When mailing a letter or postcard to an inmate, please address your mail as follows:
Inmate's Full Name & Date of Birth, and Jail ID # or Booking #
Travis County Central Booking
500 W. 10th St
Austin, TX 78701
....
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 & Date of Birth, and Jail ID # or Booking #
Travis County Jail
500 W. 10th St.
Austin, TX 78701
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 Travis County Central Booking 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 Travis County Central Booking at 512-854-9889 with your questions.
Inmate's Full Name & Date of Birth, and Jail ID # or Booking #
Travis County Jail
500 W. 10th St.
Austin, TX 78701
All mail sent to an inmate at the Travis County Central Booking must include the sender's name and mailing address in the top left corner of your mail.
Failure to include your return address will most likely result in your mail NOT being delivered and your letter destroyed.
Main Phone: 512-854-9889
The information below provides complete instructions regarding:
Travis County Central Booking Inmate Mail Policies,
Mail Instructions,
What type of mail is NOT allowed,
Rules for Mailing Letters and Photos and Postcards,
Emailing an inmate,
Policies for Sending Magazines, Newspapers, Books and Packages to Travis County Central Booking in Austin, Texas.
Follow these instructions exactly to help ensure that your inmate receives his/her mail and not have it thrown away.
The Travis County Central Booking has a zero-tolerance policy regarding mail violations.
Emailing Messages & Photos
Facility_name_1} with GettingOut, the same services that handle its Inmate Phone System and Video Visitation, for sending secure messages and photos between you and your inmate.
If you are not already registered, do so here, or Log in.
Then use the Facility Finder to:
1. Select this facility,
2. Add your inmate to your list of contacts,
3. Add a credit or debit card to cover your costs.
How Messaging Works
Watch this video on how to send a message.
1. Messages can be up to 500 characters long, including punctuation. At the bottom of your message there is a 'character countdown' feature.
2. After you click the “CONTINUE” button, you can review the cost to send your message to your inmate. You can also attach credits for your inmate to reply to your message. Be sure to accept the Terms and Conditions and click the “SEND” button for your message to be successfully delivered to your inmate.
How Uploading Photos Works
Watch this video on how to upload a photo.
1. Select the Photos Tab.
2. Select “Take New Photo” or “Upload New Photo”.
3. Take a new photo with your webcam, or select "Choose File" to upload a photo from your computer.
4. Give your photo a Title or add it to the "Gallery" of your choice.
5. Select the "Share" button.
6. Select your inmate(s) and then select "Share".
7. Once the photo is approved, it will be shared with your inmate(s).
Customer Service Questions
'Online' Contact Form, or
Call 866-516-0115
Postcards
The Travis County Central Booking allows inmates to receive pre-metered postcards like the type purchased from the post office. They may also allow certain photo postcards as long as they have not been tampered with or contain images that may be considered to be obscene or violent in nature.
Envelopes
The Travis County Central Booking also allows regular postcards and envelopes to be mailed to inmates as well.
Newspapers
Local or national newspapers may also be mailed to the inmate as long as they are mailed directly from the newspaper publisher.
Magazines
News, special interest or sports magazines may also be mailed to an inmate as long as they are shipped directly from the publisher. Any magazines that contain profanity, weapons, pornography or other content that is adult in nature will be confiscated by the jail staff and will NOT be delivered to the inmate.
Books
The Travis County Central Booking allows books to be mailed directly to the jail from a reputable source such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Books-A-Million. You can order them directly from your computer and have them shipped to the inmate at the address above.
Books must NOT contain images or content that are considered excessively violent, pornographic or obscene. Any book that does not meet the Travis County Central Booking standards will be disposed of.
Inmates are NOT allowed to possess more than two books and two magazines at a time. Books or magazines will be returned to the publisher if sent to inmates possessing more than the limit of two of each of these items..
Hard cover books will not be accepted by the jail due to their potential to be used as a weapon.
