How to Send Mail to Someone at Deschutes County Jail Without It Getting Rejected

Quick Checklist

• ✓ Send everything through the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) only - no hand-delivery and no courier/drop-off.
• ✓ Make sure you’ve added enough postage; mail that arrives “postage due” won’t be accepted.
• ✓ Address it with the inmate’s complete name (include a middle name/initial if you know it) and the jail’s mailing address.
• ✓ Include your complete return name and address; mail without a return address won’t be delivered or held.
• ✓ Handwrite your return address instead of using gummed/adhesive labels.
• ✓ Keep the outside clean: no stickers, non-postal stamps, drawings, perfume, or a “lipstick” kiss - write only address information on the envelope.

Start with the address block. Use the inmate’s complete name (add a middle name or middle initial if you know it), then send it to: Deschutes County Adult Jail 63333 Hwy 20 West Bend, OR 97703

Your return address matters just as much. Include your full name and complete address - Deschutes County Adult Jail won't deliver mail without a return address. Skip this step and your letter gets stopped before it ever reaches your loved one.

• ✓ Handwrite your return address (don’t use gummed or adhesive labels) - staff remove those labels before giving mail to the inmate.

Deschutes County Adult Jail only accepts mail that comes through the U.S. Postal Service. If you try to hand-deliver it or send it by courier, it won’t be accepted.

Double-check postage before you drop it in the mail. If it arrives with postage due, the jail won’t accept it.

Expect your mail to be screened. Jail staff open and inspect all incoming and outgoing inmate mail. Anything unusual on the envelope - stickers, excessive tape, odd markings - can slow things down or get it rejected.

• ✓ Don’t put stickers or non-postal related stamps on the envelope.
• ✓ Don’t add drawings or extra writing on the outside - use the envelope only for address information.
• ✓ Don’t spray perfume on the letter.
• ✓ Don’t seal it with a “lipstick” kiss.
• ✓ Skip gummed/adhesive return-address labels (they’re removed); handwrite your return address instead.

Wondering if your letter arrived? You can't call the jail to check. It's on the inmate to let you know they received it.

If you have a question about inmate mail at Deschutes County Adult Jail, call (541) 388-6661.

Have a complaint about inmate mail? Contact a jail command officer at (541) 388-6661 during business hours (Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.). You can also fill out a Complaint form.

Dos and Donts

• ✓ Do send your letter through USPS.
• ✓ Do handwrite your return address.
• ✓ Don’t use stickers, non-postal stamps, drawings on the outside of the envelope, perfume, or a “lipstick” kiss.
• ✓ Don’t send mail that will arrive postage due.