Carter County Jail Mail Checklist: What You Can and Can't Send

Every piece of mail going to Carter County Jail needs your first and last name plus a complete return address on the envelope. Missing or incomplete return addresses can stop your letter before it ever reaches your loved one.

The envelope must also show the recipient's full name and address. Double-check the inmate's name and facility address before sealing - small mistakes are one of the easiest ways for mail to get held up.

Prohibited Materials

• ✓ No lipstick marks on the envelope or paper
• ✓ No lip gloss on letters, cards, or envelopes
• ✓ No scents or perfumed materials (including scented paper or sprayed fragrance)

• ✓ No metallic fixtures of any kind on mail materials
• ✓ No metallic stickers of any kind (including shiny/foil-style stickers)

• ✓ Don’t include blank paper inside the envelope
• ✓ Don’t include blank envelopes inside the envelope
• ✓ Don’t include stamps inside inmate mail

Carter County Jail doesn't allow printed social media pages from Facebook, Twitter, or similar sites. Newspaper clippings and comic strips are also prohibited - skip the printouts and cutouts, even if they seem harmless.

Photos are allowed, but they must be printed on actual photo paper and can't exceed 4 x 6 inches. Printing at home or using a kiosk? Make sure you select true photo paper and stick to that size limit.

Keep your photos clean and simple. Carter County Jail rejects anything sexually explicit, overly revealing, or violent. When in doubt, leave it out.

If your mail doesn't follow these policies, you may get a rejection notice. Review what you sent and adjust your next mailing to fit the rules.

The jail also restricts who inmates can write to. Correspondence between inmates or to people in rehabilitation facilities isn't allowed.

1. Contact the jail administrator with questions - If you’re unsure whether something will be accepted, ask before you send it.
2. Follow up if you get a rejection notice - If your mail is rejected, contact the jail administrator to clarify what rule caused the rejection and what you should change next time.