Agency News
VADOC Announces New Centralized Mail Distribution Center
April 26, 2022
The Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) is committed to facilitating our incarcerated population’s privileged access to legal correspondence by attorneys, courts and other court entities. Our commitment to preserving the inmates’ legal access is being exploited by those who seek to smuggle contraband into the prisons. Individuals are sending dangerous and illegal contraband to inmates using mail that is falsely labeled as legal mail. As part of our continuing efforts to prevent the introduction of drugs and other contraband into facilities and to protect the inmates in its custody, the VADOC continues to make modifications to its mail procedures to maintain the safety of all inmates, staff, and the public.
To that end, beginning July 1, 2022, any attorney, court or non-attorney/court entity wishing to send legal correspondence to an inmate or CCAP probationer/parolee must send such correspondence directly to the VADOC’s Centralized Mail Distribution Center, at this mailing address:
VADOC Centralized Mail Distribution Center
Inmate Name, Inmate #
3521 Woods Way
State Farm, Virginia 23160
For Courts/Court Entity, all envelopes containing legal correspondence must contain the full return address of the court or court entity. For attorneys, all envelopes containing legal correspondence must include full return address with the law office name and address.
All legal correspondence will be scanned with real-time tracking and screened by trained Virginia Department of Corrections staff for the detection of any illicit substances. Upon completion of the screening process, provided there are no extenuating circumstances; all correspondence will be delivered via USPS Priority Express mail services on the same business day of receipt. Implementing this process will eliminate facility staff from contacting the courts directly for verification purposes.
We appreciate your understanding and assistance in working together to keep the inmates, staff and the public safe.
Legal correspondence that requires civil process service on an inmate should be addressed to the facility where the inmate is housed and continue to be sent to the appropriate jurisdiction of the facility.
For questions about this policy, please email cmdcinquiries@vadoc.virginia.gov.