What You Can't Send to an Inmate at Arapahoe County Jail (Clear Checklist)
Arapahoe County Jail has strict mail rules, and certain items get rejected constantly. Use this checklist to make sure your letter actually gets through.
Arapahoe County Jail doesn't allow original photographs, computer-generated photos, or anything printed from the internet. This rule took effect Dec 1, 2022. That means the photos families typically send - printed snapshots, pictures you took yourself, images from social media - won't make it through mail screening.
No photos allowed: Since Dec 1, 2022, Arapahoe County Jail has banned original photos, computer-generated photos, and internet printouts. Leave them out of your mail.
Use standard-sized, non-legal envelopes. Anything larger than 8 inches by 10 inches requires pre-approval through the Mail Technician - without it, the jail won't accept your mail. The same goes for parcels. Even something "a little bigger than a letter" gets rejected if approval wasn't arranged ahead of time.
- ✓ Non-legal envelopes over 8 inches by 10 inches (without pre-approval)
- ✓ Packages (without pre-approval)
- ✓ Boxes (without pre-approval)
- ✓ Books (without pre-approval)
- ✓ Magazines (without pre-approval)
- ✓ Other similar items considered parcels (without pre-approval)
Regular letters can still be censored or rejected. Staff screen for anything that looks like it could encourage criminal activity, smuggle contraband, or violate facility rules. The standard is intentionally broad - if something seems risky, it may be edited or returned entirely.
- Avoid anything that looks like planning a crime - mail may be rejected if it appears to include plans for criminal activity.
- Don’t include anything that could bring contraband into the jail - items or content tied to introducing contraband can trigger censorship or rejection.
- Keep content within facility rules - correspondence connected to activities in violation of facility rules may be censored or rejected.
Keep it simple: If a message could be read two ways, staff will assume the worst. Stick to straightforward letters without extras that might raise questions.
Arapahoe County Detention Center does not allow inmate-to-inmate mail. So even if the message is harmless, letters sent from one incarcerated person to another aren’t permitted under the jail’s mail rules.
Want to send a package, book, magazine, or oversized envelope? The inmate needs to get pre-approval through the Mail Technician first. Before you spend money mailing anything beyond a standard letter-size envelope, confirm that approval is already in place. Without it, the jail will reject your shipment.
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