What You Can't Send Through TextBehind to Alexander C.I.: Packages, Books, and Religious Materials
Using TextBehind to send mail to Alexander C.I.? A few common items won't make it through. Here's what to avoid and what to do instead so your loved one actually gets it.
Don't try to send packages or parcels through TextBehind for Alexander C.I. TextBehind doesn't process packages. They'll be returned to you. The service is designed for mail that gets scanned and delivered digitally. If you put package items in the mail stream or address them incorrectly, expect a return or plan to find another delivery method.
Warning: TextBehind will return all packages to the sender. Don’t send parcels through TextBehind.
Books, magazines, and other publications work differently. For Alexander C.I., publications must be ordered from the publisher or an online retailer and shipped directly to the prison. Don't send them through TextBehind. If you mail a book or magazine to the TextBehind address, it can be returned, and you'll have to reorder using the correct "ship to institution" approach.
Tip: When you order, use the publisher/retailer option that ships directly to the institution, and confirm you are using the prison’s delivery address (not the TextBehind P.O. Box).
Religious correspondence course materials, including sacred texts, cannot go through TextBehind. That includes tucking course packets or religious texts into a letter headed for scanning. If you send these items through TextBehind anyway, they won't make it through.
There's a narrow path for religious study materials, but it requires pre-approval. If the religious correspondence course and materials have been pre-approved, they must be shipped directly to your loved one at the correctional facility, not through TextBehind. They also must come straight from the vendor, school, or religious institution. You can't buy them yourself and forward them through the TextBehind address.
- Confirm the course is pre-approved - approved religious correspondence course, sacred text, and Bible study material follows a different mail path than scanned TextBehind mail.
- Get the vendor/school shipping instructions - the materials need to be mailed by the vendor, school, or religious institution.
- Have the vendor ship to the correctional facility - do not route these materials to TextBehind.
- Double-check any facility restrictions before it ships - if it’s not sent in the approved way, it can be rejected or returned.
Important: Don’t send sacred texts or religious course materials to TextBehind. Only pre-approved materials shipped vendor-direct to the correctional facility are allowed through the religious materials process.
Checklist
- ✓ Is it a package or parcel? If yes, do not send it through TextBehind. It will be returned to the sender.
- ✓ Is it a book, magazine, or other publication? Order it from the publisher or an online retailer and have it shipped directly to the prison (not through TextBehind).
- ✓ Is it religious correspondence course material or a sacred text? Do not send it through TextBehind.
- ✓ If it is a pre-approved religious course, will the vendor/school/religious institution ship it directly to the correctional facility? If not, fix that before anything ships.
- ✓ If it is regular mail meant for scanning, is it addressed to TextBehind’s P.O. Box in Phoenix, Maryland? If not, correct the address or use the proper non-TextBehind channel for that item.
Reminder: Scanned mail for TextBehind needs to be addressed to TextBehind's P.O. Box in Phoenix, MD. If it's misaddressed, or if it's a prohibited item like packages, publications, or religious course materials, it will be returned or need to go another way.
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