questions
Q
Can I send photos and greeting cards to someone in jail?
Often, yes, but they have to follow the facility’s personal mail rules and they will be processed under that mail policy. Example (state-specific): one department directs personal mail, greeting cards, photos, and drawings to a Digital Processing Center address instead of a facility street address.
Q
Can I mail a package or order something online for an inmate?
Sometimes, but a common restriction is “vendor-only” packages. Example (state-specific): one corrections system allows packages and articles only when they are received directly from vendors via USPS, FedEx, UPS, and similar carriers.
Q
How should I send legal mail to ensure privacy and special handling?
Follow the facility’s legal (privileged) mail instructions, since legal mail is usually handled under separate rules from general mail. Example (state-specific): one department states legal mail should be addressed to the inmate at their assigned unit, with no changes as of 12/05/25.
Q
Can someone in custody receive and return a mail-in ballot?
In some places, yes. Example (state-specific): Arizona describes counties coordinating with sheriffs and detention facilities to set up reasonable procedures for delivery and return of ballots-by-mail, and it also notes that Arizona early ballots include a postage-paid return envelope.
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