How do I Find a Prisoner's Address?

You may contact prisoners via the regular government postal service.

You may publicly access the addresses of prisoners in the United States. Prisoners routinely use the mail for contact with friends, family members, lawyers, courts, government agencies, businesses, media, publishers and even strangers. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on the constitutionality of prisoner mail, and while authorities always open it, inspect it for contraband and usually read it, prisoners should generally have access to letters, copies of newspapers, magazines and books sent to them. To obtain a prisoner's address, follow these steps:

Things You'll Need

• Inmate's full name, correctly spelled

Instructions

1. Locate and identify the inmate. If you do not know in which prison the person you want to contact is, access the U.S. Department of Justice's Inmate Locator tool. The Federal Bureau of Prisons keeps a public database of federal prisoners incarcerated since 1982. Enter either the inmate's ID number or full first and last name (spelled correctly) into the search bar. Note the inmate's location, ID number and full first and last name from the search results.

2. Find the address of the prison. Check for a list of facility addresses on the website of the Department of Corrections for the state in which the prisoner you want to contact is. Note the prison's name, street address, city, state and zip code.

3. Mail your letter. The mail you send must include the prisoner's full name, his ID number, the name of the correctional facility, the correctional facility's street address, city, state and zip code.

   An example:

   John Doe, #012345

   A State Correctional Facility

   0123 Prison St.

   City, ST 01234

Tips & Warnings

• If you cannot find the inmate in the federal database, check with your state's Department of Criminal Justice. Texas and New Hampshire, for instance, offer state prisoners' information online.

• The government prohibits mail that is a threat to the prisoner, the prison or the public at large. The content may not violate federal or state laws, postal regulations or facility contraband, and it may not come from an unauthorized source.

References

• AELE Monthy Law Journal: Prisoner Mail Legal Issues
• Michigan Department of Corrections: How do I send U.S. mail to a prisoner?
• Texas Department of Criminal Justice: Offender Information

Resources

• BOP: Inmate Locator