How to Write Joe Exotic a Letter

Co-authored by Eric McClure

Last Updated: March 23, 2023

If you’ve just finished Tiger King and you want to reach out to Joe Exotic personally, you may be looking to send him a letter in prison. But where should you send it exactly? Are there any rules you need to follow? We’ve got you covered! In this article, we’ll break down everything you’ll need to know about getting a letter out to Joe Exotic.

Section 1 of 4:

What is Joe Exotic’s mailing address?

Address your mail to Joseph Maldonado-Passage, not Joe Exotic. Mr. Exotic hasn’t officially changed his name yet, so you’ll need to use the name on his birth certificate, Joseph Maldonado-Passage. Also, since you’re writing a letter to someone in prison, you need to include Joe’s inmate number on the second line of the envelope. Here’s Joe’s mailing address:^{[1]
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- Joseph Maldonado-Passage
  Reg No 26154-017
  FMC Butner
  Federal Medical Center
  P.O. BOX 1600
  Butner, NC 27509

Section 2 of 4:

Joe Exotic’s Guidelines for Mail

1
Include your name and return address in the letter. At the end of your letter to Joe Exotic, spell out your name in clear, clean letters. Below that, provide your full mailing address—even if you put it on the front of the letter. This way, Joe won’t need to hang on to your envelope in order to write back to you.^{[2]
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2
Use white paper and only write on one side. Joe is apparently a traditionalist when it comes to his stationary. Use white, lined or unlined paper and don’t write on the back of the pages.
- Joe Exotic asks that you keep your letter five pages or less. We hope you weren’t planning on sending Joe the first draft of your novel.
- You can type your letter or handwrite it.
3
Stick with black or blue ink and skip the razzle dazzle. Joe specifically requests that you leave the crayons, markers, stickers, glitter, and perfume, probably because the prison has banned them. If you were planning on writing your letter with acrylic paint, we’re going to recommend fighting that urge. Only use a plain white envelope, and stick to written words only if you can.
- You might be able to send Joe a drawing if it’s in blue or black ink on white paper, but you’ll run the risk of the letter never reaching him.
4
Do not include stamps or a self-addressed envelope. While including a stamped self-addressed envelope is a common courtesy (especially when writing someone you don’t know), Joe Exotic explicitly asks you not to include them—probably because the prison doesn’t allow them.^{[3]
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- It’s unclear, but Joe Exotic also asks that you avoid mailing index cards. These rules may be included because the prison won’t allow them.

Section 3 of 4:

Will the prison read my letter?

Yes, expect any letter you send Joe to be read in full by FMC Butner. Don’t joke about breaking Joe out of prison or mailing him a shank. FMC Butner—the prison Joe is at—opens all incoming mail and will report any potentially illegal material to the police. On top of that, Joe Exotic won’t even get your mail, so keep it all above board.^{[4]
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- As much as Joe seemed to love a good party on Tiger King, try to avoid any talk about drugs or alcohol.
- Resist the impulse to hop on the Carol Baskin hate train if you’re going to say anything that might get you in trouble.

Section 4 of 4:

Will Joe Exotic actually respond?

It does look like Joe Exotic responds after a few months! As easy as it might be to write this off as a silly (albeit fun) activity, Joe Exotic takes his fan mail seriously. According to other fans who have sent him mail, Joe writes back. Unfortunately, it does take a few months. So long as you’re patient, Joe will get back to you.^{[5]
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- If your letter comes back unopened, Joe isn’t accepting letters at this time.^{[6]
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- If your letter comes back partially destroyed or torn, it wasn’t Joe trying to diss you. He wrote something the prison didn’t like and they redacted it.