If someone you love is locked up in Florida, staying connected through mail and photos matters. Florida's state prison system - the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) - has fully transitioned to electronic mail processing through Smart Communications. Every piece of routine mail you send goes to a central processing facility in Tampa, gets scanned, and is delivered electronically to the inmate's tablet or kiosk. The physical letter never reaches the prison. Understanding how that system works, what it excludes, and how packages get there separately saves you from having mail rejected or packages returned.
Florida splits adult corrections between FDC for state sentences, and county jails operated by county sheriffs. The mail process differs significantly between the two. This article covers FDC state prisons. County jails are covered at the end.
Sending routine mail to an FDC state prison inmate
All routine inmate mail for FDC state prisons goes to a central processing facility operated by Smart Communications - not to the prison itself. FDC completed this transition across all facilities.
The mailing address for all FDC routine mail is:
[Inmate's last name, first name] [DC#]
PO Box 23608
Tampa, FL 33623
Always use the inmate's committed name (the legal name used at intake) and DC number. Do not use nicknames. Do not abbreviate. If the name or DC number is missing or wrong, mail is returned to sender.
Mail must be sent through the US Postal Service. FedEx, UPS, and other couriers are refused.
Once Smart Communications receives the mail, it is opened, examined, scanned, and delivered electronically to the inmate's tablet or kiosk. Processing takes no longer than 72 hours after receipt, excluding weekends and holidays. Inmates who do not have tablet or kiosk access due to their housing status or restrictions receive a printed copy delivered at no cost to them.
Do not send originals you want returned. Once scanned, original physical mail is retained by Smart Communications for a period and then destroyed. You will not get it back.
Envelope requirements
Only standard envelopes are accepted. The following will be rejected and returned to the sender unopened: padded envelopes, boxes, card stock envelopes (including USPS Priority and Express cardboard), multi-layer packaging, bubble wrap, packing peanuts, and envelopes with metal parts.
Nothing goes inside the envelope except paper correspondence. These items will cause rejection: stickers or stamps placed inside the envelope (postage on the outside is fine), address labels placed inside, laminated cards or laminated materials, non-paper items, lottery tickets, matchbooks, or anything not paper-based.
Mail may be rejected if it contains: instructions for weapons, escape plans, code, drug or alcohol brewing instructions, inflammatory content, threats, criminal encouragement, sexual content as defined under Florida law, or unknown substances.
Write your letters in English, Spanish, or Creole. Other languages require prior written approval from the warden.
If mail is rejected, the inmate and sender both receive written notice stating the reason. Non-contraband items are returned to the sender with Form DC2-521. Contraband of an illegal nature is not returned.
Sending photos
Photos sent through the postal mail go through Smart Communications - include them in the envelope addressed to the Tampa PO Box. They are scanned and delivered electronically just like letters. Do not send original photos you want back. Originals are destroyed after processing. Do not put stickers, stamps, or anything attached to photos. Keep photos loose in the envelope - no paperclips or staples.
The faster option for photos is sending them electronically through JPay. The inmate has a JPay account linked to their tablet or kiosk. You create an account at jpay.com, find the inmate by DC number, and send photos directly - no envelope, no postal mail. JPay charges per stamp or per photo. Photos sent this way reach the inmate's tablet faster than postal mail.
No Polaroid or instant-print photos. Standard print sizes are accepted (4x6 is the most common). No sexually explicit content.
Sending electronic messages
JPay also provides secure electronic messaging - essentially an email system delivered to the inmate's kiosk or tablet. Create an account at jpay.com. Messaging costs $0.39 per stamp, with one stamp covering one message. This is separate from postal mail and has no size restriction on the JPay side, though facility rules apply to content.
Sending publications - magazines and books
Publications (magazines, newspapers, newsletters, books) are handled completely differently from routine mail.
Publications must be sent directly from the publisher or an approved vendor. They cannot go through Smart Communications and cannot be mailed to the Tampa PO Box. They are shipped directly to the physical facility where the inmate is housed.
