Sending Mail to Someone at Cook County Jail
Letters mean a lot to people in jail. At Cook County Jail, you can mail a paper letter, send letters and photos online, or send short text messages. Every piece of mail is checked by jail staff before it is handed out. This guide shows you how to do it the right way so your mail is not sent back.
How to address a letter
All mail for every building at the jail goes to one address. You do not need to know which division the person is in.
- Find the booking number. Look the person up at iic.ccsheriff.org, or call (773) 674-5245. Write it exactly as the jail shows it.
- Write the address like this on the front of the envelope:
Their full name
Booking # (their booking number)
2700 S. California Ave.
Chicago, IL 60608
- Put your name and address in the top left corner (the return address). If the jail can't deliver the letter, this is how it gets back to you.
- Add a stamp and mail it like any other letter.
Tip: Use the person's full legal name, the same name the jail has on file. A nickname can cause delays.
↑ Back to the top of the mail guide
What you can send
- Letters written on plain paper. There is no limit on how many letters someone can get.
- Photos, as long as they don't show weapons, money or gang signs.
- Regular greeting cards (paper only, normal size).
- Paperback books or magazines: up to 3 per envelope or package.
- Newspaper clippings or printed articles (but not a whole daily newspaper).
↑ Back to the top of the mail guide
What you cannot send
Important: If even one thing in your envelope or package is not allowed, the jail sends the whole thing back.
Never put anything on the paper
Do not spray perfume or cologne, and don't use lipstick, glitter, glue or anything sticky or greasy. Mail that smells, is stained, or has anything on it is thrown away as contraband. It does not come back to you.
Do not mail these items
- Money problems: cash, money orders over $100, money orders filled out wrong, credit cards
- Cards and paper extras: musical cards, plastic cards, very large cards, posters, maps, stickers, decals, patches, playing cards, puzzles
- Photos: pictures with weapons, money or gang signs; Polaroid photos with thick double backing
- Writing supplies: pens, pencils, markers, sharpeners, tape, glue, postage stamps
- Clothes and personal items: any clothing (even socks or underwear), towels, jewelry, combs, brushes, hair clips or pins, cosmetics, soap, toothpaste, dental floss
- Food and smoking items: food, candy, cigarettes, cigars, lighters, matches
- Medicine or medical supplies
- Hard or sharp things: anything made of glass, wood or metal, keys, nail clippers or files, wire, string
- Electronics: radios, batteries, music players
- ID cards
- Whole daily newspapers, or more than 3 books or magazines at once
Many everyday things, like snacks and hygiene items, can be bought by the person at the jail store (commissary) instead.
Letters between people in custody
Someone at Cook County Jail cannot write back and forth with a person locked up somewhere else unless both facilities give permission first.
↑ Back to the top of the mail guide
Sending letters and photos online
The Sheriff's Office also offers an online way to send mail, run through a service called LiamSafe. Instead of using the post office, you type a letter or upload photos on the website, and they reach the jail electronically.
- Go to the Sheriff's online mail page: cookcountysheriffil.liamsafe.com. (Pages are in English and Spanish.)
- Create an account.
- Pick the person you want to write to.
- Type your letter or add your photos, and follow the steps to send.
Prices, if any, are shown on the site before you send. The same content rules apply as paper mail: no photos with weapons, money or gang signs.
↑ Back to the top of the mail guide
Text messages
For quick notes, you can send a text message that the person reads in jail.
- Download the GettingOut app from the App Store or Google Play, or go to gettingout.com. The company that runs it is ViaPath.
- Make an account and add money.
- Find your loved one at Cook County Jail and send your message.
- Each message you send costs 6 cents. Their replies to you are free.
- The Sheriff's Office can read every message.
- Messages with bad language or anything that threatens safety are blocked, and you don't get your money back.
- Do not use messages for anything private, such as talks with a lawyer.
↑ Back to the top of the mail guide
Sending money by mail
- Never mail cash. The jail will not accept it.
- Money orders: $100 or less each. Anything over $100 is sent back. Need to send more? Mail more than one money order.
- Cashier's checks: up to $1,000 each.
- Make it out to the person's exact name and booking number. Fill it out completely, and don't cross anything out.
- Mail it to: Cook County Department of Corrections, 2700 S. California Ave., Chicago, IL 60608 (with their name and booking number).
- Allow up to 5 business days for the money to show up in their account.
↑ Back to the top of the mail guide
What happens to your mail, and if it comes back
How mail moves
- Jail staff pick up mail from the post office on weekdays.
- A special unit opens and checks it for anything not allowed.
- Approved mail is passed out to the person in their building.
- Letters they write to you go through the same check on the way out.
Mail is not picked up on weekends or holidays, so give it a few extra days.
If your mail is sent back
You will get a Notice of Returned Mail that says why. If you think it was a mistake:
- Write a letter explaining why you disagree.
- Mail it within 10 days of getting the notice to:
Mail Rejection
Cook County Department of Corrections
2700 S. California Ave.
Chicago, IL 60608
Questions?
↑ Back to the top of the mail guide
Jail mail rules can change. If you are unsure whether something is allowed, leave it out or call (773) 674-1945 before you send it.
