How Brazoria County Jail's Mail System Works (the Longview Processing & What Happens to Originals)
Mailing someone at Brazoria County Jail? Here's the biggest thing to know: most mail no longer goes straight to the jail. Since January 9, 2023, non-legal and non-medical mail is routed to a processing address in Longview, then delivered to the inmate electronically. The original paper you send will not be returned. It's destroyed after processing.
The Brazoria County Sheriff's Office changed how inmate mail works on January 9, 2023. The stated reason: security. Routing mail through a processing center helps keep contraband out of the facility. This applies to letters, photos, and other documents sent to inmates.
All inmate mail now goes to a processing address in Longview, Texas, unless it qualifies as legal or medical mail. Routine letters, documents, and photos get sent to the Longview PO Box, not directly to the jail.
Note: Legal and medical mail skip the Longview processing. See the exceptions section below for how those are handled.
Size Limits
- ✓ Keep everything letter-size: no larger than 8.5 inches wide by 11 inches tall
- ✓ Limit each envelope to 5 pages maximum
- ✓ Include no more than 1 photograph per envelope
Anything you send to PO Box 591 in Longview won't come back. After processing, the inmate receives an electronic copy, and the physical originals are destroyed. That includes letters, photos, and documents you might have wanted returned.
Warning: Do not mail irreplaceable originals to the Longview processing address. Once processed, the original paper is destroyed and cannot be recovered.
Legal and medical mail are the two exceptions to Longview processing. Privileged (legal) mail must be sent directly to Brazoria County Jail, not the Longview PO Box. The jail also limits what counts as "Legal Mail" to specific senders: officials of federal, state, and local courts; other federal and state officials and officers; and the inmate's attorney(s).
If something is labeled as legal mail but doesn't meet the jail's criteria, it may be returned to you. Not sure if your mail qualifies? Play it safe and stick to the jail's definition of who can send privileged legal mail.
Practical Checklist
- ✓ Send non-legal, non-medical inmate mail to the Longview processing address (PO Box 591, Longview, TX 75606)
- ✓ Do not send anything larger than 8.5 inches by 11 inches
- ✓ Keep it to 5 pages or fewer per envelope
- ✓ Include only 1 photo per envelope
- ✓ Assume you will not get originals back: mail sent to the Longview PO Box is delivered electronically, then destroyed
Want something faster? The jail offers electronic Inmate Messaging through NCIC. Pricing is $0.25 per message and $0.35 for picture messages or documents. One more thing: Brazoria County Detention Center does not accept packages or product deliveries to inmates. Attempted packages may be searched and returned to the carrier.
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