Mail & Packages in Virginia (VADOC)

Virginia handles mail in two separate streams, and sending an item to the wrong address is the most common error.

Personal Letters Go to the Prison

A personal letter, card, drawing, or photo is mailed directly to the incarcerated person at their facility (find the address through the Inmate & Supervisee Locator and the facility page). There, the mailroom photocopies the envelope and contents in black and white, shreds the originals, and delivers the copies — so the person never receives the physical letter. Incoming personal mail is limited to three 8½-by-11-inch pages, copied front and back; mail over the limit is returned. Address every envelope with the person’s full name and seven-digit DOC number.

Books, Photos, and Legal Mail Go to State Farm

Books, magazines, newspapers, vendor photographs and photo books, and legal and religious mail are not sent to the prison. They go to the:

VADOC Central Mail Distribution Center [Name and seven-digit DOC number] 3521 Woods Way, State Farm, VA 23160

There, items are screened and forwarded to the facility, where the contents — unlike personal letters — are delivered as originals rather than photocopied. An item in these categories sent to the prison instead is returned or disposed of.

• Photographs must be purchased from a vendor and shipped by the vendor to the Distribution Center — no larger than 4 by 6 inches, up to five per envelope. Unlike letters, approved photos are delivered as originals, not copies. Nude or semi-nude photos of anyone are prohibited.
• Books, magazines, and newspapers must come directly from a publisher, bookstore, or other vendor, prepaid; publications from a private individual are not allowed.
• Legal mail must be clearly marked and show the law office’s or court’s return address. It is opened in the person’s presence and not read except under a narrow, approved process. An indigent person receives a monthly postage allowance for legal mail.

What Cannot Be Sent

VADOC rejects and processes out any cash, checks, money orders, gift cards, phone cards, or postage stamps — money is sent only through the deposit system in Sending Money. Also prohibited: nude or semi-nude photographs, gang-related content, and anything that could conceal contraband.

If Someone Is in a Local or Regional Jail

A person serving a state sentence may be held in a local or regional jail, which sets its own mail rules. Some Virginia jails use an off-site scanning vendor — mail goes to an out-of-state company that scans it and delivers a copy — so a letter sent to the jail’s street address may not reach the person. Confirm where the person is held and that jail’s mailing instructions before sending anything.

Verify Before Acting

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