When mailing a letter or postcard to an inmate, please address your mail as follows:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID#
Western Tidewater Regional Jail-VA
PO Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131
Phone: 757-539-3119
All mail sent to an inmate at the Western Tidewater Regional Jail must include the sender's name and mailing address in the top left corner of the envelope or postcard.
Failure to include your return address will most likely result in your mail NOT being delivered and your letter destroyed.
When mailing a letter from a lawyer or the court (Legal Mail), address the mail as follows:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID#
Western Tidewater Regional Jail
2402 Godwin Boulevard
Suffolk, VA 23434
When arranging to send Newspapers or Magazines (direct from the publisher only), address the subscription as follows:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID#
Western Tidewater Regional Jail
2402 Godwin Boulevard
Suffolk, VA 23434
The information below provides complete instructions regarding:
Follow these instructions exactly to help ensure that your inmate receives his/her mail and not have it thrown away.
The Western Tidewater Regional Jail has a zero-tolerance policy regarding mail violations.
Type of Mail Allowed for Western Tidewater Regional Jail
Postcards & Envelopes (personal mail)
The Western Tidewater Regional Jail allows inmates to receive pre-metered postcards like the type purchased from the post office.
They also allow certain photo postcards as long as they have not been tampered with or contain images that may be considered to be obscene or violent in nature.
The Western Tidewater Regional Jail also allow regulars postcards and envelopes to be mailed to inmates as well, however they must first be sent to a third party, who then scans them in and forwards them to the inmate digitally.
Mail to:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID#
Western Tidewater Regional Jail-VA
PO Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131
Newspapers and Magazines... and Legal Mail
Local or national newspapers may also be mailed to the inmate as long as they are mailed directly from the newspaper publisher.
News, special interest or sports magazines may also be mailed to an inmate as long as they are shipped directly from the publisher.
Any magazines that contain profanity, weapons, pornography or other content that is adult in nature will be confiscated by the jail staff and will NOT be delivered to the inmate.
Mail to:
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID#
Western Tidewater Regional Jail
2402 Godwin Boulevard
Suffolk, VA 23434
Books
Books are no longer allowed to be mailed in to Western Tidewater Regional Jail. They can be downloaded and read on tablets that can be rented.
Care packages
Care packages are pre-chosen items packaged together and sent to the inmate from a third-party vendor. They can include clothing, snacks and seasonal items.
Western Tidewater Regional Jail allows care packages from icare gifts and Oasis.
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 Western Tidewater Regional Jail check out the inmate mail details above or call the jail at 757-539-3119 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 ID#
Western Tidewater Regional Jail-VA
PO Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131
or
Inmate's Full Name
Inmate ID#
Western Tidewater Regional Jail
2402 Godwin Boulevard
Suffolk, VA 23434
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 Western Tidewater Regional Jail, 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 757-539-3119 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)
Western Tidewater Regional Jail
Mailing Address
City, State, Zip code
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID#
Western Tidewater Regional Jail-VA
PO Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131
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 Suffolk city 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 Western Tidewater Regional Jail’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 757-539-3119.
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 Western Tidewater Regional Jail should be detailed on this page. However, if it is not, then call the jail at 757-539-3119 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 ID#
Western Tidewater Regional Jail
2402 Godwin Boulevard
Suffolk, VA 23434
or
Inmate's Full Name
Inmate ID#
Western Tidewater Regional Jail
2402 Godwin Boulevard
Suffolk, VA 23434
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 Western Tidewater Regional Jail’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 Western Tidewater Regional Jail 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 757-539-3119.
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 757-539-3119 to see which one that the Western Tidewater Regional Jail 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 Western Tidewater Regional Jail 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 Suffolk city Sheriff or District Attorney and it is most likely that you will be prosecuted.
Emailing and Photo Sharing with your Inmate
Then use the Facility Finder to:
1. Select Western Tidewater Regional Jail,
2. Add your inmate to your list of contacts,
3. Add a credit or debit card to cover your costs.
How Messaging Works
Watch this video on how to send a message.
1. Messages can be up to 500 characters long, including punctuation. At the bottom of your message there is a 'character countdown' feature.
2. After you click the “CONTINUE” button, you can review the cost to send your message to your inmate. You can also attach credits for your inmate to reply to your message. Be sure to accept the Terms and Conditions and click the “SEND” button for your message to be successfully delivered to your inmate.
How Uploading Photos Works
Watch this video on how to upload a photo.
