If someone you love is locked up in Idaho, staying connected through mail matters - and Idaho has a set of rules that differ from most states in a few specific ways worth knowing upfront. Idaho DOC has not moved to a centralized digital mail scanner. Mail still goes directly to each facility. But the address format is facility-specific and uses a shared Boise PO Box for most state prisons. Publications must come from an IDOC-approved vendor - and Amazon is explicitly not on the approved list.
Idaho DOC refers to incarcerated people as residents, not inmates. That's the department's terminology throughout its policies.
This article covers Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) state prisons. County jails in Idaho operate independently and are addressed at the end.
Sending mail - letters, cards, photos
Mail goes directly to the facility where the resident is housed. Most IDOC state prisons share a Boise, Idaho PO Box but each uses a different box number. Address mail using the format below:
Line 1: Resident's Last Name and IDOC Number
Line 2: Facility name and Resident's Unit Number
Line 3: PO Box
Line 4: Boise, ID 83707
PO Box numbers by facility:
ISCC (Idaho State Correctional Center): PO Box 70010
ISCI (Idaho State Correctional Institution): PO Box 14
SICI / SICI-CRC / MVTC (South Idaho Correctional Institution / Mountain View Transformation Center): PO Box 8509
IMSI and SBWCC (Idaho Maximum Security Institution / South Boise Women's Correctional Center): PO Box 51
For PWCC (Pocatello Women's Correctional Center), ICIO (Idaho Correctional Institution-Orofino), NICI (North Idaho Correctional Institution), and SAWC (St. Anthony Work Camp), use the address listed on each facility's individual page at idoc.idaho.gov.
Use the resident's committed name only - no nicknames. Incorrectly addressed mail will be delivered with a note requesting address correction; if the sender continues sending incorrectly addressed mail, it will be returned.
All personal letters are opened and searched for contraband. Unacceptable items are returned to the sender or given to proper authorities.
Junk mail - direct marketing, mass mailings, sales flyers, credit card applications, coupons - is destroyed without notification.
Sending photos
Photos may be included in the envelope with your letter. No Polaroid photos. No nudity. Standard mail inspection applies.
No stamps or stationery accepted from family or friends. Incarcerated residents purchase envelopes and postage through commissary. Indigent residents receive stationery and postage for one personal letter per week.
No packages
Packages may not be sent to IDOC residents by family or friends. Residents may send packages out (hobby crafts, excess property, or contraband) at their own expense. See the commissary page at idoc.idaho.gov for information on commissary packages.
Sending publications - magazines and books
You cannot send publications directly to a resident. All publications must come from the publisher or an IDOC-approved vendor, and must arrive with a receipt or invoice.
Approved vendors for books:
Edward R. Hamilton, Thrift Books, Discover Books, More than Words, Prison Book Program, Books a Million, Books N Things, Sure Shot Books, The Women's Prison Book Project, Idaho Prison Arts Collective.
Amazon is NOT an approved vendor.
Books: new and used books are both allowed. Softcover only - maximum size 11 inches long, 8.5 inches wide, 3 inches thick. If a softcover version of a specific educational, legal, or religious book is not available, residents may seek approval from their facility's administration to receive the hardback version.
Magazines and newspapers: must come directly from the publisher and must have a printed delivery label with the IDOC resident's name and address. Labels printed separately and taped on are not acceptable.
Religious publications: if sent through a religious ministry, the ministry must be listed as the publisher.
Publications not meeting these requirements will be returned to the sender.
Confidential mail
Confidential mail includes mail to or from: the president, governor, Idaho Legislature or U.S. Congress (except bulk mailings), the Board of Correction, the IDOC director, IDOC chiefs and deputy chiefs, facility heads, public interest groups or government entities assisting the incarcerated population, the Idaho Commission of Pardons and Parole, and the Consulate or Embassy of a foreign national in IDOC custody.
Confidential mail is monitored for contraband but is opened in the resident's presence. A staff member opens and inspects the envelope without reading the contents. Incoming confidential mail may be scanned to ensure it does not violate policy.
