When mailing a letter or postcard to an inmate, please address your mail as follows:
Inmate's Full Name & Booking Number
LA County Inmate Reception Center
450 Bauchet Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
....
Important: Use the third-party mail service address directly below for personal mail, IF IT IS DIFFERENT than the above address:
Inmate's Full Name & Booking Number
PO BOX 86164
Terminal Annex
Los Angeles, CA 90086-0164
Inmates have their mail delivered Monday thru Friday. There is no limit on how much mail they can receive. Inmates are allowed to send mail to friends and family, but NOT to co-defendants, other inmates in this or other jails or prisons, and NOT from people they have a 'no contact' order in place from.
The LA County Inmate Reception Center has a zero-tolerance policy regarding mail violations.
Follow these instructions exactly to help ensure that your inmate receives his/her mail and not have it thrown away.
Scroll down for a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers regarding how to send an inmate mail, or call the LA County Inmate Reception Center at 213-893-5327 with your questions.
The purpose of these rules are not to make life difficult for you or to ‘punish’ incarcerated inmates further, but are here for the safety and security of all the inmates and staff who reside and work in what can be a very dangerous place.
For the time being, LA County Inmate Reception Center is still allowing inmates to receive physical mail, however many jails and prisons around the country are starting to go full-on digital; only allowing electronic messages and digital images to be accessible by inmates through kiosks or jail provided handheld devices.
All LA County Jail Inmates are made aware of the following Rules and Policies and these are also posted in the lobbies of each of the facilities to educate friends and loved ones.
Many items that are needed by inmates that you may want to mail but can’t, can be purchased directly from the LA County Jail’s Commissary. Even indigent inmates, those without any funds, are provided basic hygiene items and other items necessary for their physical and mental health.
LA County Inmate Reception Center Inmates are allowed mail in envelopes and on postcards.
They are also allowed to receive books, magazine and newspapers directly from trusted publishers and businesses.
Mailing Address:
Inmate's Full Name & Booking Number
PO BOX 86164
Terminal Annex
Los Angeles, CA 90086-0164
The following is a list of prohibited items:
If any of these items are mailed to an inmate in the LA County Inmate Reception Center, they will be returned intact to the sender (provided there is a return address) and the inmate will NOT be notified.
Read and follow this list carefully. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this policy.
ENVELOPES & POSTCARDS
*All envelopes and paper must be free of debris and/or any illegal substances, perfume/cologne, powders, lip stick, food or cosmetic items or dried liquids.
*Blank envelopes, envelopes with a metal clasp, postage stamps, envelopes with gang or suggestive drawings/artwork
*Cash, personal or second-party checks, payroll checks, out-of-state checks
*Blank money order(s) (money orders must be signed and made payable to the inmate)
*Money order(s) that would increase the inmate's trust funds in excess of the $900 limit
*Out-of-state money order(s)
*Money order in amount exceeding $200 limit
*Musical, plastic, or blank greeting card(s)
*Identification card(s) or copies of ID cards
*Paper clip(s), staple(s), pen(s), pencil(s), glitter, sticker(s), glued or gummed label(s)
*Postcard(s) larger than 6''x 9''
*Rosary bead(s), balloon(s), string bracelet(s), or jewelry item(s)
*Lottery ticket(s) or pre-paid telephone card(s)
*Cellophane tape or any type of tape on letters
*Audio, CDs, or cassette tapes
BOOKS, NEWSPAPERS & MAGAZINES
*Item(s) not sent directly from an accepted bookstore or publisher such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.