1. Select the Photos Tab.
2. Select “Take New Photo” or “Upload New Photo”.
3. Take a new photo with your webcam, or select "Choose File" to upload a photo from your computer.
4. Give your photo a Title or add it to the "Gallery" of your choice.
5. Select the "Share" button.
6. Select your inmate(s) and then select "Share".
7. Once the photo is approved, it will be shared with your inmate(s).
Customer Service Questions
'Online' Contact Form, or
Call 866-516-0115
How to address your Inmate's Postcard or Envelope
Inmate's Full Name & Inmate ID#
Western Tidewater Regional Jail
2402 Godwin Boulevard
Suffolk, VA 23434
Mailed Items NOT Allowed
If your inmate is mailed anything other than a letter or postcard (or sometimes) greeting cards it won't get through.
However as stated above, because of the increased smuggling of drugs, more and more jails are only allowing pre-stamped or metered, solid color or white postcards to be received by inmates, or even using a third-party service that scans the letters and delivers paper or digital copies.
Examples of prohibited items include:
POLICIES REGARDING MAILING PHOTOS TO Western Tidewater Regional Jail
Photos should not exceed 4 inches high x 6 inches wide.
No limit on photos.
Polaroid Photos are allowed.
Photos of weapons are prohibited.
Photos of drugs, the consuming of drugs or alcohol is prohibited.
Photos of lewd behavior or people exhibiting too much skin is prohibited.
Call 757-539-3119 or check the most recent policies regarding inmate photos on the jail's website by going here.
Important Mail Tips
TextBehind enables you to communicate with your incarcerated loved ones located inside the United States from anywhere in the world using text letters, kids' drawings, and custom greeting cards. Unlimited inmate reply letters are processed for electronic delivery to your smartphone and email at no extra charge.
The cost to send an electronic letter is approximately $1.00.
Here’s how it works for Western Tidewater Regional Jail:
1. All offender mail (paper and electronic) is addressed and delivered to TextBehind. Electronic mail is sent through the apps (iphone, Google Play). Paper mail is sent to the address below:
Inmate Name and Inmate Number
Western Tidewater Regional Jail Virginia (note: please do not abbreviate the name)
P.O. Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131
2. If it was sent via TextBehind's app (iphone, Google Play), TextBehind can process it within one business day.
3. An additional step is involved in processing mail that is sent using the U.S. Postal Service. TextBehind will use a scanner to make digital files of the contents of the mailing—including cards, photos or artwork.
4. All digital files are then forwarded to the offender’s assigned prison.
5. Western Tidewater Regional Jail mailroom prints approved pages and delivers them to the inmate.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Here’s what happens when TextBehind receives a letter from an inmate:
YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS...
IMPORTANT TextBehind LINKS:
Register / Log in with TextBehind
Contact TextBehind with Questions
Add an Inmate to your list of Contacts
** Address to Mail letters using TextBehind **
Inmate Name and Inmate Number
Western Tidewater Regional Jail Virginia (note: please do not abbreviate the name)
P.O. Box 247
Phoenix, MD 21131
Why is TextBehind used by Lockups?
Due to the problem of letters and postcards containing, or soaked in contraband (drugs), TextBehind electronic and physical letters is replacing the former policy of allowing mail to be sent directly from inmate’s friends and family members, and vice versa.
Check with Western Tidewater Regional Jail by calling 757-539-3119 prior to paying a bond online as this is being rolled out to different facilities slowly.
1. Commissary money in the form of a money order may be mailed to:
AdvancePay Service Department
P.O. Box 911722
Denver, CO 80291-1722
2. You may use cash or credit/debit cards at any time by using the kiosk located in the front lobby. The fee for the use of the ATM is generally $1.50 per transaction for cash and 10% fee for credit/debit cards.
3. Commissary money can also be added to an inmates account at any time using any of these methods online.
4. Cash deposits to ConnectNetwork are now available at 26,000 retail locations nationwide including Walmart, ACE, Kmart, Kroger, and more. You’ll start the payment process online in your ConnectNetwork account, then complete your transaction with cash at a participating local retail store. Plus, many of these stores are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Find a retail store near you.
5. You can call customer service 24/7 at 877-650-4249 and get instructions for depositing money over the phone using a debit or credit card.
To Deposit Money in an inmate's account follow these steps:
**NOTE** GTL is in a transition merging into a new company called ViaPath Technologies.
All the information you need to understand depositing money into an inmate's trust fund, specifically for phone calls, but also for Commissary, in Suffolk city, can be found on our Send Money Page.
