What You Can't Send in the Mail to Canyon County Jail (and why cards or items get rejected)

Top Prohibited

• ✓ Stamps - listed as prohibited in incoming mail and can cause the entire envelope to be rejected.
• ✓ Blank envelopes - not allowed to be included with correspondence.
• ✓ Stationery - prohibited in incoming mail.
• ✓ Cash, checks, or any other form of currency - should never be sent with correspondence and will trigger rejection.

Most mail problems at Canyon County Jail start with the address. Include the inmate's full name and inmate ID on the envelope, plus your return address. You'll also need to use one of the two approved mailing addresses for standard (non-legal) mail - anything sent elsewhere after March 29, 2024 gets rejected, even if the contents are perfectly fine.

Canyon County Jail runs all incoming mail through a sheet-fed scanner, which explains the strict paper rules. Letters must be letter size (no larger than 8 1/2 x 11 inches) and no thicker than light card stock. If it can't feed smoothly through the scanner, it won't make it past mail processing. Keep things simple and flat - that's the easiest way to avoid rejection.

• ✓ Address labels - may not be included or attached.
• ✓ Stickers - may not be included or attached.
• ✓ Homemade cards - may not be included or attached.
• ✓ Musical cards - may not be included or attached.
• ✓ Non-white envelopes or paper - may not be included or attached.

Mail at Canyon County Jail gets scanned and delivered to inmates electronically. The physical letter is destroyed afterward. Don't send originals, keepsakes, or anything sentimental you can't replace.

Homemade Card Tips

• ✓ Use plain, letter-size pages (8 1/2 x 11 inches) so it meets the size limit.
• ✓ Keep it thin - no thicker than light card stock, and make sure it can feed through a sheet-fed scanner.
• ✓ Skip address labels and stickers - don’t attach them anywhere on the letter or envelope.
• ✓ Avoid homemade cards and musical cards - they aren’t allowed as enclosures.
• ✓ Stick with white envelopes and white paper - non-white envelopes or paper may not be included.

Quick Checklist

• ✓ Address it with the inmate’s full name and inmate ID.
• ✓ Put a return address on the envelope.
• ✓ Mail it to one of the two approved standard-mail addresses (mail sent elsewhere after March 29, 2024 will be rejected).
• ✓ Keep everything letter size (no larger than 8 1/2 x 11 inches).
• ✓ Keep it thin - no thicker than light card stock, and able to run through a sheet-fed scanner.
• ✓ Don’t include stamps.
• ✓ Don’t include blank envelopes or stationery.
• ✓ Don’t send cash, checks, or any other form of currency.
• ✓ Don’t include or attach address labels, stickers, homemade cards, musical cards, or non-white envelopes/paper.
• ✓ Never include threats of physical harm or details/plans related to smuggling contraband.

Rejections typically fall into two categories: scanner limits and safety rules. If your envelope contains anything that won't scan cleanly - thick items, attachments, or certain card types - it may be refused because all mail must feed through a sheet-fed scanner. The second category is content: mail with threats of physical harm or plans to smuggle contraband is prohibited. And remember, once your letter is scanned and delivered electronically, the original is destroyed. Keeping things simple protects both your message and anything you'd hate to lose.