Westchester caps photos at twelve, refuses Polaroid and Fuji prints outright, and bins anything written in gel pen, so a card that would be fine at most jails fails here. Send letters and photos in minutes.
Send letters and photos in minutes
Westchester publishes two routes for getting a letter or a photograph to somebody, and a long list of things that will stop it arriving. The list is the part worth reading, because most of it is about how the letter was made rather than what it says.
[Full Legal Name]
Westchester County Jail
PO Box 10
Valhalla, NY 10595
The county publishes this as the person’s name and the post office box, and it does not specify an inmate or booking number in the format. Most jails require one, so putting their full legal name exactly as it was recorded at booking is doing the work the number usually does. If you have their booking details, adding them does no harm.
Note that this is a post office box, not the campus. The Grasslands Campus address is where visits happen. It is not where letters go.
Westchester publishes a second route: westchestercountymail.com, which it describes as a direct print service for colour photos, letters and greeting cards.
It is the county’s named service, so it is a legitimate route rather than a third party guess. What it costs, how long it takes and what you can upload are not published on the county’s site, and the service itself sits behind a login, so we cannot tell you those.
This is the longest part of Westchester’s policy and it is worth reading before you seal anything. Mail that does not conform is not given to the person it was addressed to.
Paper and ink:
Anything added to the page:
Anything on the envelope or paper that should not be there:
That last pair catches more letters than people expect. A card kept in a drawer with a scented candle can carry enough to fail.
Westchester’s photo rules are stricter than most:
The facility interior rule is one families rarely think about. A photo taken inside a visiting room on a previous occasion, or a news photograph showing the building’s interior, falls under it.
What we do. Pigeonly lets you write a letter or pick photographs on your phone and we print and post them to the jail under its own rules, so there is no printer, photo paper or stamps needed at your end. We do not override the county’s limits: the twelve photo cap and the content rules apply to anything that arrives, however it was sent.
Packages do not go through the post office box. They are handed in at the jail, on their own schedule:
| Hours | |
|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | 9 to 10:45 AM |
| Closed | 10:45 AM to 1:30 PM |
| Monday to Friday | 1:30 to 4:30 PM |
That midday closure is not a lunch break you can wait through with a package in hand, it is a hard gap. The county publishes separate acceptable items lists for male and female residents, and they are worth checking before you buy anything.
Books, magazines and newspapers are not accepted from a private individual. Since 1 January 2016 printed material has to arrive direct from the publisher or a reputable online vendor, and the county names Amazon and Barnes and Noble as acceptable.
So a book you own cannot be posted in. A book you order and have shipped directly can.
The county does not publish what happens to rejected mail. Whether it is returned to the sender, held, or destroyed is not stated anywhere we could reach, and we are not going to guess at it. The information line on 914-231-1000 is the place to ask.
6 of 7 questions
The person's name at PO Box 10, Valhalla, New York 10595. That is a post office box rather than the Grasslands Campus, which is where visits happen. The county does not specify a booking number in the published format, so write their full legal name exactly as it was recorded at booking.
Mail & PhotosTwelve. Polaroid and Fuji instant prints are refused whatever the subject, and nothing can show the inside of the facility, nudity, gang signs or illegal activity. You can also send photos through Pigeonly from your phone with no printer or stamps needed, though the county's twelve photo cap and content rules still apply.
Mail & PhotosWestchester rejects mail on how it was made as much as what it says. Coloured paper, ink that is not blue or black, crayon, marker, gel pen, lipstick, glitter, ribbon, sequins, laminate, hard cardboard, 3D pop-ups, musical cards and stickers all stop a letter. So do stains, spills and perfume or cologne scents, which catch out cards kept somewhere fragrant.
Mail & PhotosA direct print service the county publishes on its own mail policy page, for colour photos, letters and greeting cards sent from a computer. Because it is named by the Department of Correction it is a legitimate route. What it costs and how long it takes are not published, and the service sits behind a login, so we cannot tell you either.
Mail & PhotosNot one you already own. Since 1 January 2016 printed material has to come direct from the publisher or a reputable online vendor, and the county names Amazon and Barnes and Noble as acceptable. Order it and have it shipped straight to the jail rather than posting your own copy.
Mail & PhotosMonday to Friday, 9 to 10:45 AM and 1:30 to 4:30 PM, with a hard closure between 10:45 and 1:30. Packages are handed in at the jail rather than posted to the box. The county publishes separate acceptable items lists for male and female residents, worth checking before you buy anything.
Mail & PhotosThe county does not publish this, and we are not going to guess. It states only that mail which does not conform to the policy is not given to the intended recipient. Whether it is returned, held or destroyed is not stated anywhere we could find, so ask on 914-231-1000 if something you sent has not arrived.
Mail & PhotosCommissary gifts, and the same midday closure.
View ArticleConfirm they are in custody before you post.
View ArticleThe campus address is not the mailing address.
View ArticleSearch for your loved one and start sending photos, letters, and messages today.
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All information on this page comes directly from official government and facility sources. How we verify information › Last verified September 18, 2026. Official source: correction.westchestercountyny.gov/policies-and-procedures/amended-mail-policy ›