Sheriff's Office

Fairfax County, Virginia

CONTACT INFORMATION:

703-246-3227
TTY 711

4110 Chain Bridge Road
Fairfax, VA 22030

Stacey A. Kincaid,
Sheriff

Inmate Mail Policy Changes

Effective August 23, 2021, PERSONAL mail for inmates will no longer be accepted at the Adult Detention Center and Alternative Incarceration Branch in order to curb the introduction of contraband into the facilities and maintain the safety of all inmates and staff. PROFESSIONAL/LEGAL MAIL will still be accepted at the ADC and AIB. It must be labeled as Legal Mail and come from the inmate's attorney of record, a Commonwealth's attorney or the courts.

General Correspondence

All general correspondence must be sent to the Sheriff's Office's third-party mail vendor, Smart Communications, at the following address:

Smart Communications/FXCOADC
Inmate Name/Inmate Number
P.O. 9128
Seminole, FL 33775-9128

General incoming correspondence includes, but is not limited to, greeting cards, pictures, children's drawings, etc. It is nearly all correspondence that is NOT legal or privileged.

All general correspondence sent to an inmate must contain a full return address with first and last name of the sender. It also must contain the full and correct inmate name and inmate number. Smart Communications cannot process any materials that are bound or open like a book and will reject such materials. Upon arrival at Smart Communications, the mail will be opened and scanned into an electronic document to be screened and approved by the ADC/AIB mail room. Upon approval, the electronic mail will be forwarded to the inmate's electronic account.

Note: Books and portions of books sent through regular mail will not be printed, scanned or delivered to inmates.

Photographs

All photographs must be sent to the Sheriff's Office's third-party mail vendor, Smart Communications, at the following address:

Smart Communications/FXCOADC
Inmate Name/Inmate Number
P.O. 9128
Seminole, FL 33775-9128

All photographs sent to an inmate must contain a full return address with first and last name of the sender on the envelope. It must also contain the full and correct inmate name and inmate number on the envelope. Upon arrival at Smart Communications, the mail containing photographs will be opened and scanned into an electronic document to be screened and approved by the ADC/AIB mail room. Upon approval, the electronic mail containing photographs will be forwarded to the inmate's electronic account.

Photographs are limited to 10 per mailing. If a mailing has more than 10 photos, the entire mailing will be denied. Photographs containing obscenity, explicit sexual material or depictions of violence and/or nudity are prohibited.

Official Documents

All official documents can be mailed directly to the Sheriff's Office at the address below. Official documents are personal IDs, papers or credentials that are issued to a person by a government entity or financial institution. Official documents include, but are not limited to:

  • Cashier checks and money orders
  • Passports
  • Birth certificates
  • Social Security cards
  • Driver's license
  • Personal identification card
  • Alien Registration Card/Green Card
  • Welfare card
  • Medical card
  • School diploma

Mail official documents to:

Fairfax County Sheriff's Office
Adult Detention Center
Attn: Property Officer – inmate name/inmate number
10520 Judicial Drive
Fairfax, VA 22030

Any general incoming correspondence, such as letters, pictures, greeting cards, children's drawings, etc., that are included with an official document sent directly to the ADC/AIB property officer are prohibited.

Original Transactional Documentation

Original transactional documentation is a document that the inmate needs to sign and return the original to the sender, such as transferring a vehicle title. Original transactional documentation must be mailed to the attention of the ADC Property Officer and identify the inmate by name and number. The property officer/designee will coordinate a time for the inmate to review and sign the documents, if desired, and pay the postage to have the documents mailed out of the facility.

Fairfax County Sheriff's Office
Adult Detention Center
Attn: Property Officer – inmate name/inmate number
10520 Judicial Drive
Fairfax, VA 22030

This process is for transactional documentation only; inmates will not be permitted to keep other original documentation sent through this process.

Answers to Your Questions about Inmate Mail

What mail will not be processed by Smart Communications?

  • Mail missing an inmate number
  • Mail addressed to Sheriff's Office staff members
  • Mail addressed to JPAY
  • Mail containing cash, personal checks or money orders
  • Mail bound in the center or in a format that prevents scanning
  • Mail damaged by the U.S. Postal Service
  • Legal mail
  • Books, magazines and newspapers
  • Bulk mail
     

What return address should inmates use on outgoing mail?

Smart Communications/FXCOADC
Inmate Name/Inmate Number
P.O. Box 33028
St. Petersburg, FL 33733

When will inmates receive their mail?

It can take 6-8 days for inmates to receive their mail. Smart Communications processes the mail within 24 hours of receipt at its processing center in St. Petersburg, Florida. However, it can take the U.S. Postal Service 3-5 days to deliver the mail to Smart Communications. The Sheriff's Office will make a reasonable effort to ensure that incoming inmate mail is delivered to the inmate within 48 hours from the time we receive it from Smart Communications. This timeframe excludes weekends and holidays, mail that contains content requiring review, and mail that is being held at the ADC for investigative purposes.

What does Smart Communications do with the original mail?

All original mail will be retained for 45 days, unless otherwise instructed by the Sheriff's Office. After 45 days, original mail will be destroyed.

What happens to the electronic copies?

When the electronic mail reaches the facility, staff will approve it for forwarding or else deny it. The electronic mail is uploaded to a database that is sorted by inmate name/inmate number and sent to the inmate's location six days per week.

What happens if official documents are included in mail sent to Smart Communications, such as driver's license, social security cards, checks, court orders with raised seals, etc?

Smart Communications will forward all official documents to the Sheriff's Office property section.

Can general incoming correspondence sent to Smart Communications be returned to sender once it has been processed?

No

I accidentally sent my mail to the Adult Detention Center address, not to Smart Communications. What will happen to my mail?

All general incoming correspondence needs to be sent to the third-party vendor, Smart Communications. Mail sent to the ADC or AIB will be denied. Books, newspapers and magazines that come directly from a vendor will be accepted at the ADC/AIB.

How will senders of mail know when mail is delivered?

Senders of mail who register with Smart Communications can receive alerts when mail arrives at Smart Communications and when it is delivered to, or rejected by, the Sheriff's Office.

Where can I get more information about Smart Communications?

The Smart Communications website, www.smartinmate.com, is a great resource for information regarding its services. 

Fairfax Virtual Assistant