Mail in Idaho (Idaho DOC)
What the Idaho DOC accepts by mail, how to address an envelope to the right facility, and the rules for photos, books, and legal mail.
How personal mail works
Idaho sends incoming personal mail straight to the facility. The Idaho Department of Correction does not use an off-site digital-mail scanning vendor for its state prisons — letters and photographs are delivered to the prison where the resident is held. Mail with no procedural problems is processed and delivered within 24 hours, Monday through Friday.
Idaho accepts letters and photographs through the mail. Incoming packages are not accepted: residents may send outgoing packages at their own expense, but they cannot receive packages by mail. Address mail to the resident using the committed name (no nicknames) plus the IDOC number, facility, and housing unit.
How to address an envelope
Each Idaho prison has its own mailing address, and most facilities in the South Boise complex in Kuna use a Boise P.O. Box with ZIP code 83707. The facilities in Pocatello, Orofino, Cottonwood, and St. Anthony use their own street addresses rather than a Boise P.O. Box. Because the address differs by facility, look up the address for the specific prison where the person is held:
[Resident committed name] [IDOC number]
[Housing unit]
[Facility's own P.O. Box or street address]Look up the correct address on the facility’s page before sending. The Kuna prisons use Boise P.O. Boxes (ZIP 83707), while Pocatello, Orofino, Cottonwood, and St. Anthony use their own addresses, so confirm the specific facility’s mailing address before mailing.
Photographs
Photographs are accepted on regular photo paper. Polaroids are not accepted, and photos may not contain nudity. The number of photos allowed and any size limits are set by Idaho DOC policy and can vary, so confirm the current photo rules with the facility before sending.
Books, magazines, and publications
Books, magazines, and newspapers are not sent as ordinary letter mail. Publications must come directly from a publisher or an approved vendor rather than from family or friends. Idaho lists a set of approved vendors, and Amazon is not among them. Softcover books are limited to roughly 11 by 8.5 by 3 inches, and hardback educational, legal, or religious books require facility approval. Confirm the current approved-vendor list and any size limits with the facility before ordering.
Legal and privileged mail
Legal mail is handled separately from routine personal mail. It is opened in the resident’s presence and is not read. Facility resource-center staff handle legal mail, and attorneys confirm the current handling instructions with the prison where the resident is held.
Mail to residents held out of state
Some Idaho residents are held in CoreCivic-operated facilities in Arizona, including the Saguaro Correctional Center in Eloy and the Central Arizona Florence Correctional Complex in Florence. Mail for a resident held out of state goes to the CoreCivic facility’s own address, not to an Idaho address. The Idaho locator may show a person who is physically held in Arizona, so confirm where the person is held before mailing and use that facility’s address. See the facility pages for the Arizona addresses.
Sources
This page is compiled from the following publicly available sources. Policies change without notice — confirm current details with the facility before relying on them.