How to Mail Letters and Photos to Someone at Oklahoma County Jail (Digital Scanning Rules)
Oklahoma County Jail scans all incoming mail digitally, so even small formatting mistakes can get your letter sent back. Follow these rules to make sure your mail actually gets through.
Oklahoma County Jail scans incoming mail (front side only) and delivers it electronically through the NCIC messaging system. Your loved one won't get the original paper - they'll view scanned images on a kiosk or tablet inside the facility. Here's what trips people up most often: if you write on the back of any page, the whole mailing gets returned to you instead of being scanned.
Every envelope needs three things: the resident's name, their OCDC booking/identifying number, and your return address. Miss any of these, and you're looking at delays - or a return to sender. Double-check that booking/identifying number before you seal it.
Use standard letter-size paper. The scanners only accept mail that's 8.5 inches wide by 11 inches tall or smaller.
Keep it to five pages or fewer. Go over that limit and the whole mailing comes back to you - nothing gets scanned.
Tip: Use 8.5" x 11" paper, keep it to 5 pages max, and write on one side only - because the jail scans front-side only and returns mail that doesn’t follow these limits.
Photos are allowed, but there's a strict limit: one photo per mailing. Include more than one, and the entire letter - photos and all - gets returned. Nothing gets scanned or delivered.
Watch out: Don't think you can sneak in a couple extra. More than one photo means the whole mailing comes back, even if your letter is under the 5-page limit.
Only the front of each page gets scanned. Write on the back, and your mail gets returned.
Books, magazines, newspapers, and other bulk mail work differently. Don't send these to the Longview, Texas PO Box (PO BOX 591, Longview, Texas 75606) - they'll be returned. Instead, mail them to 201 N. Shartel Ave, OKC, OK 73102, following OCDC mail guidelines.
Remember: Letters and photos go through the scanning PO Box. Books and publications must go to the Oklahoma City address - send them to the wrong place and they'll be returned.
Your mailing won't be scanned if it breaks any key rules: more than five pages, writing on the back, or more than one photo. Same goes for books, magazines, or bulk mail sent to the Longview, Texas PO Box instead of the Oklahoma City address.
When your mail follows the rules, it gets scanned and delivered electronically through the NCIC messaging system. Your loved one can view it on facility kiosks or tablets (if applicable).
Quick Checklist
- ✓ Address every envelope with the resident’s name, OCDC booking/identifying number, and your return address
- ✓ Use paper no larger than 8.5" x 11"
- ✓ Keep the mailing to 5 pages or fewer (over 5 pages gets returned)
- ✓ Write on the front side only (back-side writing gets returned)
- ✓ Include no more than 1 photo per mailing (more than 1 photo returns the entire mailing)
- ✓ Do not send magazines, newspapers, bulk mail, or books to PO BOX 591, Longview, Texas 75606 (they’ll be returned)
- ✓ Send magazines/newspapers/bulk mail/books to 201 N. Shartel Ave, OKC, OK 73102 following OCDC mail guidelines
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