*Item(s) of explicit sexual nature or that depict full or partial frontal nudity
*Item(s) that depict or describe how to create weapons or commit crimes, or contains content that has been determined to compromise jail security
*Item(s) exceeding the limit of three (3) books per week
*Item(s) exceeding the limit of three (3) periodicals or publications per week
*Item(s) has metal or plastic binding
*Item(s) has a hard cover (only paperback books are allowed)
PHOTOGRAPHS & COMPUTER PRINTED IMAGES
*Item(s) does not conform to size requirements: Minimum of 3"x 5" / Maximum of 4"x 6"
*Item(s) that depict nudity, sexually-suggestive content, or gang imagery
*Item(s) that depicts content which has been determined to compromise jail security
*Polaroid photos
POLICY REGARDING COMPLAINTS & APPEALS OF A RETURNED ITEM
If you do send a book, a magazine or a publication and is returned, yet you believe that it should have been accepted by the jail and given to your inmate, you can file an appeal, as long as you appeal it within 15 days of receiving notification that the item was returned.
The LA County Jail will then provide you with their decision of your appeal within 15 days.
You can appeal the return of a book, newspaper, magazine or publication by filing a complaint here.
Your appeal MUST INCLUDE ALL the following information or it will be automatically denied:
(1) The involved inmate's name and booking number;
(2) The form's reference number;
(3) The sender's contact information;
(4) A description of the withheld/returned item;
(5) The date the item was sent to the inmate;
(6) The date the sender received this Returned Mail Notification;
(7) The reason(s) the sender disagrees with the LASD’S decision to withhold/return the item.
**If you have any questions about any of these rules, policies, guidelines and/or the appeal process, please contact the Mail Room Supervisor at 213-893-5874.
These rules, policies and guidelines are subject to change any time.
What is my inmate’s mailing address?
How do I mail a letter to an inmate in the LA County Inmate Reception Center?
How do I address a letter to an inmate?
If a letter is withheld from being delivered to an inmate, will they be notified?
What can I send to an inmate by mail?
Can I send pictures to an inmate?
Can I send newspapers, magazines and books to an inmate in the LA County Inmate Reception Center?
How often can I send letters or cards to an inmate?
How often can an inmate mail letters?
What is considered ‘contraband’ in an inmate’s mail?
Can I send printouts from my computer to an inmate?
Can I send an inmate a package?
If I send something to an inmate that is not allowed, can the inmate or I get in trouble?
Can I send an inmate postage stamps?
How can an inmate get stamps while in jail or prison?
If an inmate has no money, will the LA County Inmate Reception Center give them stamps?
What happens if I send the inmate drugs, a weapon or anything illegal, will I get in trouble?
What are some other important mail tips to avoid problems?
By law, every inmate is entitled to receive mail delivered through the United State Postal Service. While for years, this mail was always delivered in the form of a letter or a postcard from friends and loved ones directly to the inmate, the definition of inmate mail has changed a bit.
Inmate mail can be:
• A letter in an envelope,
• A postcard,
• A greeting card, or
• A digital letter
Because of security and contraband concerns, mainly the paper and envelope that a letter is written on or enclosed in, being soaked in a liquid form of drugs, many jails are increasingly limiting the type of mail inmates can get.
Some still allow regular mail in an envelope with a stamp, but many now have the letter sent to a third-party that opens the letter, scans it and the envelope into a computer, emails the letter to the jail where they print it out, giving the photocopies to the inmate, or they send it to a computer kiosk or tablet digitally that the inmate can access.
Others only allow postcards, specifically the white, pre-stamped postcards that you can purchase from the post office.
When greeting cards are allowed, they can’t be cards with glitter, music or other do-dads. They can only be plain paper cards.
Some jails, in fact most, require that mail be written or typed with only black or blue ink. Some allow black pencils to be used.
None allow crayons, markers, lipstick prints, etc.
All require white envelopes, white paper or lined paper such as from a pad. Very few allow paper that is card stock. It must be plain white, 20-lb. printer paper.
To see the inmate mail policies for LA County Inmate Reception Center check out the inmate mail details above or call the jail at 213-893-5327 for specific information.
There are five different types of addresses for every jail:
1. The physical address of the jail.
2. The mailing address for an inmate’s personal mail.
3. The mailing address for the inmate’s legal mail.
4. The mailing address for the jail’s administrative staff.
5. The mailing address for sending money to the inmate’s trust or commissary fund. (visit the Inmate Money page for this information)
In general, the only three addresses that friends and family of inmates need to be concerned about are:
• The inmate address for personal mail.
