Inmate's Full Name & Inmate MNI # or Booking #
Madison County Detention Facility
PO Box 2047
Huntsville, AL 35804
The information below provides complete instructions regarding the Madison County Detention Facility Inmate Mail Policies, Mail Instructions, what type of mail is NOT allowed, Rules for Mailing letters, photos, postcards, emailing an inmate, magazines, newspapers, books and packages to Madison County Detention Facility in Huntsville, Alabama.
Follow these instructions exactly to help ensure that your inmate receives his/her mail and not have it thrown away.
The Madison County Detention Facility has a zero-tolerance policy regarding mail violations.
To send mail to an inmate:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate MNI # or Booking #
Madison County Detention Facility
PO Box 2047
Huntsville, AL 35804
To send Legal Mail to an inmate:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate MNI # or Booking #
Madison County Detention Facility
PO Box 2047
Huntsville, AL 35804
Reading Materials
To send newspaper, magazines or books to an inmate:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate MNI # or Booking #
Madison County Detention Facility
PO Box 2047
Huntsville, AL 35804
Inmates are allowed to keep the following reading materials in their possession at one time. They will not be allowed to have excess reading materials in their cell. Reading materials must be received directly from a publisher or bookstore. Books, magazines, or newspapers received from any other source will not be delivered. If an inmate has more reading material than what is allowed, it will be considered contraband and be disposed of.
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 Madison County Detention Facility check out the inmate mail details above or call the jail at 256-519-4800 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 & Inmate MNI # or Booking #
Madison County Detention Facility
PO Box 2047
Huntsville, AL 35804
or
Inmate's Full Name
Inmate ID#
Madison County Detention Facility
815 Wheeler Avenue
Huntsville, AL 35801
If the red address is visible, 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 Madison County Detention 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 facility. If you still have questions, then call the jail at 256-519-4800 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.
So here you are 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)
Madison County Detention Facility
Mailing Address
City, State, Zip code
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate MNI # or Booking #
Madison County Detention Facility
PO Box 2047
Huntsville, AL 35804
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 Madison County Sheriff or District Attorney for possible criminal investigation and/or indictment.
Generally nothing but a letter, printouts from a computer printer or photographs 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 Madison County Detention 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 this facility, call them at 256-519-4800.
Most jails allow newspapers, magazines and books to be sent to an inmate, if 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 policy of the Madison County Detention Facility should be detailed on this page. However, if it is not, then call the jail at 256-519-4800 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 & Inmate MNI # or Booking #
Madison County Detention Facility
PO Box 2047
Huntsville, AL 35804
or
Inmate's Full Name
Inmate ID#
Madison County Detention Facility
815 Wheeler Avenue
Huntsville, AL 35801
Use the address in red if it is visible to you.
NOTE: 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 Madison County Detention Facility’s policies, which are outlined on this page.
An inmate 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 Madison County Detention 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 256-519-4800.
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 this page, the Money Page or the Commissary Page for further information, or call the jail at 256-519-4800 to see which one that the Madison County Detention Facility works with.
Here are the commissary package companies, in alphabetical order, that 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 Madison County Detention 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 be 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 Madison County Sheriff or District Attorney and it is most likely that you will be prosecuted.
Emailing an Inmate at Madison County Detention Facility
You can deposit money three different ways:
• Deposit online at NCIC.com
• Deposit at the kiosk in the Madison County Detention Facility lobby, if available.
• Deposit over the phone 24/7 at 800-943-2189 or 903-247-0069 (Note: if you deposit money using a live agent the fee is $5.95).
NCIC Customer Service
Phone - 800-943-2189 or 903-247-0069
Email – [email protected]
How to address your Inmate's Postcard or Envelope
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate MNI # or Booking #
Madison County Detention Facility
PO Box 2047
Huntsville, AL 35804
Mailed Items NOT Allowed
Important Mail Tips
Anything that staff feels is a threat to the security of the jail, its staff, the inmates or the public will be turned over to administrators for investigation.
Mail is always scanned and inspected for contraband, obscenity and other rule infractions.
Assume that everything you write will be read by jail staff and can and will be used against you or your inmate in court.
Never write anything about the inmate's court case you wouldn't want read aloud in court.
Mail is considered by the jail to be a privilege. Any violations of the mail policies can result in the inmate's mail privileges being suspended.
The introduction of contraband by you into the jail through the mail could result in criminal charges being filed against both you and the inmate.
To send a secure email message to an inmate in Madison County Detention Facility follow these steps:
Madison County Detention Facility uses the services of NCIC for you to deposit funds into your {Madison County inmate’s account so that you and they can purchase secure email messaging services from this jail’s e-messaging service.
You can deposit money three different ways:
• Deposit online at NCIC.com
• Deposit at the kiosk in the Madison County Detention Facility lobby, if available.
