How to Send Books to Someone at Carteret County Detention Center (what sellers, size limits, USPS-only, and PO Box address)
Getting a book to your loved one at Carteret County Detention Center comes down to a few key details: who ships it, the exact mailing address, size and format restrictions, and what content is allowed.
Books must ship directly from a major national bookstore or distributor - Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Books-A-Million all work. Buy it yourself and mail it in? Returned. Order from a small local shop? Returned. Use any kind of forwarding service? Also returned.
Note: Only new books are accepted. Used books are not permitted.
Ship to the detention center's PO Box using this exact format: Inmate Name Carteret County Detention Center PO Box 239 Beaufort, NC 28516
USPS only. Packages sent via UPS or FedEx will typically be rejected.
Size Format Quantity
- ✓ Buy paperback/softcover only (no hardcovers)
- ✓ Keep the book size at 6 x 9 inches or smaller
- ✓ Stay within the limit of 3 books per month per inmate
Keep it simple. The facility won't accept books with staples, cardboard inserts, or spiral binding. Don't tuck anything extra inside - no bookmarks, no notes, nothing. A plain softcover shipped directly from the distributor is your safest bet.
Even if you nail the shipping requirements, content can still get a book rejected. Carteret County Detention Center won't allow nudity or sexually explicit material, violent themes, gang references, or depictions of weapons. Anything with writing or images that could incite violence, riots, or racism is also off-limits.
- Don’t send books from home (or from a local shop) - if it doesn’t ship directly from a major national bookstore/distributor, it can be returned.
- Choose USPS delivery - UPS/FedEx-style courier deliveries are normally rejected.
- Skip the “extras” - no staples, cardboard, spiral binding, bookmarks, or anything tucked into the shipment.
- Don’t order magazines or news publications - they aren’t accepted and will be returned to the sender.
Softcover and new only. Used books and hardcovers won't make it through.
Checklist
- ✓ Order from a major national bookstore/distributor and ship directly to the jail
- ✓ Make sure the seller ships via USPS (not UPS/FedEx)
- ✓ Choose a new, softcover/paperback book (no hardcovers)
- ✓ Confirm the book is 6 x 9 inches or smaller
- ✓ Don’t exceed 3 books total for the month
- ✓ Don’t include bookmarks, staples, cardboard, spiral binding, or any other extras
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