• The address for sending money orders to the inmate’s commissary account.
Visit the Inmate Money page for this information.
• The physical address of the jail.
Because this section is about mailing an inmate, the address for mailing an inmate is:
Inmate's Full Name & Booking Number
PO BOX 86164
Terminal Annex
Los Angeles, CA 90086-0164
or
Inmate's Full Name
Inmate ID#
LA County Inmate Reception Center
450 Bauchet Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
If a red address is visible above, then use that address, as that is the new address the jail is using for an inmate's personal mail to combat contraband entering the facility.
To mail a letter to an inmate in the LA County Inmate Reception Center, first completely read all the mail policies and guidelines that are on this page. Also read any updated mail guidelines that are on the official page for the facility. If you still have questions, then call the jail at 213-893-5327 and ask specifics.
It is important to understand that if even one thing is done incorrectly when sending a letter to the jail, even if everything else is done correctly, then your letter will not be delivered to the inmate. In fact, even though the jail claims they will mail your letter back to you so that you will know it was not delivered, there is always the chance it will be disposed of.
Don't be the loved one sitting at home, wondering why your inmate is not responding to your letter, when in fact they may not have even received it.
All mail to the inmate must be addressed as follows:
A full return address, which includes your full name and full address. Without this the mail will not be delivered to the inmate.
A complete address to the inmate, including:
Full Name (name that they were booked under)
Inmate ID# (booking #, SO #, etc.)
Inmate’s Housing location (if you know it)
LA County Inmate Reception Center
Mailing Address
City, State, Zip code
Inmate's Full Name & Booking Number
PO BOX 86164
Terminal Annex
Los Angeles, CA 90086-0164
A letter that is not addressed completely may not get delivered. Keep in mind that often there is more than one inmate in a jail with the same name. You certainly don’t want the wrong inmate getting your private mail, do you?
Sometimes. There are some jails that will deliver you a notification that a letter which was intended for you was returned because it was either improperly addressed, did not have return address, contained contraband of some sort, had things written in it that were against mail and jail policies, or were sent by someone you were not allowed contact with such as co-defendant or someone the court had forbidden contact with such as a spouse in a domestic violence case.
Most of the time though, the letter is either returned or destroyed, and if there are illegal substances in the letter, it will be turned over to the Los Angeles County Sheriff or District Attorney for possible criminal investigation and/or indictment.
Generally nothing but a letter, printouts from a computer printer or photographs (not polaroid) can be sent to an inmate in the mail. If there is anything else enclosed, the entire letter and the contents will be returned to you or destroyed.
There are a few exceptions to this, such as several county jails in New York, including the infamous Riker’s Island. Riker’s allows all kinds of things to be mailed to an inmate, including a box of items every month.
Every jail has their own policy regarding allowing inmates to receive photographs in the mail, if at all. For LA County Inmate Reception Center’s policy, review the information on this page.
In general, most jails allow an inmate to have anywhere from four to six photographs in their possession at any one time. These cannot be polaroids, and the photos cannot be construed as even mildly sexual (such as a woman or child in a bathing suit), gang related, drug related or violent.
Some jails allow only photocopied photos.
Some jails only allow photos that are sent digitally and must remain digital.
There are only a few jails that do not allow any photos of any kind.
If you are still uncertain as the policy regarding photographs at the LA County Inmate Reception Center, call them at 213-893-5327.
Most jails allow newspapers, magazines and books to be sent to an inmate, as long as they come directly from the publisher, such as directly from the newspaper or magazine themselves, or from the specific book publisher or trusted mail order source such as Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
There is often a limit of the quantity of books and magazines an inmate can either receive at one time, receive each month, or have in their possession at any one time.
Hardcover books, or books with wire spiral binders are never allowed.
Any publications that portray or discuss violence, sex, gang activity, drugs, jail escapes or anything else against jail policies are not allowed and will be returned.
The 'book and periodical' policy of the LA County Inmate Reception Center are detailed on this page. However, if it is not, then call the jail at 213-893-5327 and ask.
