Quick facts

System

Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC)

Inmate ID

IDOC number

General mail goes to

The incarcerated person’s facility mailing address (not a central scan center)

Recipient receives

Actual mail (opened and inspected; not a statewide digital-mail center)

Address must include

Committed name, IDOC number, institution, and housing unit

Timing

Processed within 24 hours of receipt, Mon–Fri (excluding legal holidays)

Photos

Up to 20 loose photos, max 5″ × 8″ each; no Polaroids or nudity

Printed PDFs

Letter-size photocopies/computer printouts allowed (SOP 402.02.01.001)

Where to send mail

Personal mail from family and friends (including printed PDFs)

Use IDOC Resident/Client Search for the IDOC number, current facility, and housing unit. IDOC’s published format uses the resident’s last name and IDOC number on line 1, facility and unit on line 2, then the facility PO box. Boise-area facilities share PO boxes that mail to Boise, ID 83707; PWCC, ICIO, NICI, and SAWC use the address on each facility’s IDOC page.

[Last Name] [IDOC Number]
[Facility Name] [Housing Unit]
[Facility PO Box — see IDOC Mail Guidelines or facility page]
Boise, ID 83707

Send elsewhere or use different rules

• Books, magazines, and newspapers → Publisher or IDOC-approved vendor only — not inside a personal letter

  Softcover books must come with a receipt or invoice from the publisher or an approved vendor (Amazon is not approved). Magazines and newspapers must arrive directly from the publisher with a printed delivery label showing the resident’s name and address.

• Legal mail → Facility — resource center / Access to Courts procedures

  Legal mail (attorney, court, or service-of-process) is confidential: opened for contraband in the resident’s presence but not read. Handled per SOP 405.02.01.001, Access to Courts — not the same as routine personal mail.

• Confidential mail → Facility mailroom

  Mail from/to listed officials and entities (governor, legislature, Board, facility head, etc.) is opened in the resident’s presence but not read; may be scanned for policy compliance.

• Stamps, stationery, and cash → Do not enclose with personal mail

  Postage stamps and envelopes are prohibited in incoming personal mail (CRCs without commissary are an exception for stamps). Cash is not allowed; use Access Corrections for deposits.

• Idaho State Correctional Center (SCC) → CoreCivic contract facility — Eloy, AZ

  SCC is operated by CoreCivic with different mail and money procedures. Use the SCC section on IDOC’s Prisons page — do not assume Boise PO-box rules apply.

Format & content rules

• Use white, legal- or letter-sized envelopes for personal mail (legal mail is exempt from the white-envelope rule). No packages — letters only.
• Address with committed name (no nicknames), IDOC number, institution, and housing assignment. Incorrect addresses may be returned after repeated attempts.
• Letter-size photocopies and computer-generated documents (including printed PDFs) are authorized; images on copy-grade paper are not treated as photographs (SOP 402.02.01.001).
• Photographs: up to 20 loose photos, each no larger than 5″ × 8″; instant/Polaroid-style photos are prohibited. No nudity or sexually explicit images.
• Greeting cards must be 8″ × 10″ or smaller and must not be padded, laminated, multilayered, or musical.
• Do not enclose postage stamps, blank envelopes, or stationery. Do not send clippings from magazines, books, or newspapers.
• Mail with lipstick, lip balm, stains, perfume-like odors, or other uninspectable substances will be rejected.
• Personal mail is opened, inspected, and may be read. Padded envelopes are prohibited except for legal mail.
• Incoming mail via UPS, FedEx, or other non-USPS carriers is prohibited for inmates (outgoing mail is USPS only).

Document mailing checklist

1. Confirm the person is in IDOC custody and look up their IDOC number, facility, and housing unit.
2. Look up the correct facility PO box (IDOC Mail Guidelines chart, facility page, or search result mailing address).
3. Print your PDF on standard letter-size paper; do not staple, tape, or enclose prohibited items.
4. Address per IDOC format (last name + IDOC number, facility + unit, PO box) and include your complete return address.

Look up an IDOC number →

Send with PrisonPDF

• Upload a multi-page PDF or DOCX and we print and mail it for you.
• When you select Idaho, you provide the facility mailing address — there is no statewide scan-center PO Box.
• We do not review PDFs — IDOC may still reject or withhold mail that violates policy.

Official sources

• IDOC — Mail Guidelines
• IDOC — Incoming Mail
• IDOC SOP 402.02.01.001 — Mail Handling in Correctional Facilities (PDF)
• IDOC — Resident/Client Search
• IDOC homepage