If someone you love is locked up in Alaska, staying connected through mail matters - but Alaska works differently from most states. There is no centralized mail processing vendor. No Smart Communications PO Box in Tampa, no ICSolutions address in San Antonio. Every piece of mail goes directly to the physical facility where the person is housed, and it is handled there. Understanding that upfront, along with who is allowed to send mail and what is allowed inside the envelope, prevents rejected mail and wasted effort.
Alaska operates a unified corrections system. The Alaska Department of Corrections (DOC) runs all state facilities - there are no separate county jails for sentenced prisoners. This article covers Alaska DOC state facilities. If your person is in federal custody, federal rules apply and are addressed at the end.
Sending routine mail
Mail goes directly to the facility where your person is housed. There is no central Alaska DOC mailing address. Find the specific facility and its mailing address at doc.alaska.gov, then use this format:
Prisoner First Name, Last Name, and Offender Number
[Facility Name]
[Facility Address]
Use the prisoner's legal name exactly as it appears in Alaska DOC records. No nicknames. The offender number is required. Your full name and complete return address must appear on the envelope. Mail without a return address will be treated as unacceptable and may be rejected.
All mail - except privileged mail - is opened outside the prisoner's presence and inspected for contraband. If the contents appear to contain prohibited information, staff will read the mail for content and provide the prisoner with written notice.
Who is allowed to send mail
This is the rule that catches families off guard in Alaska. Prisoners may only receive money and, at some facilities, mail and gifts from people on their approved visitor list or from verifiable immediate family members. At Spring Creek Correctional Center, the policy states that prisoners may only receive money from verifiable immediate family members and persons on their approved visiting list. At Hiland Mountain Correctional Center, deposits may only be made by individuals on a prisoner's approved visitor list.
Immediate family is defined as: mother, father, sister, brother, son, daughter, wife, or husband.
If you are not on the approved visitor list and are not immediate family, contact the facility before sending anything to confirm whether you can mail to that prisoner. Getting on the approved visitor list requires an application to the facility.
Sending photos
Photos may be included in the envelope with your letter. Alaska DOC facilities allow prisoners to receive photos through the mail. The prisoner is permitted to retain a limited number of photographs - confirm the current limit with the prisoner, as it varies by facility.
Do not send Polaroids or instant-print photos. No sexually explicit content. No photos with stickers, labels, or anything attached to them. Keep photos loose in the envelope - no paperclips or staples.
Sending publications - magazines and books
Publications must be sent directly from the publisher or an approved vendor. Family members may purchase books and magazines but they must be sent to the prisoner directly from the vendor - you cannot mail a publication yourself.
At Goose Creek Correctional Center, publications may only be purchased from Edward Hamilton Books (hamiltonbooks.com) or Books N Things (booksnthingswarehouse.com). No used books, spiral or wire bound books, hardback books, or leather-bound books (including Bibles) are permitted at Goose Creek. No more than five books may be received in the same package.
Other facilities follow the same general rule - publications must come from the publisher or vendor - but the specific approved vendor lists may differ. Check with the specific facility for current restrictions.
Publications are delivered to the prisoner physically, not scanned. The prisoner receives the actual book or magazine.
Goose Creek Secure Mail Program
Goose Creek Correctional Center operates a digital messaging program through Access Corrections called Secure Mail. Family and friends can send digital messages and photos through accesscorrections.com. Messages are delivered to the prisoner's MP3 player or as printed copies for those without a player. All messages are reviewed by mailroom staff before delivery. This is a supplement to physical mail, not a replacement.
Legal mail
Legal mail - correspondence between a prisoner and an attorney, courts, and other privileged contacts - is handled separately from general mail. It is opened in the prisoner's presence only. Mark envelopes clearly as legal mail.
What cannot be mailed
At Spring Creek and across Alaska DOC facilities generally, mail will be rejected if it contains any of the following:
Threats of physical harm or plans for criminal activity. Contents written in code that the reader cannot understand. Gang hand signs, symbols, or slang. Frontal nudity (exposed female breasts or genitalia of either gender). Plans for escape or content that could encourage violence. Magazines, books, audio or video tapes, music or game CDs, or movie DVDs (these must come from vendors directly, not through the mail as personal items). Postage stamps. Musical cards, recordable cards, oversized cards (larger than 8 inches by 11 inches), or cards made of non-paper material. Decorative stickers. Glue, white-out, perfume, paint, lipstick, crayon, or other unidentifiable substances. Cash or personal checks.
