How to Address Mail to Someone at Gaston Correctional Center (Why It Goes to Maryland and How TextBehind Works)
Mailing a letter to someone at Gaston Correctional Center? It won't go directly to the prison. All non-legal mail routes through TextBehind in Maryland first, where it's screened, scanned, and delivered electronically to the recipient's tablet.
North Carolina's NCDAC facilities, including Gaston Correctional Center, process non-legal mail through TextBehind. Your letter gets screened and scanned, then delivered electronically to the person's offender tablet - not handed over as paper. TextBehind runs this mail-processing system for correctional institutions, promoting it as a way to eliminate contraband. Here's what matters for you: the correct mailing address is a Maryland P.O. box, because that's where everything gets processed before reaching the facility.
Address your envelope exactly like this. Include the incarcerated person's name and OPUS number, write out the full prison name (no abbreviations), and use the TextBehind P.O. box in Maryland: Offender Name and OPUS Number Gaston Correctional Center P.O. Box 247 Phoenix, MD 21131 This format matters. Mail that isn't addressed correctly gets returned to you instead of delivered.
Return address reminder: Your return address must include your full first name and full last name (no initials), or TextBehind will return the mail.
TextBehind scans typical personal mail - letters, greeting cards, photos, artwork - using an electronic scanner. Those scanned images go to the prison and appear on the incarcerated person's electronic tablet.
Don't want to use postal mail? TextBehind also lets you submit letters and upload photos digitally from your smartphone or computer. Either way, the result is the same: your content becomes scanned images delivered electronically at the facility.
Want your original letter back? You have 30 days to request it. Contact TextBehind customer support, and they'll return the originals for a $2.50 service fee per letter. After 30 days, originals are shredded. Don't mail anything irreplaceable if you'll need the original later.
TextBehind returns all packages to sender. If you need to send a package to someone at Gaston Correctional Center, you'll have to follow the prison's own package rules - contact the facility directly for what's allowed and how to send it.
Quick Dos Donts
- ✓ Use your full first and last name in the return address (no initials)
- ✓ Address mail with the offender’s name and OPUS number
- ✓ Write “Gaston Correctional Center” in full (do not abbreviate)
- ✓ Send it to: P.O. Box 247, Phoenix, MD 21131
- ✓ Don’t send packages through TextBehind (they’ll be returned)
- ✓ Don’t ship publications or books through TextBehind - order from the publisher or an online retailer and have it shipped directly to the prison street address
Time-sensitive tip: If you want the original letter back, request it within 30 days - there’s a $2.50 fee per letter, and originals are shredded after 30 days.
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