All mail, newspapers, magazines and books are to be shipped to the Travis County Central Booking:
Inmate's Full Name & Date of Birth, and Jail ID # or Booking #
Travis County Jail
500 W. 10th St.
Austin, TX 78701
Inmate Trust Fund
P.O. Box 1368
Del Valle, TX 78617
(money order and/or cashier's checks made payable to Inmate Trust Fund.
Put inmate's name and ID# in memo section)
What is my inmate’s mailing address?
How do I mail a letter to an inmate in the Travis County Central Booking?
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 Travis County Central Booking?
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 Travis County Central Booking 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 Travis County Central Booking check out the inmate mail details above or call the jail at 512-854-9889 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 & Date of Birth, and Jail ID # or Booking #
Travis County Jail
500 W. 10th St.
Austin, TX 78701
or
Inmate's Full Name
Inmate ID#
Travis County Central Booking
500 W. 10th St
Austin, TX 78701
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 Travis County Central Booking, 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 512-854-9889 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)
Travis County Central Booking
Mailing Address
City, State, Zip code
Inmate's Full Name & Date of Birth, and Jail ID # or Booking #
Travis County Jail
500 W. 10th St.
Austin, TX 78701
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 Travis 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 Travis County Central Booking’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 Travis County Central Booking, call them at 512-854-9889.
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 Travis County Central Booking are detailed on this page. However, if it is not, then call the jail at 512-854-9889 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 & Date of Birth, and Jail ID # or Booking #
Travis County Jail
500 W. 10th St.
Austin, TX 78701
Inmate Trust Fund
P.O. Box 1368
Del Valle, TX 78617
(money order and/or cashier's checks made payable to Inmate Trust Fund.
Put inmate's name and ID# in memo section)
or
Inmate's Full Name
Inmate ID#
Travis County Central Booking
500 W. 10th St
Austin, TX 78701
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 Travis County Central Booking’s policies, which are outlined on this page.
An inmate in the Travis County Central Booking 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 Travis County Central Booking 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 512-854-9889.
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 512-854-9889 to see which one that the Travis County Central Booking 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 Travis County Central Booking 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 Travis County Sheriff or District Attorney and it is most likely that you will be prosecuted.
Then use the Facility Finder to:
1. Select Travis County Central Booking,
2. Add your inmate to your list of contacts,
3. Add a credit or debit card to cover your costs.
How Messaging Works
Watch this video on how to send a message.
1. Messages can be up to 500 characters long, including punctuation. At the bottom of your message there is a 'character countdown' feature.
2. After you click the “CONTINUE” button, you can review the cost to send your message to your inmate. You can also attach credits for your inmate to reply to your message. Be sure to accept the Terms and Conditions and click the “SEND” button for your message to be successfully delivered to your inmate.
How Uploading Photos Works
Watch this video on how to upload a photo.
1. Select the Photos Tab.
2. Select “Take New Photo” or “Upload New Photo”.
3. Take a new photo with your webcam, or select "Choose File" to upload a photo from your computer.
4. Give your photo a Title or add it to the "Gallery" of your choice.
5. Select the "Share" button.
6. Select your inmate(s) and then select "Share".
7. Once the photo is approved, it will be shared with your inmate(s).
Customer Service Questions
'Online' Contact Form, or
Call 866-516-0115
Inmate's Full Name & Date of Birth, and Jail ID # or Booking #
Travis County Jail
500 W. 10th St.
Austin, TX 78701
All mail sent to an inmate at the Travis County Central Booking 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.
If mailed to an inmate in the Travis County Central Booking, they will be returned to the sender along with the letter you sent, and any other contents.
STATIONARY
• POSTAGE STAMPS, METERED OR STAMPED ENVELOPES
• BLANK PAPER
• BLANK OR ADDRESSED ENVELOPES
• RETURN ADDRESS LABELS , STICKY NOTES, STICKERS, TAPE, LAMINATION, NO ADHESIVES
• ART SUPPLIES, INCLUDING WRITING INSTRUMENTS, WATERCOLORS OR PAINT, GLITTER, GLUE, FELT, RIBBON, BEADS, MAGNETS, ETC.
