Mail & Packages in South Dakota (SD DOC)

How personal mail works

The SD DOC scans incoming personal mail — letters, cards, and photos — and delivers a digital copy to the incarcerated person’s prison tablet rather than handing over the original paper. The policy was adopted to keep drug-soaked paper out of the prisons.

South Dakota does this differently from many states. The scanning is done in-house, and there is no out-of-state mail vendor. Personal mail is still addressed to the facility’s own address, not to a central processing company in another state. Address personal mail to the person at their facility, with their full name and DOC number (the SD DOC ID; people in custody can be located by name and DOC number through the Offender Locator):

[Full name] [DOC number]
South Dakota State Penitentiary
1600 North Drive, PO Box 5911
Sioux Falls, SD 57117-5911

People held at the South Dakota Women’s Prison, Mike Durfee State Prison, or a minimum center use that facility’s own address — look up the correct address on the specific facility page, since each prison’s address differs. Every envelope must show the person’s full name and DOC number and a complete, legible return address with the sender’s full name and address, or it can be rejected.

Cards and photos

Personal-mail rules limit what cards and photos can be sent:

• Cards must be plain. Cards with stickers, glitter, musical or electronic components, multiple layers, or homemade cards are not accepted.
• Photos must be 4x6 and cannot be Polaroid.
• Envelopes, stamps, and blank stationery cannot be sent in.

Books, magazines, and publications

Books and magazines must be new and shipped directly from a publisher, distributor, or retailer. Used books from third-party marketplaces are not accepted, and hardcover books are generally rejected. Publications go to the facility, not through the scanning process. Confirm the current rules and the facility’s address before ordering, since limits and addresses differ by location.

Legal and privileged mail

Legal mail is not scanned. Mail from courts, attorneys, and other privileged or special correspondents goes directly to the facility where the person is held. It is opened and inspected for contraband in the person’s presence rather than scanned to the tablet. Attorneys confirm the facility’s current handling instructions with the prison.

Packages

Package rules are set by the SD DOC and differ by facility and custody level. Confirm the current package process and the correct address with the facility before sending anything.

Verify Before Acting

For the general, nationwide overview of this topic, see the national guide: Staying in Touch.