When a publication arrives at the facility from an approved publisher or vendor, it is delivered directly to the inmate - not scanned. The inmate receives the physical publication. This is a meaningful difference from letters and photos, which arrive as digital scans on a screen.
Find the physical mailing address for the specific FDC facility at dc.state.fl.us/ci/index.html. Use that address when subscribing a magazine or ordering a book - the publisher or seller ships directly there. You cannot mail a magazine yourself to the Tampa PO Box or to the facility.
FDC's full policy on admissible reading material is in Florida Administrative Code 33-501.401. Publications containing obscene material, instructions for violence, escape content, or other prohibited material are rejected and returned.
Legal mail and privileged mail
Legal mail and privileged mail are not affected by the Smart Communications system. They go directly to the inmate's facility - not to the Tampa PO Box.
Legal mail includes: correspondence between an inmate and an attorney, mail from an inmate to a court, and PREA-designated communications. Privileged mail is defined under Florida Administrative Code 33-210.102 and 33-210.103.
If legal mail is accidentally sent to the Tampa PO Box, FDC will attempt to intercept it. If it is opened and scanned before being identified as legal, the scan will be deleted and the mail returned with instructions to re-send directly to the facility. Given the volume processed, this interception is not guaranteed.
Address legal mail directly to the facility. Include the attorney's bar number and clearly mark the envelope as legal mail.
Packages and quarterly commissary orders
You cannot mail care packages to FDC inmates through the postal service. Instead, FDC authorizes a quarterly package program through Access Securepak (a Keefe Group company), available at flpackages.com.
Here is how it works:
One package per inmate per quarter. Multiple orders in the same quarter are allowed as long as the combined merchandise total does not exceed $125. All orders in a quarter are combined and shipped together in a single package to the facility.
Everything in the catalog has been pre-approved by FDC. Inmates may not receive items outside the approved catalog.
During the first month of each quarter, only the inmate may place an order (within a 5-day window set by FDC). During months two and three, family and friends may place orders. If the inmate already ordered in month one, family cannot order in months two or three of that same quarter.
Inmates may not order packages for themselves outside the inmate window or purchase packages for other inmates.
How to order: online at flpackages.com or accesscatalog.com; by phone at 1-800-546-6283 (automated, available 24/7; live agents Monday through Friday 7:30am-11:00pm and Saturday 10:00am-4:00pm CST); or by mail to Access Securepak (FL), 10880 Linpage Place, St. Louis MO 63132. No personal checks accepted.
Note: the Quarterly Food Program is currently suspended at all FDC facilities. The standard Quarterly Package Program (non-food items) and the Outbound Program remain active.
If an inmate is transferred to a custody level that does not allow packages after your order has shipped, the package is returned to Access Securepak and you receive a merchandise refund. The processing fee is not refunded.
Union Supply Direct (flinmatepackage.com) is also an FDC-authorized package vendor. Check flpackages.com and flinmatepackage.com for current catalog availability by quarter.
When your person is transferred or released
For one month after a transfer or release, first-class and second-class mail addressed to the old facility is returned to the post office with a forwarding address request if one is available. After one month, mail is returned to USPS with no forwarding attempt. Non-first-class mail is returned to USPS from the date of transfer or release. Mail does not follow the inmate to a new facility.
FDC contact
501 South Calhoun Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-2500
Main: 850-488-7052
dc.state.fl.us
FDC Citizen Services: FDCCitizenServices@fdc.myflorida.com
County jails: different process, different rules
Florida's 67 county jails set their own mail and package policies independently. Most Florida county jails now also use Smart Communications for mail digitization, but the PO Box address differs for each one. Do not use the FDC Tampa PO Box for a county jail inmate.
