How to Address Mail to an Inmate at Forsyth County Detention Center (Checklist with Facility ID 5067)

Forsyth County Detention Center uses a scanned-mail system for regular (non-legal) inmate mail. Publications are handled separately. Here's how it works: you send your letter to a mail processing center, where it gets scanned so the inmate can view it on their tablet. The original paper letter is destroyed after scanning.

What to Write

• ✓ Facility name - Example: “Forsyth County Detention Center”
• ✓ Inmate’s full name - Example: “John A. Smith”
• ✓ Inmate ID number - Example: “Inmate ID: 123456”
• ✓ Facility ID (required): 5067 - Example: “Facility ID: 5067”
• ✓ Complete, legible return address (include your first and last name) - Example: “Maria Lopez, 123 Main St, City, ST 12345”
• ✓ Postage (you pay it) - Example: “Apply correct postage before mailing; insufficient postage will be refused.”

Missing any required identifier - the Facility ID 5067, the inmate's full name, their inmate ID number, or the facility name - means your mail won't be scanned for delivery. Take 10 seconds to double-check the envelope before dropping it in the mailbox.

Material Limits

• ✓ Written or typed pages - Keep it to 10 pages or less per envelope, on paper no larger than 8.5" x 11".
• ✓ Photos - Regular printed photos are allowed; Polaroid photos are not.
• ✓ Drawings - Count them toward the 10-page limit and keep them within 8.5" x 11".
• ✓ Greeting cards - Simple cards are allowed; keep the contents within the 10-page limit and size rules.

• ✓ Cash - Do not mail cash to the mail processing center.
• ✓ Personal checks - Not allowed in mail sent to the processing center.
• ✓ Money orders - Not allowed in mail sent to the processing center.
• ✓ Polaroid photos - Explicitly not allowed.

Common Mistakes

• ✓ Missing required identifiers (facility name, inmate full name, inmate ID, and Facility ID 5067) - Compare your envelope against the checklist before sealing it.
• ✓ Return address missing or hard to read - Write your full first and last name and a complete address clearly.
• ✓ Not enough postage - If you’re mailing a thicker envelope (photos, multiple pages), make sure you’ve added sufficient postage.
• ✓ Too many pages or oversized pages - Keep it to 10 pages or less, and don’t include paper larger than 8.5" x 11".

1. Verify the identifiers - Confirm the facility name, the inmate’s full name, the inmate ID number, and “Facility ID: 5067” are all on the envelope.
2. Count and size-check everything inside - Stay at 10 pages or less per envelope, with pages no larger than 8.5" x 11".
3. Check postage - You’re responsible for postage, and mail with insufficient postage will be refused.
4. Make the return address easy to read - Include your first and last name and a complete, legible return address.

Letter returned or never showed up? The most common mistake: non-legal mail (except publications) must go to the mail processing center for scanning - not directly to the facility. Before resending, double-check your envelope format and make sure everything you included follows the mail rules.

• ✓ Rewrite the front of the envelope to include the facility name, the inmate’s full name, the inmate ID number, and “Facility ID: 5067.”
• ✓ Fix your return address so it’s complete, legible, and includes your first and last name.
• ✓ Add sufficient postage before sending it back out.