Keep in mind that the address the publications should be mailed to is not always the mailing address of where the inmate gets their regular mail, the mail that is scanned and forwarded digitally to them.
The mailing address for publications is:
Inmate's Full Name & Booking Number
PO BOX 86164
Terminal Annex
Los Angeles, CA 90086-0164
or
Inmate's Full Name
Inmate ID#
LA County Inmate Reception Center
450 Bauchet Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
NOTE: Use the address in red if it is visible to you.
Exception: There are a few New York jails that allow publications to be sent directly to them as opposed to having it sent through the publisher. One of the most notable exceptions is Riker’s Island in New York City.
There is no limit to how often you can send letters or cards to an inmate. You are only limited to the types of letters and cards that you can send, considering LA County Inmate Reception Center’s policies, which are outlined on this page.
An inmate in the LA County Inmate Reception Center can mail letters as often as they like. There is no limit to the number of letters that an inmate can write and send. They are only limited by the number of stamps they can afford to purchase through commissary, and the amount of commissary 'spend' that the LA County Inmate Reception Center allows.
Contraband is defined as anything that the jail does not allow to be mailed to an inmate, which is just about everything. The list would fill ten sets of encyclopedias.
It easier to say what is allowed to be sent through the mail:
• When allowed, a certain number of photographs.
• When allowed, newspapers, magazines and books, if they are sent from a publisher.
• When allowed, a care package of snacks, hygiene products or clothing from a commissary company that has contracted with the jail.
Some jails allow printouts of photographs and information to be sent to an inmate through the mail. Refer to the mail policy on this page or by calling the jail directly at 213-893-5327.
Many jails contract with companies that send food, hygiene products and/or clothing to inmates. These can be purchased and sent by friends and family on a weekly or monthly basis.
You can only send items from the one that your jail has a contract with.
Check out the Money Page or the Commissary Page for further information, or call the jail at 213-893-5327 to see which one that the LA County Inmate Reception Center works with.
Here are all of the commissary package companies, in alphabetical order, who provide this service to jails in the United States:
Access Securepak
Care A Cell
Commissary order
Correct Pay
Express Account
icare
Inmate Canteen
Jail ATM
Jail Pack Store (McDaniel Supply)
My Care Pack
Oasis (jailcanteen)
Prodigy Solutions
Tiger
Union Supply Direct
The only gifts you can send an inmate must come from one of the stores above, and the LA County Inmate Reception Center must contract with them.
If the item that you send an inmate is illegal, then you and/or your inmate can get in trouble, otherwise if it is not illegal, it will just be destroyed or in some cases, returned to you.
Note that if you continue to send items that are considered contraband, some of your communication privileges with your inmate, such as visitation or phone calls, may be suspended.
No, you cannot send postage stamps. Stamps must be purchased by the inmate through commissary. You can send them the money for stamps, but not the stamps.
Stamps can be purchased in the jail commissary by the inmate.
Yes. If an inmate is indigent, the jail will provide them 2-3 stamps, and an equal amount of envelopes and stationery, each week.
Yes. If you send the inmate drugs, a weapon or anything illegal, it will be turned over to the Los Angeles County Sheriff or District Attorney and it is most likely that you will be prosecuted.
No.
As of January 2023, LA County Jails do not yet contract with a service that allows email or messaging services.
A growing number of jails now offer email services to inmates and their families.
Anything you or your inmate writes in an email service is put through a filtering program that looks for certain words related to criminal and/or gang activities. There have been multiple cases in which emails between inmates and their friends or loved ones have been used as evidence in criminal court cases to convict them or to file new charges.
Inmate's Full Name & Booking Number
PO BOX 86164
Terminal Annex
Los Angeles, CA 90086-0164
All mail sent to an inmate at the LA County Inmate Reception Center must include the senders name and mailing address in the top left corner of the envelope or postcard.
Failure to include your return address will most likely result in your mail NOT being delivered and discarded.
LA County Inmate Reception Center does NOT allow:
