To send photos to someone in a Louisiana state prison, mail them to the prison where your loved one is housed, with their full name and DOC number on the envelope. The first step is confirming where they actually are, because many people serving Louisiana state sentences are held in parish or private facilities rather than state prisons, and each place has its own address and mail rules.
This guide walks through how to find your loved one, how to address photos for the state's prisons, and how to avoid common reasons mail gets sent back.
How Louisiana prison mail works
The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DPS&C) runs the state's prisons, including Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, Elayn Hunt Correctional Center and Raymond Laborde Correctional Center.
According to the department's information page for families, people in its state facilities can stay in touch by regular U.S. mail, phone calls and secure electronic messages through JPay. The department's frequently asked questions add the key mail rules: letters must be addressed to the facility where the person is housed, with their name and DPS&C number on the envelope.
There's an important wrinkle. DPS&C says Louisiana doesn't have the capacity to house everyone serving time for state felonies in its own prisons, so it relies on parish and private facilities around the state to hold many of them. If your loved one is in a parish jail, that jail's mail rules apply, not the state prison's.
Find out where your loved one is first
Before you address anything, confirm your loved one's current location. DPS&C offers two ways:
- LA VINE. The department links to the Louisiana VINE search, which lets you look someone up by name or ID number and is updated every 24 hours.
- By phone. DPS&C says you can call 225-383-4580 with the person's DPS&C number, or their name and date of birth, to get their housing location and facility address.
If the result shows a state prison, use the address format below. If it shows a parish jail, look up that jail in our Louisiana facility directory. Our directory covers state prisons and parish jails across Louisiana, including the Orleans Justice Center in New Orleans.
Mailing address for photos
For a state prison, DPS&C says mail must be addressed to the facility where your loved one is housed and must include their name and DPS&C number on the envelope:
[Full name] [DOC Number]
[Prison name]
[Prison mailing address]
[City] LA [ZIP]
DPS&C publishes each facility's contact details in its facility directory. Each prison's page in our Louisiana directory shows the address we use. Where we haven't yet confirmed a prison's mailing address from the department's own rules, our page says so, and we check it before we mail your order.
Always include a full return address with your name.
The ID number you need
Louisiana uses the DPS&C number, often called the DOC number. It goes on the same line as your loved one's name, and it's what you'll need to call the department's location line.
Your loved one can tell you their number, or you can find it through LA VINE. Our guide to finding an inmate ID number explains how these search tools work.
Use your loved one's full legal name as it appears in the department's records. A nickname or a misspelled name can slow things down.
Photo rules
DPS&C's published guidance for families is short on photo details, but it is clear on a few points:
- No photos with a hard back. DPS&C says photographs that have a hardback will be rejected.
- No greeting cards or postcards. People in state prisons can't receive these from family, so don't tuck photos inside a card.
- No cash or stamps in the envelope. Cash is confiscated.
Beyond that, the safest approach is to stick to photos that any prison mailroom would accept:
- Standard 4x6 prints. Our Louisiana state prison pages list 4x6 as the size we send.
- Up to 10 photos per envelope. That's how InmatePics packs orders for Louisiana state prisons, and we split larger orders across envelopes.
- No nudity or sexual content.
- No gang signs, weapons, drugs or money. Our Louisiana facility pages flag all of these as reasons a mailroom rejects photos.
It's also wise to skip instant photos, photos with anything glued or stuck on, and oversized prints. DPS&C says people receive the department's mail rules in writing when they arrive at a state facility, so your loved one can also tell you what their mailroom allows.
Because rules can change and vary by facility, check your loved one's prison page in our directory before you send.
What your loved one receives
At Louisiana state prisons, our facility pages say your loved one usually receives the photo prints themselves, though we haven't yet confirmed this at every facility. When you order through InmatePics, we show you what the person will receive before you pay, based on the latest rules we have for that prison.
If your loved one is in a parish jail, it may be different. Some jails photocopy or scan incoming mail. Our post on prison mail scanning explains how prints, copies and tablet scans differ.
DPS&C also notes that appropriate photos can be attached to JPay electronic messages. That's a separate, digital option. Where a facility hands over prints, mailed photos give your loved one something to hold and keep.
Step by step
- Find your loved one using LA VINE or the DPS&C phone line, and note their DOC number and current facility.
- Check whether it's a state prison or a parish jail. That decides which address and rules apply.
- Look up the facility's mailing address in DPS&C's facility directory or our Louisiana directory.
- Choose up to 10 standard 4x6 photos per envelope.
- Check the content. No nudity, sexual content, gang signs, weapons, drugs or money.
- Address the envelope with their full name and DOC number, add your return address, and mail it.
The easier way: with InmatePics, you upload photos from your phone, choose the facility and enter your loved one's name and DOC number. We print real 4x6 photos and mail them, addressed the way the facility requires. It's $0.99 per print plus $4.99 per envelope. Ten photos in one envelope cost $14.89, with no subscription.
Tips to avoid returned or delayed mail
- Confirm the location before every mailing. People can be moved, and a state sentence doesn't always mean a state prison.
- Include the DOC number next to your loved one's full name.
- Use the facility's mailing address, which can differ from its street address. Check the department's facility directory.
- Keep it simple. Plain prints with no hard backing, no cards, and no stickers, glitter or glue.
- After a transfer, update the whole address. In Louisiana, a move means a new facility address.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I send photos for someone in a Louisiana state prison?
To the facility where your loved one is housed, with their full name and DPS&C number on the envelope, as the department requires. DPS&C lists facility contact details in its facility directory, and our Louisiana directory shows the address we use for each prison.
How do I find out which facility my loved one is in?
Search LA VINE, which DPS&C links to from its website, or call DPS&C at 225-383-4580 with their DOC number, or their name and date of birth.
Will my loved one get the actual photo prints?
At Louisiana state prisons, our facility pages say people usually receive the prints themselves, though we haven't confirmed it everywhere. Parish jails may photocopy or scan mail. We show you what to expect before you pay.
Can I send photos electronically instead?
DPS&C says appropriate photos can be attached to JPay electronic messages. Mailed photos are a separate option.
Send photos to a Louisiana state prison
Find your loved one's facility in our Louisiana directory for the address and current rules, or start your order. Delivered, or your money back.