Mail on envelopes will be rejected if the envelope is made of non-paper material, has decorative stickers or address labels or seals, or has no return sender address.
What happens to rejected mail
The prisoner is notified and required to disburse the contents at their own expense. If they do not, the contents are disposed of.
Alaska DOC facility addresses
Alaska has 13 adult correctional facilities. The three largest are:
Spring Creek Correctional Center (maximum security, Seward)
3600 Bette Cato Avenue, Seward AK 99664
Phone: 907-224-8200
Goose Creek Correctional Center (Eagle River/Wasilla area)
22301 Outer Springer Loop, Wasilla AK 99654
Hiland Mountain Correctional Center (women's facility, Eagle River)
9101 Hesterberg Road, Eagle River AK 99577
Find all facility addresses at doc.alaska.gov/institutions.
Federal custody in Alaska
If your person is in federal Bureau of Prisons custody, the federal prison system rules apply - not Alaska DOC rules. The primary federal facility associated with Alaska defendants is FDC SeaTac in Washington State, though federal inmates may be housed at various BOP facilities nationwide. Federal mail goes directly to the BOP facility where the person is housed. Find the facility using the BOP inmate locator at bop.gov.
What to know before you send anything
Mail goes directly to the facility - there is no central Alaska DOC mailing address. Find the specific facility at doc.alaska.gov/institutions.
Use the prisoner's legal name and offender number. No nicknames. Your full name and return address must be on the envelope.
Confirm you are an approved sender. At most Alaska facilities, only immediate family and approved visitors can send mail or funds.
No cash or personal checks by mail. Money orders or cashier's checks only.
Publications must come from the publisher or approved vendor - not mailed by you personally.
No stickers, stamps, perfume, glue, or non-paper items inside or on the envelope.
Photos are allowed - loose in the envelope, no attachments.
Related pages:
/prisons/alaska
How to send money to an Alaska inmate
Send mail and photos through InmateAid
Arrest Record Search (affiliate)
Frequently asked questions
Where do I mail a letter to an Alaska DOC inmate?
Directly to the facility where your person is housed. There is no central Alaska DOC mail address. Find facility addresses at doc.alaska.gov/institutions. Use the prisoner's legal name, offender number, facility name, and facility address.
Can anyone send mail to an Alaska DOC prisoner?
Not at most facilities. Alaska DOC limits mail and gifts to immediate family members (mother, father, sister, brother, son, daughter, wife, husband) and people on the prisoner's approved visitor list. Confirm with the specific facility before sending.
Can I send photos?
Yes - include them loose in the envelope with your letter. No Polaroids, no explicit content, no stickers or attachments. The prisoner may only retain a limited number of photos; confirm the current limit with them.
How do I send books or magazines?
Send directly from the publisher or an approved vendor - you cannot mail publications yourself. At Goose Creek, only Edward Hamilton Books and Books N Things are approved vendors. No used books, hardbacks, wire-bound books, or leather-bound books at Goose Creek. No more than five books per package.
What is the Goose Creek Secure Mail program?
A digital messaging program through Access Corrections (accesscorrections.com) that allows family and friends to send messages and photos electronically. Messages are delivered to the prisoner's MP3 player or as printed copies. Messages cost $0.40 to $0.50 depending on format. Available at Goose Creek only - not statewide.
Can I send magazines directly in an envelope?
No. Magazines, books, audio tapes, CDs, and DVDs cannot be included in regular mail envelopes. They must be ordered directly from an approved publisher or vendor and sent from there.
What is the $500 monthly deposit limit?
Alaska DOC limits deposits to a prisoner's account to $500 in a single month. This applies statewide. See the How to Send Money to an Alaska Inmate article for full deposit details.
Does Alaska use Smart Communications or ICSolutions for mail?
No. Alaska DOC does not use a centralized mail scanning vendor. Mail goes directly to each facility. ====================================================================
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