Michigan: pen pal rules and how to send mail
Michigan doesn't let people use their own prison account money to join pen-pal groups or place ads. A listing paid for by family isn't covered by that rule. Normal mail rules still apply.
Personal letters go to the person at their prison's mailing address, with their full name and ID number. They are photocopied, and the person receives a printed copy.
Checked against the department's own pages . How we check, and corrections
Pen pal listings
Michigan doesn't let people use their own prison account money to join pen-pal groups or place ads. A listing paid for by family isn't covered by that rule. Normal mail rules still apply.
Sending mail to someone in Michigan
Personal letters go to the person at their prison's mailing address, with their full name and ID number. They are photocopied, and the person receives a printed copy.
“When writing to a prisoner using the US Postal Service, the envelope must include the address of the facility where the prisoner is located, as well as their name and number.” Department source
“All incoming personal mail including envelopes will be photocopied in black and white and the photocopy will be delivered to the prisoner it is addressed to (for colored copies, send through JPay). The prisoner will not receive the original mail; the originals will be shredded and disposed.”
Electronic messages: On JPay, you make an account, add the person by name and ID number, and pay per message. Step by step for each app. Department page.
Source: Michigan mail page, read 2026-10-07. Rules change; the department's page is the final word.
See also: prison mail rules and your first letter.
Prisons in Michigan (26)
How to write to someone at each one: the mailing format, mail rules and messaging, from the department's own pages.
Find someone in Michigan
Official Michigan inmate locator
We check every profile's name and ID number against this locator within a day of it going live.