• BLANK ORUNSIGNED GREETING CARDS OR POSTCARDS
• GREETING CARDS WITH MUSICAL DEVICES OR ATTACHMENTS OR OVER 8”x10”
• HARD PLASTIC ITEMS OR CARD BOARD ITEMS
• CREDIT CARDS, PHONE CARDS, DRIVER’S LICENSE, PHOTO IDs
• GAMES OR PLAYING OR FLASH CARDS, CDs, DVDs, AUDIO OR VIDEO TAPES
• ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS: BIRTH CERTIFICATES, MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES, SOCIAL SECURITY CARDS, CAR TITLES, ETC.
• ITEMS OVER 8”x10” OR POSTERS HAZARDS
• PERFUME OR COLOGNE, BODY SECRETIONS, LIPSTICK, SALIVA OR UNKNOWN SUBSTANCES ON PAPERS, LETTERS OR LITERATURE
• SUBSTANCES SUCH AS DRUGS, TOBACCO PRODUCTS, MEDICATION
• FOOD, CLOTHING, SHOES, JEWELRY, HYGIENE ITEMS, NAPKINS
• HAIR, FEATHERS, FLOWERS, PLANTS, ETC.
• SHARP OR METAL OBJECTS INCLUDING STAPLES, PAPER CLIPS, ETC.
LETTERS, LITERATURE & BOOKS
• BOOKS, MAGAZINES, OR NEWSPAPERS ACCEPTED MUST BE SENT DIRECTLY FROM U.S. PUBLISHER, PUBLICATION SUPPLIER, OR BOOKSTORE; RETURN ADDRESS MUST HAVE A STORE HAND STAMP; STORE MUST BE LISTED WITH U.S. DIRECTORY ASSISTANCE - NO INDIVIDUALS.
• TORN OUT PAGES FROM ANY BOOKS OR MAGAZINES
• MORE THAN 25 PAGES OF INTERNET COPIES OR PRINTS
• HARDBACK BOOKS, OVERSIZE BOOKS, SPIRAL BINDING
RETURN TO SENDER CONTRABAND MAIL CONTINUED...
• MAPS, CALENDARS, MAIL ORDER CATALOGS, CODED BOOKS, SKETCH BOOKS, JOURNALS, POSTERS, DIAGRAMS
• LITERATURE DEPICTING VIOLENCE, ABUSIVE OR UNLAWFUL ACTIVITY, GANG RELATED, OBSCENE SEXUAL CONTENTS, WEAPONS OR RACIAL MATERIALS
• DAMAGED, DISCOLORED OR SOILED USED BOOKS OR MAGAZINES
• CORRESPONDENCE ENCLOSED OR INSCRIBED - NO WRITING
• EXCESSIVE BOOKS OR LITERATURE - ONLY ALLOWED TWO BOOKS AND TWO MAGAZINES IN A SHIPMENT
PHOTOGRAPHS & DRAWINGS
• PHOTOGRAPHS OVER 8”x10”
• POLAROID PHOTOS, FRAMED PHOTOS OR ALBUMS
• SLIDES OR NEGATIVES - NO LAMINATION
• PHOTOS OR DRAWINGS DEPICTING GANG RELATED SIGNS (INCLUDES ANY HAND SIGNS), SYMBOLS OR TATTOOS, ALTERED OR BLACKED OUT PHOTOS
• PHOTOGRAPHS, PHOTOCOPIES OR DRAWINGS DEPICTING PARTIAL/NUDE PERSONS (INCLUDING BABY PHOTOS), EXCESSIVE VIOLENCE, ABUSIVE,UNLAWFUL ACTIVITY, OBSCENE GESTURES, SEXUAL CONTENT, GUN, RACIAL MATERIAL OR HANKERCHIEF DRAWINGS
SAFETY & SECURITY
• CONTAINS INFORMATION REGARDING SAFETY AND SECURITY OF CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES, LAW ENFORCEMENT, CRIMINAL ACTIVITY OR DRUG RELATED MATERIAL
• INFORMATION DOES NOT BELONG TO THE INMATE CURRENTLY INCARCERATED - 3RD PARTY MAIL
• THREATENING OR HARASSING LANGUAGE
