Sending Inmate Mail

Sending Correspondence

For Main Jail and Annex mail correspondence to:
Inmate’s Name and Booking Number
Yakima County Department of Corrections
111 N Front Street
Yakima, WA 98901

The Yakima County Department of Corrections shall receive incoming, lawfully delivered U.S. Postal Service mail intended for inmates housed in its facilities.

Acceptable Items

Inmates may receive and possess the following mailed items:

• General correspondence– Regular mail that includes, letters, money orders/checks, etc.
• Legal correspondence – Must be sent from a legal entity, i.e., courts, law enforcement agency, attorney, etc. Any mail sent in from a personal family member or friend is subject to review.

Unacceptable Items

The following is not acceptable for inmate possession through the mail:

• Greeting cards and/or cardboard
• Any unknown substance, which also includes any hand colored/painted pictures/drawings
• Stamps and stickers
• Any gang related materials
• Polaroid photos
• Photos, depictions or writings that are:
  • Gang and/or criminal activity or behavior
  • Nudity
  • Of a sexually explicit nature
  • Partial nudity
  • Racially inflammatory
• Photos, depictions or writings that may jeopardize the security of the Department
• Food items or other perishables or clothing
• Newspapers, periodicals and books (unless sent directly from the publisher)
• Any item as deemed to be contraband or that is not acceptable for inmate possession as determined by the Department
• Mail from any other inmate in this or any other correctional facility
• Letters or packages with no return address
• Hard cover books
• Staff have reason to believe the content of the material is a code or suspect a code
• Content contains plans or instructions that encourages activities which are criminal or violate jail rules
• Homemade postcards