When mailing a letter or postcard to an inmate, please address your mail as follows:
Inmate's First and Last Name
King County Correctional Facility
500 5th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104
....
Important: Use the third-party mail service address directly below for personal mail, IF IT IS DIFFERENT than the above address:
Full committed name (name the inmate was booked under)
B/A (book of arrest) number (lookup)
King County Correctional Facility
500 Fifth Ave.
Seattle, WA 98104
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 King County Correctional Facility 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 King County Correctional Facility at 206-296-1234 with your questions.
Envelopes
To mail a letter, you not only MUST use the exact name the inmate was booked under, but you also MUST include their B/A Number, so remember to first look up the Inmate's B/A Number. If you can't find it online, call the Inmate Locator hotline at 206-296-1234.
Full committed name (name the inmate was booked under)
B/A (book of arrest) number (lookup)
King County Correctional Facility
500 Fifth Ave.
Seattle, WA 98104
Newspapers
You can purchase a newspaper subscription for an inmate but it must be mailed to the jail directly from the publisher and MUST include the inmate’s full name they were booked under, and their B/A Number.
Magazines
Magazines are also allowed, but MUST be mailed directly from the publisher and include the inmate’s full name they were booked under, and their B/A Number.
Any magazine containing lewd photos, nudity, pornography, or anything promoting drugs or violence will be confiscated by jail staff and discarded.
The following is a partial list of other magazines NOT allowed:
Also, no magazines or other publications of this type:
Books
Magazines, Newspapers and Books are mailed to:
Full committed name (name the inmate was booked under)
B/A (book of arrest) number (lookup)
King County Correctional Facility
500 Fifth Ave.
Seattle, WA 98104
Care packages
Care packages are pre-chosen items packaged together and sent to the inmate from a third-party vendor. They include clothing, snacks, hygeine products and seasonal items.
King County Correctional Facility only allows care packages from Access Securepak.
Money Orders or Cashier's Checks
What is my inmate’s mailing address?
How do I mail a letter to an inmate in the King County Correctional Facility?
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 King County Correctional Facility?
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 King County Correctional Facility 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 King County Correctional Facility check out the inmate mail details above or call the jail at 206-296-1234 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:
Full committed name (name the inmate was booked under)
B/A (book of arrest) number (lookup)
King County Correctional Facility
500 Fifth Ave.
Seattle, WA 98104
or
Inmate's Full Name
Inmate ID#
King County Correctional Facility
500 5th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104
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 King County Correctional Facility, 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 206-296-1234 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)
King County Correctional Facility
Mailing Address
City, State, Zip code
Full committed name (name the inmate was booked under)
B/A (book of arrest) number (lookup)
King County Correctional Facility
500 Fifth Ave.
Seattle, WA 98104
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 King 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 King County Correctional Facility’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 King County Correctional Facility, call them at 206-296-1234.
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 King County Correctional Facility are detailed on this page. However, if it is not, then call the jail at 206-296-1234 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:
Full committed name (name the inmate was booked under)
B/A (book of arrest) number (lookup)
King County Correctional Facility
500 Fifth Ave.
Seattle, WA 98104
or
Inmate's Full Name
Inmate ID#
King County Correctional Facility
500 5th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104
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 King County Correctional Facility’s policies, which are outlined on this page.
An inmate in the King County Correctional Facility 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 King County Correctional Facility 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 206-296-1234.
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 206-296-1234 to see which one that the King County Correctional Facility 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 King County Correctional Facility 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 King County Sheriff or District Attorney and it is most likely that you will be prosecuted.
They are the same company that facilitate Secure Deposits and Securepaks, so if you are already registered with them, then you are already approved to send Secure Messages to your inmate.
After Registering/Logging In:
1. You choose King County Correctional Facility.
2. You Search for your inmate by typing in his last name. You can further narrow your search by adding his first name and/or Inmate ID.
3. You add a credit or debit card.
4. You buy a message plan (plans and prices vary), or buy credits. One credit costs $0.01.
5. You select the option for your inmate to be able use the credits which you purchase, to message back to you... Or not.
6. King County Correctional Facility charges a fee for each message sent or received.
Important Things to Know
- Access Corrections has an iphone app and an android app for using their services.
- ALL of your correspondence will be monitored by the jail.
- Do NOT write anything you wouldn’t want repeated in court.
- Rates vary and are always subject to change.
- Inmates can write you back ONLY if you select that option.
- You CAN send photos up to 32MB in file size. Subject to change.
- You CAN have unlimited credits on your account but are limited in the amount of each credit purchase.
- You may NOT type or send emoticons.
- You may NOT copy and paste text. Type directly.
- You may NOT type profanities, violence or characters not approved.
- Due to messages having to be reviewed first, allow up to five days for a message to be delivered.
- You may NOT transfer credits to another email.
Phone: 866-345-1884
Email: customerservice@accesscorrections.com
FAQ
Contact Page
iphone app
Android app
If you mail your inmate anything other than a letter it won't get through. You can send newspapers, magazines and softcover books, but it must come directly from the publisher or the bookseller.
Examples of prohibited items include:
