Resident Mail

Please direct Resident Mail to the following address:

Resident Name and Name Number
Dane County Jail
115 West Doty Street
Madison, WI 53703

To improve safety for our jail population, we have changed our mail procedure. This procedure is necessary to reduce the risk of contraband coming into the jail through the U.S. Mail.

The following are acceptable items:

• Personal letters.
• Original artwork in pencil or ink, except those identified as unacceptable below.
• Coloring pages which are new, not colored or marked on.
• Paper bookmarks.
• Single layer greeting cards with a letter or note written on it, excludes blank greeting cards.
• Personal photographs, except those identified as unacceptable.
• Commercial publication clippings from newspapers or magazines, except those identified as unacceptable.
• Commercial publications except those as identified as unacceptable.
• Cash, money orders, and government checks. Money orders and government checks are only accepted if they are payable to the resident or to the Sheriff’s Office. If the money order or government check is made payable to any other payee, it shall be returned to the sender. All other forms of money shall not be accepted and will be returned. 
• Clothing items with prior approval from a deputy.
• Medical related items with prior approval from Medical staff. Medical items shall be labeled with the resident’s name and booking number.
• Identification card, insurance card, social security card, and vehicle registration.
• Residents may receive softcover publications (for example, paperback books, coloring books, and other similar items) directly from the publisher or directly from a bookstore.  To send a publication to a resident, the sender must order the publication from the publisher or bookstore and have the publisher or bookstore mail the publication to the resident directly.
• Free books will be offered on tablets, spiritual leaders will continue to hand out spiritual readings, and the UW Jail Library will continue offering books free of charge
• If you would like to donate books to the UW Jail Library, please send them to:
• SLIS Lab Library, 4191 Helen C. White Hall, 6100 N. Park Street, Madison WI, 53706
• The jail provides additional learning opportunities (adult education, GED, K-12, post-secondary education, and high school equivalency prep) through the tablet free of charge. The education module enhances learning for the jail population and supplements the continued quality instruction provided by our MMSD and Madison College teachers.

The following are unacceptable items:

• All items produced with or coated in: marker, crayon, glitter, confetti, glue, adhesives, string, wire, metal, plastic, wood, or tassels.
• If original artwork drawn with markers, glitter pens, or crayons is reasonably able to be photocopied, the original artwork shall be sent to the resident’s property and a photocopy sent to the resident.
• Adhesive substance items include, but are not limited to: postage stamps, postage return labels, and stickers.
• Personal photographs on instant film (i.e. Polaroid).
• Personal photographs which depict nudity.
• Commercial publication clippings from newspapers or magazines which depict nudity.
• Commercial publications which depict nudity are excluded.
• How-to material on explosives, escape, or assaulting law enforcement officials.
• Food items.
• Pre-paid phone cards.

All incoming resident mail shall be processed through the United States Postal Service.

Envelopes, packages, and boxes larger than 10” x 13” x 1” shall not be accepted and will be returned to sender with the exception of books shipped directly from the vendor.

All items with an adhesive substance (i.e. postage stamps, postage return labels, and stickers) shall be removed from incoming resident mail.