Sending Mail vs. Packages to FCI Texarkana: What’s Allowed and What’s Not

All general incoming mail at FCI Texarkana is opened and inspected by staff. They're checking for contraband and reviewing content that could threaten the security or good order of the institution. If you're sending everyday letters or photos, expect them to be screened before your loved one receives them.

"Special mail" gets different treatment, but only if the envelope is properly marked as such. When it is, staff can only open it in the inmate's presence. That said, they'll still inspect it for physical contraband and verify that everything inside actually qualifies as special mail.

Packages from home are where most people get tripped up. Inmates at FCI Texarkana cannot receive packages sent from home unless there's prior written approval from the inmate's unit team or an authorized staff member. Ship something without that approval, and it may be rejected or returned.

• ✓ Release clothing
• ✓ Authorized medical devices

Freight or non-USPS parcels need to go to the facility's warehouse address and follow the warehouse instructions. Check FCI Texarkana's official shipping guidelines to make sure you're using the correct warehouse format and routing.

1. Confirm the inmate’s details. Use their committed name and register number, and make sure you know which unit they are assigned to before you send anything.
2. Decide if this is mail, a home package, or freight. General correspondence is handled through normal mail screening, but packages from home usually require written approval from the unit team.
3. If it is freight or non-USPS, follow the warehouse instructions. Use FCI Texarkana’s “How to send things here” instructions so it goes to the warehouse correctly instead of the regular facility mail stream.

If your item is time-sensitive or personal (like legal paperwork), confirm whether it qualifies as special mail and make sure the envelope is marked correctly. For everything else, keep in mind: general correspondence is opened and inspected, while special mail is only opened in the inmate's presence but still checked for physical contraband and whether the enclosures qualify.

• ✓ If you are sending a package from home, confirm the inmate has prior written approval from their unit team or an authorized staff member.
• ✓ If you believe your package is an exception, confirm it is release clothing or an authorized medical device before you ship it.
• ✓ Keep a copy of any written approval, and match the shipping contents to what was approved.