• Deposit over the phone 24/7 at 800-943-2189 or 903-247-0069 (Note: if you deposit money using a live agent the fee is $5.95).
Email – [email protected]
For all information on how to Text/Email an Inmate in Madison County Detention Facility check out our Secure Messaging Guide for Madison County.
To send commissary money to an inmate in Madison County Detention Facility follow these steps:
For all information on how to Send Money to an inmate's account check out our full money and commissary guide for Madison County Detention Facility.
To send a commissary carepack (food, snacks and goods) directly to an inmate in Madison County Detention Facility follow these steps:
For all information, tips and available items for shipping Commissary packages to an inmate in Madison County Detention Facility check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Madison County.
There are FOUR options for putting money on an inmate's books:
Option 1 - Dropping Money at the Madison County Detention Facility
Bring money to the jail in person.
Either the jail personnel will process the Inmate Account payment or you will use the NCIC self-serve kiosk in the lobbies that accepts cash, debit or credit cards.
Option 2 - Deposit Inmate Money Online
Madison County Detention Facility uses NCIC to process all online deposits to an inmate's account. NCIC charges you a small fee for doing so, but the fee probably isn't as much as gas and parking would cost to take it to the jail in person.
Option 3 - Mail the Inmate Deposit to the Jail
Mailing a deposit takes more time to process than the other methods but can be done if you live too far away to bring it in person and you don't have a debit/credit card for online deposits. Never send cash. Always send a Money Order from the US Post Office, a reputable bank or Western Union.
Make the Money Order out to the inmate's name and put their Inmate ID# in memo section of the Money Order. Mail it to the Madison County Detention Facility address on this page, or to the address below if it is different than the facility address.
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate MNI # or Booking #
Madison County Detention Facility
PO Box 2047
Huntsville, AL 35804
Option 4 - Make an Inmate Deposit over the Phone by calling 800-943-2189
For more information about sending an inmate money for phone cards or other commissary sundries, check out our Inmate Money Page.
Madison County Detention Facility offers NCIC tablets to rent to inmates that they can use for video visitation and calls, phone calls, instant messaging, education and entertainment.
They can also be used for commissary ordering.
To find out more bout how much tablets cost to rent, and what programs, entertainment, education and other things it can be used for, check out our Tablet Page.
For complete information on depositing money in an inmate's account, check out our Inmate Money page.
Madison County Detention Facility uses an online cash bonding company called CashBondOnline.com so you don't have to bond out your inmate at the jail or at the Madison County Courthouse.
Here's how it works:
1. Once you find out that your inmate has been arrested, go here and select Alabama.
2. Next select Madison County Detention Facility, or if it is not listed like that, try Madison County.
3. Next, input your inmate's name or ID Number and then click 'Find'.
4. If your inmate is elegible for a cash bond, the amount will be noted next to their criminal charges.
For full information on Cash bail and Bond Online, including how to contact them by phone and email, check out our Inmate Bail page.
To visit an inmate in Madison County you need to do the following:
Madison County Detention Facility uses the services of NCIC for remote video visitation. In other words, you can visit your inmate in jail by using your home computer, as long as it is equipped with a microphone and camera that supports video.
When available, the jail also provides use of ‘video visit kiosks’ in the Madison County Detention Facility lobby if you do not have a computer at home. These ’on-site’ video visits are FREE.
Costs
NCIC Video Visitation fees are subject to change, but the cost to you is roughly $7.50 ($0.25 per minute) for a 30-minute visit + an additional fee of $2.00 for the connection.
On-site (at the jail) video visits are FREE.
How to set up your Video Visit
Your inmate will be notified by the Madison County Detention Facility staff of the date and time for the visit. Be sure to be in front of your computer and connected to NCIC at least 15 minutes before the start of the visit.
NCIC Customer Service
Phone - 800-943-2189 or 903-247-0069
Email – [email protected]
For all the information you need to know, whether it be 'in person' at-the-jail visitation or remote video visitation with your Madison County inmate, go to our Visit Inmate Page.
To receive phone calls from an inmate in Madison County follow these instructions:
Madison County Detention Facility uses the services of NCIC for inmate phone calling. It is called a ‘friends & family account”.
In order to receive phone calls from your inmate, you need to do the following:
NOTE:
1. You cannot receive any calls to your phone number from your inmate until both you and your phone number are registered.
2. When you do receive a call, the number you will view on your phone from the incoming call is: 800-943-2189.
3. When allowed by Madison County Detention Facility, families can also leave secure voicemails for inmates to listen to.
Fees
NCIC Customer Service
Phone - 800-943-2189 or 903-247-0069
Email – [email protected]
Full list of participating jails.
For all the information regarding phone calls with Madison County inmates; rules, policies, phone calling times, fees, limits and more visit our Inmate Phone Page.