Quick facts

System

Alaska Department of Corrections (AK DOC)

Inmate ID

ACOMS number (offender number)

General mail goes to

The incarcerated person’s facility mailing address

Recipient receives

Inspected mail at the facility — often a B&W photocopy; originals may be held ~7 working days

Page limit

No published page cap for general correspondence

Paper & envelope

White paper (lined or unlined); white commercially produced envelope, max 9″ × 12″

Ordinary mail timing

Incoming mail inspected within 48 hours of receipt (excluding weekends and holidays)

Photos

Only from approved photo vendors (Shutterfly, Pelipost, Free Prints Now, Walmart Photo); max 10/day, 4″ × 6″

Where to send mail

Personal mail from family and friends (including printed PDFs)

Use VINE (VINELink) to confirm the person’s current facility, then use the facility mailing address from the Friends & Family Handbook or doc.alaska.gov. Include the person’s full committed name and ACOMS number on the envelope, plus your complete return address (first initial, full last name, and mailing address at minimum).

[Full Name] [ACOMS Number]
[Facility Name]
[Facility street address or PO Box]
[City, AK ZIP]

Send elsewhere or use different rules

• Privileged / legal mail → Facility, clearly marked as privileged

  Mail to or from attorneys, courts, legislators, the governor, Alaska Legal Services, and other senders listed in 22 AAC 05.520 / P&P 810.03 is privileged. It is opened only in the person’s presence to search for contraband; content is not read. Mark the envelope as privileged and use the privileged-mail procedures.

• Books, magazines, and newspapers → Approved vendor / publisher only

  Publications must be ordered and received directly from the vendor or publisher — not packed into a personal letter. Family may order for delivery after superintendent authorization.

• Photographs → Approved photo vendors only

  Personal photos mailed in a letter are not allowed. Photos must come from Shutterfly, Pelipost, Free Prints Now, or Walmart Photo, be 4″ × 6″, plain, and within the daily limit.

• Packages and gifts → Approved vendors with prior authorization

  Packages (more than ¾″ thick) require prior Property Department authorization. Family and friends cannot send gift packages through USPS.

• Funds → Facility mail with approved sender rules

  Cash and personal checks are not accepted. Cashier’s checks or money orders may be mailed only by approved visitors or verified immediate family, with the sender’s name on the instrument. Use approved deposit channels instead of enclosing money with a PDF mailing.

Format & content rules

• There is no statewide scan center — mail the packet to the facility where the person is housed. General mail may be opened and inspected outside the person’s presence; content may be read if staff have reasonable grounds under 22 AAC 05.520.
• Use a white, commercially produced envelope no larger than 9″ × 12″. No padded, cardboard, corrugated, tear-resistant, or heavyweight (over 24 lb) envelopes. Do not use address labels, stickers, or other adhesive items on the envelope (USPS-applied labels are allowed but may be removed before delivery).
• Print correspondence on regular-weight white paper (lined or unlined). Colored, construction, or heavyweight paper is prohibited.
• Do not tape, paste, staple, or otherwise join pages or items together. Do not attach stamps, stickers, or anything with adhesive to the paper.
• Greeting cards must be commercially produced, standard card stock, no embellishments, and no larger than 6″ × 8″. Non-commercial, multi-fold, or decorated cards are prohibited.
• Handwritten additions should use blue or black ink or graphite pencil only. Drawings in other media may cause rejection.
• Always include a complete return address on the envelope. Mail without a sufficient return address may be destroyed or returned.
• Do not enclose cash, personal checks, photos printed at home, hard-bound books, electronic media, or contraband. Content threatening security or violating P&P 810.03 / 22 AAC 05.510 may be withheld.

Document mailing checklist

1. Confirm the person is in AK DOC custody and look up their current facility on VINELink.
2. Look up the facility mailing address (Friends & Family Handbook lists all institution addresses).
3. Print on white letter-size paper; use a plain white envelope with no labels or stickers.
4. Address with full name + ACOMS number + facility name and address, include your return address, and mail as general correspondence.

Look up a person in AK DOC custody (VINE) →

Send with PrisonPDF

• Upload a multi-page PDF or DOCX and we print and mail it for you.
• When you select Alaska, we format mail on white paper in a white envelope; you provide the facility mailing address from VINE.
• We do not review PDFs — AK DOC may still reject or withhold mail that violates policy.

Official sources

• AK DOC — P&P 810.03 Prisoner Mail (PowerDMS)
• 22 AAC 05.520 — Mail
• AK DOC — Friends & Family Handbook (Jan 2026)
• AK DOC — VINE inmate information
• AK DOC homepage