USP Big Sandy Mail & Photos. Address, Rules & What You Can Send

Mailing Address for USP Big Sandy

Use this address for all personal mail to an inmate at USP Big Sandy:

[Inmate Full Legal Name] [BOP Register Number] P.O. Box 2067 Inez, Kentucky 41224

Do not use the facility’s physical address (1197 Airport Road) for inmate mail. All correspondence goes through the P.O. Box. Use U.S. Postal Service only. Private carriers like FedEx, UPS, and DHL are not accepted for inmate correspondence at federal facilities.

Writing Letters

There is no limit on how many letters you can send or how long they can be. Write as often as you like. Include your return address on every envelope in case the mail needs to be returned.

All general mail is subject to inspection. Staff at high-security facilities read incoming mail. Legal mail marked as attorney-client correspondence is treated differently and can only be opened in the inmate’s presence. Do not mark personal mail as legal mail.

Keep envelopes plain. No glitter, no stickers, no confetti, no embedded items. High-security facilities will reject mail that is tampered with or that contains unusual materials.

Sending Photos

Personal photos are permitted at USP Big Sandy. The following rules apply:

• No Polaroid photos. Polaroids are banned at all BOP facilities.
• No nude or sexually suggestive photos of individual subjects. These will be rejected and returned to the sender or confiscated.
• No commercially published images featuring nudity.
• Standard 4x6 inch print photos work well. Include them inside your letter envelope.
• Photos count toward the inmate’s personal property limit. High-security facilities may have stricter storage limits than lower-security BOP institutions.

Tip: Print photos at home or through an online print service and include them in your next letter. Wallet-sized or 4x6 prints tend to hold up better than larger prints during mail handling.

Books and Magazines

Books and magazines must come directly from the publisher or a bookstore. You cannot mail them from home. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and similar retailers are acceptable as long as the package ships directly to USP Big Sandy from the seller.

• Publications may be rejected if they contain instructions for making weapons, escape plans, sexually explicit material, or content determined to be a threat to facility security.
• Newspapers must also come from the publisher directly.
• Inmates at high-security facilities may have limits on total publications stored in their cell.

Packages from Home

Packages from home are not permitted. The only exceptions are:

• Release clothing, sent when the inmate is approaching their release date (must be pre-authorized)
• Authorized medical devices, with prior written approval from facility medical staff

All other items must be purchased through the commissary. Books and approved publications are ordered directly from publishers.

Tips for Sending Mail

• Write the BOP register number on every envelope, even if you’ve been mailing to the same person for years. The mail room processes hundreds of pieces daily and uses the register number for routing.
• Standard USPS first-class mail typically takes 5 to 10 days to arrive at a federal facility after mailing. Allow extra time around major holidays.
• If a letter is returned, check that the name and register number on the envelope match exactly what is shown in the BOP Inmate Locator at bop.gov/inmateloc/.
• If mail stops arriving or is returned unexpectedly, the inmate may be in transit to a new facility. Check the locator to confirm their current location.