U.S. inmate mail guides

Alabama inmate mail

Send a letter to an inmate in Alabama

Write your Alabama letter online using the recipient's full record name and AIS number. PieterPost formats, prints, adds the envelope and postage, and mails it to ALDOC's San Antonio processing center.

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Alabama state-prison addresses

Use the Alabama personal-mail processing address

Since October 27, 2025, ordinary ALDOC personal mail goes to the San Antonio processing center for scanning. Use the person's full record name and AIS number, and do not send this mail to the prison.

This address is for ordinary personal correspondence. Legal mail, money, publications, packages, and documents needing an original use other procedures.

ALDOC Inmate Mail Processing

ALDOC Inmate Mail ProcessingInmate full name – AIS numberP.O. Box 17339San Antonio, TX 78217
Start a letter

Three simple steps

How to send a letter to an inmate in Alabama

Add the inmate's name and AIS number. We already know the official statewide personal-mail address.

  1. 1Enter their name and AIS number
  2. 2Write and review your message
  3. 3We print, stamp, and mail it

Current Alabama guidance

Helpful inmate-mail rules

Letter length
ALDOC publishes no fixed statewide page cap for ordinary letters; check before sending an unusually long letter
Paper format
Use plain, flat pages with clear, high-contrast writing that can be scanned
Envelope and address
Include the full record name, AIS number, sender name, and return address; mail it to San Antonio, not the prison
How it arrives
The processing center scans personal mail for electronic delivery; the physical original is not delivered

Items that need another approved route

PieterPost is for ordinary written letters. To help avoid a mailroom rejection, do not add these items to the envelope:

  • Cash, checks, stamps, gift cards, or other valuables
  • Polaroids, irreplaceable photographs, or original identity documents
  • Layered, musical, pop-up, glittered, or oversized cards
  • Tape, staples, glue, stickers, loose objects, or scented material
Write my Alabama inmate letter

PieterPost takes care of the rest

You only need to write your message

No printer, paper, envelope, stamp, or trip to the post office. We prepare and mail the physical letter for you.

  • Write your letter online from any device
  • Check the finished letter before paying
  • We format and print it for the facility
  • We address, stamp, and mail the envelope

Alabama local jail directory

Looking for a county or city jail?

This guide covers people in Alabama Department of Corrections custody. County and city jails use their own addresses, which you can find on the map.

Is the person in federal prison?

Search the Bureau of Prisons inmate locator and continue with the federal letter flow.

Search federal inmates

Common questions

How do I send a letter to someone in Alabama state prison?

Confirm the person's AIS number, then write your message online. PieterPost formats and prints the letter, adds the envelope and postage, and mails it to ALDOC Inmate Mail Processing. ALDOC acceptance still depends on its current mail rules.

Which address should I use for Alabama inmate mail?

Ordinary personal mail goes to ALDOC Inmate Mail Processing, followed by the recipient's full name and AIS number, at P.O. Box 17339, San Antonio, TX 78217. Do not replace it with the prison's street address.

How do I find the recipient's AIS number and facility?

Use the official ALDOC inmate search to check both the current location and the AIS number. The AIS number is the agency-specific identifier that belongs in the address.

How long can the letter be, and will the original arrive?

No fixed statewide page cap is published for an ordinary letter. Keep pages plain, flat, compact, and easy to scan, and check ALDOC's latest notice before sending an unusually long letter. The recipient receives electronic scans, not your physical original.

Does this guide apply to Alabama jails or federal prisons?

No. This guide is for adults in Alabama Department of Corrections state prisons. County or city jails, federal prisons, juvenile facilities, and other custody systems can use different addresses and rules.