The New Mail System at Brazoria County Jail: Longview Processing, Size Limits, and the Confusing Legal-Mail Notices

Brazoria County Jail changed how inmate mail is handled effective January 9, 2023. Instead of mail going straight into the facility as physical paper, documents, photos, and letters are routed through a processing step tied to a Longview address.

Here's what catches families off guard: anything sent to PO Box 591 in Longview gets scanned and delivered electronically. The original paper? Destroyed after processing. Don't send anything you can't replace.

Processing rules are strict - go over the limits and your mail won't make it through. Keep everything standard letter size (no larger than 8.5 inches by 11 inches) and limit each envelope to five pages. Print or write on one side only. Including a photo? One per envelope, max.

• ✓ Paper size: no larger than 8.5" wide x 11" tall
• ✓ Page count: no more than 5 pages per envelope
• ✓ Printing/writing: one-sided pages only
• ✓ Photos: 1 photograph per envelope

Skip the packages. Brazoria County Detention Center doesn't accept them - attempted deliveries get searched and returned to the carrier.

Legal mail is where things get confusing. One section of the Brazoria County site states plainly:

But another section describes a process for "privileged mail" that must go directly to Brazoria County Jail. That section limits "Legal Mail" to specific senders: federal, state, and local court officials; federal officials and officers (including the President); state officials and officers (including the Texas Commission on Jail Standards and the Governor); and the inmate's attorney(s). Anything that doesn't fit those categories gets returned.

Sending regular mail? Treat the size limits as hard rules, not suggestions. Stick to 8.5" x 11" pages, five pages max per envelope, one-sided only, and one photo per envelope. Follow these exactly and your mail has the best shot at getting through.

Need something to arrive faster? The jail offers NCIC inmate messaging. Text messages run $0.25 each, picture and document messages $0.35 each - no limits on how many you can send.

1. Assume anything sent to the Longview processing PO Box won’t come back - once it’s processed and delivered electronically, the original physical mail is destroyed.
2. Treat legal/privileged mail as a separate category - the jail’s site includes conflicting guidance (“No legal mail will be accepted” vs. instructions for privileged mail sent to the Brazoria County Jail).
3. Confirm the correct legal-mail handling before you send it - verify with the facility where privileged materials should be mailed so you don’t risk rejection or loss.
4. Skip packages entirely - the detention center says it doesn’t accept packages or product deliveries, and attempted deliveries may be searched and returned to the carrier.