Mail & Packages in Washington (WA DOC)
How to address mail to a WA DOC prison (physical mail still goes to the facility), the publisher-only rule for books, legal mail, and how packages work.
How personal mail works
Incoming personal mail goes directly to the facility where the person is held. Washington does not route letters and photos through an off-site scanning or photocopy vendor, so physical mail reaches the institution and the mailroom processes it on-site. Address personal mail with the incarcerated person’s committed name and DOC number, sent to that facility’s own mailing address. Each prison has a different address, so look up the current address for the specific facility on the WA DOC site or the inmate locator.
Mailroom staff review incoming mail under DOC Policy 450.100, which governs incoming and outgoing correspondence. Mail that does not meet the policy may be rejected.
Books, magazines, and newspapers
Books, magazines, and newspapers are publisher-only: they must be shipped directly from a publisher, a bookstore, or an approved vendor — not from family or friends. WA DOC notes Amazon and Barnes & Noble among the approved vendors. Used books are accepted only when they come from an approved nonprofit organization. The full rules, the current approved-vendor list, and any per-facility limits are on the WA DOC Send Publications page.
Packages
General care packages from family and friends are not accepted. Packages and commercial items are restricted to approved-vendor channels, and the specific vendors, item types, and limits vary by facility. Confirm the current package rules with the facility before sending anything.
Legal and privileged mail
Legal and privileged mail is handled differently from personal mail. It is opened and inspected only in the incarcerated person’s presence, under the privileged-mail rules, and is processed at the facility. Privileged mail still goes to the facility’s mailing address.
Tablets and electronic messages
WA DOC issues JPay tablets that handle electronic messages, e-cards, photos, and VideoGrams under the Securus Individual Technology Services contract; some free e-stamps are included. Electronic messaging is separate from physical mail and does not replace it. See Phone & Video Calls.
Verify Before Acting
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.