Legal mail
The facility resource center staff or designee handles all incoming and outgoing legal mail. Address legal mail clearly as such.
Incoming mail timing
Mail that presents no procedural problems is processed and delivered within 24 hours of receipt, Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays.
Sending money - Access Corrections
Access Corrections is the exclusive IDOC money management partner. Five ways to deposit:
App: Free Access Corrections app - Android or iOS. Mastercard and VISA accepted. Available 24/7.
Online: accesscorrections.com - Mastercard and VISA. Available 24/7.
Phone: 866-345-1884 - live bilingual agent. Mastercard and VISA. Available 24/7.
Walk-in retailer (cash): Register at cashpaytoday.com to get a barcode. Make a cash deposit at CVS, Dollar General, Family Dollar, 7-Eleven, or Walgreens.
Lockbox (no fee - free): Mail a check or money order to:
Secure Deposits-Idaho DOC
PO Box 12486
St. Louis, MO 63132
The lockbox is the only fee-free option. All other deposit methods have transaction fees.
Idaho county jails: different rules
Idaho's 44 counties each operate their own jail under the county sheriff. County jails are not part of IDOC and set their own mail, publication, and deposit rules. Verify current rules with the specific county sheriff's office before sending anything.
Out-of-state IDOC facilities
IDOC currently contracts two out-of-state facilities in Arizona for overflow population:
Saguaro Correctional Center (Eloy, AZ)
Central Arizona Florence Correctional Complex (Florence, AZ)
If your person is housed at one of these facilities, mail goes to the Arizona address - not to a Boise PO Box. Find the specific address on the facility's page at idoc.idaho.gov.
What to know before you send anything
Mail goes directly to the facility - use the correct Boise PO Box for your person's facility, or the facility's individual address for PWCC, ICIO, NICI, and SAWC.
Use the committed name only - no nicknames.
Letters and photos are allowed. No packages from family.
Publications must come from an IDOC-approved vendor or publisher. Amazon is not approved.
Books: softcover only, max 11"x8.5"x3". New or used okay.
Magazines and newspapers: from publisher only, with printed delivery label.
Deposits through Access Corrections: app, online, phone (all with fees), CashPayToday walk-in, or free lockbox by mail to PO Box 12486, St. Louis MO 63132.
Related pages:
/prisons/idaho
How to send money to an Idaho inmate
Send mail and photos through InmateAid
Arrest Record Search (affiliate)
Frequently asked questions
Where do I mail a letter to an Idaho DOC resident?
To the facility's PO Box in Boise, ID 83707 - using the facility-specific box number. Line 1: Resident's last name and IDOC number. Line 2: Facility and unit number. Line 3: PO Box. Line 4: Boise, ID 83707. PWCC, ICIO, NICI, and SAWC have their own addresses - find them at idoc.idaho.gov.
Does Idaho use a centralized mail scanning vendor?
No. IDOC mail goes directly to each facility. There is no Tampa or Dallas PO Box for Idaho state prisons.
Can I send books?
Yes - but only from an IDOC-approved vendor or the publisher directly. Amazon is not approved. Books must be softcover, max 11"x8.5"x3". New and used are both allowed. Include a receipt or invoice.
Can I send magazines?
Yes - ordered directly from the publisher, with a printed delivery label addressed to the resident. No separately printed labels taped on.
Can I send a package?
No. Packages may not be sent to IDOC residents by family or friends.
Can I send photos?
Yes - include them in the envelope with your letter. No Polaroids, no nudity.
How do I send money?
Through Access Corrections - app, online at accesscorrections.com, phone at 866-345-1884, or cash at a CashPayToday retailer (CVS, Dollar General, Family Dollar, 7-Eleven, Walgreens). For a free no-fee option, mail a check or money order to the lockbox: Secure Deposits-Idaho DOC / PO Box 12486 / St. Louis, MO 63132.
What if my person is at Saguaro or CAFCC in Arizona?
Use the Arizona facility address - not a Boise PO Box. Find the address at idoc.idaho.gov under each facility's page. ====================================================================