What Happens to Your Letter After You Mail It: How the Phoenix MD Scanning & Tablet Delivery Works
If your loved one is in NDCS, your letter probably won't go straight to the prison mailroom. Instead, it's routed to a scanning vendor in Phoenix, Maryland first, then delivered electronically (or as a photocopy) once it's approved. Here's how the process works and what can get your letter rejected.
As of November 12, 2024, NDCS routes all incoming personal correspondence through a contracted scanning vendor. Your letter needs to be mailed to the Phoenix, MD vendor address with the right identifying details: the facility name (where the person is assigned), the incarcerated person's committed name (or legally changed name), and their institutional number.
The key shift here: personal mail now goes to the scanning vendor first, not the facility. Even if you're used to addressing letters directly to a prison, NDCS personal correspondence needs to go to the Phoenix, MD address. Include the facility name plus your loved one's name and institutional number so the letter can be matched correctly after scanning.
When the vendor receives your mail, everything you included in that one piece of correspondence gets scanned together. NDCS policy treats it as a single PDF that's transmitted to the tablet system, not as separate pages handled individually.
Because the letter becomes one PDF, it's reviewed and handled as one unit. This matters if you include multiple pages or add-ins. One problem anywhere in the packet can affect whether the whole thing gets delivered.
Once scanned mail is approved, it's typically delivered to the incarcerated individual's tablet within 24 hours. If you're tracking when your loved one should see it, that "after approval" window is the key part of the timeline NDCS spells out.
No tablet? The mail still gets through. Facility staff will photocopy the approved scan and deliver it to the individual, normally within 24 hours of approval.
It also helps to know NDCS mail timing more broadly. Except for weekends, holidays, and special circumstances, properly stamped and addressed outgoing mail normally leaves the facility within 24 hours of deposit. Packages normally leave within 48 hours.
Here's the most frustrating part of the scanning process: rejection is all-or-nothing. If any portion of the scanned PDF violates NDCS policy or the vendor's policy, the entire PDF gets rejected. Nothing is partially delivered.
When correspondence is processed by the vendor and NDCS determines it violates policy, it won't be delivered to the incarcerated individual. The mailroom sends written notice to the incarcerated person, but the sender does not receive notice of the return.
Photos are a common reason mail gets stopped, since all images are reviewed for compliance. NDCS does allow photographs and pictures in personal correspondence, but they're subject to content restrictions. That includes a prohibition on hand signs (peace signs, middle fingers, etc.). If a single image crosses a rule line, it can take down the entire scanned PDF.
- ✓ Any photo or picture that includes hand signs (including peace signs or middle fingers)
- ✓ Images that depict violent or illegal activity
- ✓ Pictures of individuals with large amounts of money
- ✓ Anything else that violates NDCS policy or the vendor’s policy (because one violation can cause the entire scanned PDF to be rejected)
If your letter is rejected, your loved one should receive written notice from the mailroom. You typically won't get a matching notification as the sender. Often the first sign of a problem is your loved one telling you nothing arrived.
If you accidentally include funds with personal correspondence, the vendor will return the money to you. The correspondence itself may or may not come back, so avoid putting cash or similar items in a personal letter in the first place.
Practical Tips
- ✓ Address the envelope to the Phoenix, MD vendor address and include the facility name, your loved one’s committed (or legally changed) name, and institutional number
- ✓ Remember everything you include is scanned into a single PDF, so keep enclosures simple
- ✓ Skip photographs and pictures if you’re not sure they meet content rules (hand signs like peace signs or middle fingers can trigger rejection)
- ✓ Do not include funds inside personal correspondence (funds are returned to sender, and the letter may or may not be returned)
- ✓ If you do send pictures, avoid images that depict violent or illegal activity or show individuals with large amounts of money
Quick reminder: If your letter isn't addressed to the Phoenix, MD vendor (with the facility name, correct name, and institutional number), it can miss the scanning workflow entirely. Also plan for slower movement around weekends and holidays when setting expectations about mail timing.
Find an Inmate at Community Corr. Center - Lincoln, NE
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