Examples:
Orange County Corrections Department: Smart Communications, PO Box 9101, Seminole FL 33775-9174
Collier County Jail: Smart Communications, PO Box 9129, Seminole FL 33775-9129
Hillsborough County (Tampa): Mail Processing Center, PO Box 9115, Seminole FL 33775-9115 (as of October 28, 2025)
Pinellas County: Smart Communications, PO Box 9129, Seminole FL 33775-9129 (as of April 15, 2025)
Seminole County: SCSO-SCH, PO Box 1907, Pinellas Park FL 33780
Each county jail has its own PO Box - always verify the current address at the specific county sheriff's website before mailing. Do not assume addresses are the same across counties even if they all use Smart Communications.
Package programs at county jails vary by county and are often not available for pretrial detainees. Check the specific jail's website.
What to know before you send anything
Routine mail goes to PO Box 23608, Tampa FL 33623 - not to the prison. Use the inmate's last name, first name, and DC number on the address line.
Standard envelopes only. No padded envelopes, no boxes, no metal parts, no bubble wrap.
Nothing inside except paper. No stickers, no stamps inside the envelope, no laminated items.
Do not send originals you want back. Everything scanned through Smart Communications is eventually destroyed.
Legal mail goes directly to the facility - not to Tampa. Mark it clearly. Include attorney bar number.
Magazines and publications go directly to the facility from the publisher or approved vendor. They are delivered to the inmate as physical copies, not scanned.
Packages go through Access Securepak at flpackages.com - one package per quarter, up to $125 in merchandise, approved catalog items only. No direct mailing of care packages.
Photos can be mailed through Smart Communications (they go to the Tampa PO Box with your letter) or sent electronically via JPay. No Polaroids. No originals you want returned.
For county jails, find the specific address for that jail - do not use the FDC address.
Related pages:
/prisons/florida
How to send money to a Florida inmate
Send mail and photos through InmateAid
Arrest Record Search (affiliate)
Frequently asked questions
Where do I mail a letter to an FDC state prison inmate?
Smart Communications central processing facility: [Inmate's last name, first name] [DC#], PO Box 23608, Tampa FL 33623. Do not mail to the prison.
What happens to mail after Smart Communications scans it?
It is delivered electronically to the inmate's tablet or kiosk within 72 hours of receipt (excluding weekends and holidays). The original is retained temporarily and then destroyed. It will not be returned to you.
Can I mail photos to an FDC inmate?
Yes - include them in the envelope to the Tampa PO Box. They are scanned and delivered electronically. Or send photos directly and faster through JPay. Do not send Polaroids or instant photos. Do not send originals you want returned.
What envelope can I use?
Standard envelopes only. No padded envelopes, no Priority or Express cardboard envelopes, no bubble wrap, no boxes, no metal parts.
How do I send magazines or books to an FDC inmate?
Publications must come directly from the publisher or approved vendor, shipped to the physical facility address. They cannot go through Smart Communications or the Tampa PO Box. Publications are delivered to the inmate as physical copies and are not scanned. Find the facility's physical address at dc.state.fl.us/ci/index.html.
Does legal mail go to the Tampa PO Box?
No. Legal and privileged mail goes directly to the inmate's facility - not to Tampa. Legal mail is not scanned and is not part of the Smart Communications system.
How do I send a package to an FDC inmate?
Through Access Securepak at flpackages.com or accesscatalog.com. One package per quarter, up to $125 in merchandise, catalog items pre-approved by FDC only. No direct care package mailing.
What is the package limit?
One package per inmate per quarter with combined merchandise value not exceeding $125. Multiple orders are allowed within the quarter as long as the total does not exceed $125.
Is the quarterly food package program still available?
No. The Quarterly Food Program is currently suspended at all FDC facilities. The standard Quarterly Package Program (non-food items) remains active.
How do I send an electronic message to an FDC inmate?
Through JPay at jpay.com. Each message costs $0.39 (one stamp). Delivered to the inmate's tablet or kiosk. You need the inmate's DC number and a JPay account.
Where do I mail a letter to an Orange County jail inmate?
Smart Communications/Orange County Corrections Department, [Inmate Name] [Booking Number], PO Box 9101, Seminole FL 33775-9174. Always verify on the Orange County Sheriff's website. ====================================================================
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