Follow these instructions on how to open an account with GTL Connect Network (aka Viapath Technologies)
For full instructions on the Western Tidewater Regional Jail Inmate Phone System, what the costs are, how it works, and tips and guidelines on rules, regulations and saving money on calls, check out our Inmate Phones Page.
How to Make a Deposit for Phone, Email or Visitation using GettingOut.com
Western Tidewater Regional Jail uses GettingOut for some or all of its communication services with an inmate.
If you want to deposit money using this company for your use or your inmate's account, there are four ways to do it:
For all the information you need to know, including tips, guidelines and warnings about depositing money in a Western Tidewater Regional Jail inmate's account for communication services, check out our Send Money page.
To find out how to get access to a tablet for inmate read the following:
1. First, Register or Sign In to GettingOut/GTL
2. Purchase the services you want for your Western Tidewater Regional Jail inmate.
3. All inmates have free access to the tablets to read their letters from family & friends, but there are many other services available to keep your inmate busy while incarcerated... such as Games, Books, Music and Movies. These other services come with fees that you can pay for when you pay for phone service.
To learn more about Tablet Rentals for inmates, including the cost, all the services available and everything else you need to know, check out our Tablet Rental Page.
To mail or email an inmate in Suffolk city follow these steps:
When mailing a letter or postcard to an inmate, please follow these instructions:
Emailing Messages & Photos
Facility_name_1} contracts with GTL GettingOut, the same service that handles iInmate Phone Systems and Video Visitation, for sending secure messages and photos between you and your inmate.
If you are not already registered, do so here, or Log in.
Then use the Facility Finder to:
1. Select Western Tidewater Regional Jail,
2. Add your inmate to your list of contacts,
3. Add a credit or debit card to cover your costs.
Customer Service Questions
'Online' Contact Form, or
Call 866-516-0115
Go here to this FAQ to get answers to how the transition to ViaPath from GTL and gettingout will affect your account.
All the information you need to understand mail and email policies for Suffolk city can be found on our Inmate Mail Page and our Text/Email an Inmate Page.
To visit an inmate in Suffolk city, whether by video or in person 'at the jail', follow these steps:
Other than 'at the jail' visits between you and your inmate, which is explained and outlined in detail on our Visit Inmate Page, Suffolk city remote video inmate visitation can be done using the services of GettingOut.
There are three ways to remotely visit your inmate in Western Tidewater Regional Jail:
1. Using the GettingOut Kiosk at the jail.
2. Using your computer from home.
3. Using your phone on the GettingOut apps.
To remotely visit an inmate in Suffolk city follow these steps:
1. Start by confirming that Western Tidewater Regional Jail's Video Visitation is working correctly by looking up Suffolk city here.
2. The next step is to create an account here for GettingOut.
3. Then add funds to your account.
4. Last, select Western Tidewater Regional Jail, and then the inmate you wish to communicate with.
Other Suffolk city Services provided by GettingOut:
- Phone Calls & Voicemail
- Email, Photo & Video Sharing
- Inmate Tablet Rental
- Deposits
Customer Service
If you have any questions about the Western Tidewater Regional Jail Visitation Services you can call them at 866-516-0115.
Frequently Asked Questions
* All the information you need to have complete knowledge about inmate visitation; policies, rules, fees, schedules, tips, dress codes, and children, lawyers and clergy visitation in Suffolk city, can be found on our Visit Inmate Page.
Western Tidewater Regional Jail Phone: 757-539-3119
To find out how to get access to a tablet for an inmate read the following:
1. First, Register or Sign In to GTL / Viapath Services.
2. In the top menu, click on 'Services', then on 'Inmate Devices & Content'.
3. All inmates have free access to the tablets to read their letters from family & friends, but there are many other services available to keep your inmate busy while incarcerated... such as Games, Books, Music and Movies. These other services come with fees that you can pay for when you pay for phone service.
To learn more about Tablet Rentals for inmates, including the cost, all the services available and everything else you need to know, check out our Tablet Rental Page.
To send a commissary carepack (food, snacks and goods) directly to an inmate in Western Tidewater Regional Jail follow these steps:
For all information, tips and available items for shipping Commissary packages to an inmate in Western Tidewater Regional Jail, as well as sending money to the inmate so that they can purchase their own items, check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Suffolk city.
To send a commissary carepack (food, snacks and goods) directly to an inmate in Western Tidewater Regional Jail follow these steps:
For all information, tips and available items for shipping Commissary packages to an inmate in Western Tidewater Regional Jail check out our Commissary Instructions Page for Suffolk city.
Customer Service Contact
Call 800-956-2747 Monday - Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST.
Email: [email protected].