NOTICE
Beginning September 1, 2025, the Cattaraugus County Jail will be switching to digital mail for general correspondence. Family and friends should mail all general correspondence to P.O. Box 149, Clifton Park, NY 12065. It will then be uploaded to the inmate's assigned facility tablet. All packages, legal mail, publications, and money orders will continue to be sent to the jail facility and processed as normal. Any general correspondence sent to the jail facility after Sept. 1, 2025, will be returned to the sender.
Please review the following best practices for friends and family:
1. Please ensure the writing on the front of the envelope is legible and includes the following information. Failure to properly address the envelope, as shown below, may result in your mail being returned or delayed:
a. Incarcerated individuals' FULL first and last name
b. Jail name
Ex. Inmates' First and Last Name
Cattaraugus County Jail
P.O. Box 149
Clifton Park, NY 12065
c. Friend & Family members complete Return address (do not put the DMC center P.O. Box as return address)
2. Anything that cannot be scanned will be returned to the sender. This includes but is not limited to paper that exceeds 8.5x 14 inches, all non-paper items, and items smaller than 4” x 6”. Items smaller than 4” x 6” will need to be scanned and printed on a 8.5” x “11 piece of paper.
3. Items that can’t be scanned
a. Any and all legal mail, including all mail items with an attorney or law firm address
b. Newspaper and magazine clippings (Items may be scanned and printed on an 8.5” x 11” piece of paper to be accepted)
c. Post-it notes or any items attached using tape or adhesives
d. Items that have been bound by staples, adhesives, paperclips, or any binding agent
e. Greeting cards with die cuts or pop-out design
f. Sparkles or glitter
4. All packages and certified mail sent to the P.O. Box will be returned to the sender.
5. Any person sending any personal mail that wishes to have it returned to them must include a self-addressed and stamped envelope with their original mail document.
6. When creating a letter, try and avoid using the following writing instruments:
a. Felt-tip pen
b. Marker
c. Sharpie™
d. Wax or oil-based mediums (Ex. crayons, art supplies)
e. Please note that drawings/artwork that may be scanned, however, is not recommended for use for writing.
f. These items utilize a lot of ink and often bleed through the paper, which makes reading the letter very difficult when viewed digitally.
7. If the above items can not be avoided when writing a letter, it is recommended that the sender write on only one side of each sheet of paper. This will make interpreting the letter much easier for the incarcerated individual when it is scanned into the system.
8. Try and avoid drawing or coloring on the back of any sheet of paper where writing or text is presented. Sometimes the coloring and lines of the drawing can bleed through and make text hard to read when scanned.
9. If you need to mail a newspaper article, please make a scanned copy and provide that copy within the mailed correspondence.
10. If you are using notebook paper that has been pulled from a spiral-bound notebook,
please ensure that the torn fringe or “chads” are trimmed prior to mailing. Not trimming the paper could place it at risk for being jammed or torn during the scanning process.
The following items must be mailed directly to the facility, 301 Court St, Little Valley, NY 14755:
A. Legal Mail – Any and all legal mail, including all mail items with an attorney or law firm address.
B. Publications - Directly sent in from a publisher, distributor, or authorized retailer.
C. Money Orders - Any letters included with the money orders will be sent directly to the inmate's locker
D. Packages - Must be sent directly from an approved vendor (Amazon, Walmart, etc)
Photographs:
All photographs will only be accepted from a printing company whose primary business is printing and mailing photographs directly to the inmate (e.g., Shutterfly, Walmart.com). No photographs will be accepted through personal letters and mailings. Absolutely NO NUDE photographs will be accepted.
Publications:
Publications to include any books, magazines, puzzle books, etc will only be accepted from a publisher or from a source whose normal business is the distribution of such publications (Amazon, Walmart.com, Barnes and Noble, etc).
Clothing:
Inmates are allowed to receive the following articles of clothing in the mail:
• WHITE COTTON T-SHIRTS (NO POCKETS, V NECKS, OR LOGOS)
• WHITE SOCKS (NO COLOR ON THE TOES OR HEELS)
• WHITE UNDERWEAR (BOXERS OR BRIEFS) NO COLORED WAISTBANDS WILL BE ACCEPTED
• WHITE BRA (NO METAL OR UNDERWIRES)
• INSULATED UNDERWEAR (2pc WHITE WAFFLE WEAVE ONLY) NO COLORED WAISTBANDS WILL BE ACCEPTED
Under Armor or equivalent type, silk fabric, sweat pants, sweat shirts, long sleeve shirts, union suits, turtlenecks, pajamas, low cut neck styles, pockets, gray toe/heeled socks, underwear with colored waistbands or any color other than white WILL NOT be allowed.
Any item that can be purchased through the inmate commissary will not be accepted (snacks, envelopes, notepads, stamps, etc).
Absolutely no food items will be accepted or stored at the facility
Board games:
All board games or playing cards must be purchased through a credible online retailer (E.g., Amazon, Walmart.com) and shipped directly to the inmate. All items must be new and sealed in their original boxes. No metal pieces or heavy wooden pieces will be accepted.