Inmate Property

Personal Property

Inmate’s property can be picked up during normal business hours from 8am – 3pm Monday through Friday with the exception being that you have prearranged an appointment with the property department by calling 757-942-0545. Inmate property may only be released to the inmate themselves unless an inmate request form from the inmate has been turned into the proper person for approval.

Approval is not guaranteed. Appointments to pick up property by non-inmates should be scheduled in advance and after the request has been approved. Inmates may keep some limited personal property in their living spaces. All inmate property must fit inside the authorized inmate storage container. Excess items will be considered contraband.

Property is either provided by WTRJ or must be purchased through the Inmate Canteen. Property will not be accepted at the jail or through the mail.  The only exception is glasses (nonmetal) and/or contacts along with current up-to-date prescriptions. Those items can be brought to the lobby counter where the lobby clerk will call someone from our medical department to come out so they can determine if the items will be accepted.

Mail

A. All inmates shall be afforded the same correspondence privileges. There is no limit on the number of incoming digital letters (see 1. below) an inmate may receive and/or the number of letters an inmate sends.  If an inmate is unable to use a tablet to read their mail; for example, they lost tablet privileges due to being on cell restriction, then the digital mail will be printed off on paper and provided to the inmate to read.  If the inmate is indigent, he/she will be given the opportunity to mail five (5) first class letters weekly upon request.  This includes legal mail, which will be sent by the Jail for those inmates declared indigent. Indigent inmates are those who have less than the cost of five (5) first class stamps in their account for fifteen (15) days.

1. Inmate physical mail is digital.  All inmate personal mail from family and friends is now digitally delivered to the inmate via the tablet’s “Facility  Messages” app.  The new inmate mailing address for family and friends is:

Western Tidewater Regional Jail
Inmate Name, Inmate Jacket# (five digit # must be included)
P.O. Box 247                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Phoenix, MD  21131

B. Family and friends can even use a faster and more convenient way to communicate with inmates via a tablet provided in the inmate’s block.  You both can send and receive digital text messages and photos and set up video visits all online or through the GettingOut mobile app:  www.GettingOut.com/sign-in

C. All Legal mail from attorneys, lawyers, various courts, etc. should continue to be sent directly to the facility at 2402 Godwin Blvd., Suffolk, VA 23434 for distribution to inmates.

D. All mail sent out by inmates may be sealed by the inmate; however, the inmate’s full return address must be listed on the outside of the envelope.   Mail without the full return address will not be mailed.  The return address is:

Inmate’s Name
Western Tidewater Regional Jail                                                                                                                                                                                                    2402 Godwin Blvd.
Suffolk, VA 23434

E. Inmates may not receive packages from any outside source.

F. Inmate mail processing will be done daily except on Saturday, Sunday and holidays.  Incoming mail will be delivered within 24 hours and forwarded or returned to sender if the inmate has been transferred.

G. Inmates are prohibited from corresponding with another inmate incarcerated in the Western Tidewater Regional Jail.  Inmates may communicate with another inmate incarcerated in another facility providing the administrator of each facility has granted permission.  Submit your request to the Director of Security.

Money

Released inmates can pick-up their inmate account balance from the Administration Office in the Main Lobby of the Jail between the hours of 8:00 am and 3:45 pm on Monday through Friday excluding holidays and special events if money is owed to the inmate. If the Office is closed during normal working hours of a regularly scheduled workday, a sign will be posted on the door to the Lobby stating the length of time the office will be closed.

No other family member can request funds or pickup funds without first getting approval from the Superintendent or Deputy Superintendent. Contact 757-942-0530 for any such requests. We are not allowed to give out balance information to anybody but the inmate. Any issues concerning kiosk deposits should be directed to Viapath through the Viapath tab under the Inmate Information Tab or calling 1-800-306-2957.

Any issues with iCare should be resolved through Aramark at 1-888-439- 5020. Any issues with Oasis should be resolved through Oasis at 1-800-956-2747.  You can also try to resolve any issues through the contact information provided on their respective links under the Inmate Information Tab. Unless the inmate is being transferred to another facility, funds distributed to the inmates will be done using a debit card unless under $25.00 which will be with cash.

When requesting and picking up the debit cards, the process and fees will be discussed with the released inmate. As a reminder, an inmate, in most cases, is charged for Medical Co-Pays and Damaged Jail Property among other possible items while incarcerated and the balance due to the jail is due and payable upon release.

Unless special arrangements are made upon release, the inmate has 30 days in which to fully pay off any balance owed. Failure to do so will result in being turned over to a collection agency and then possible other forms of recourse may come into play like withholding of tax refunds or other legal remedies.

If an inmate is not able to pay off what is owed within 30 days, it is best to come to the Administration Office and work with one of the staff to develop a repayment plan which suits both the Jail and the inmate. Inmates transferred to another facility will have a check mailed to the new facility when the inmate leaves WTRJ.  There is an exception for federal inmates who are transferred to a welcome center first.  We will not send a check to the federal lockbox until we are made aware of the inmate’s permanent location.